An app that lets users post anonymously is stirring talk at Slippery Rock University.
Yik Yak hit the app store in 2013, but has become increasingly popular at SRU this semester.
“It’s good if you’re bored and have nothing better to do,” Melanie Zdobinski, senior early education major, 21, said.
She downloaded the app twice, once when it first came to Slippery Rock and again when it resurfaced.
“The first time was last spring when nobody knew about it ever so I downloaded it and I was like ‘Oh this is so stupid because nobody ever says anything like ever’ and then this semester it made a comeback so I got it again and I was like ‘No this is stupid high school stuff and I don’t care about this’,” Zdobinski said. “I had it downloaded to my phone for about 10 minutes.”
Slippery Rock University did not disclose any problems resultant from the app that has needed dealt with.
“It’s to the best of my knowledge that there have been no professional dealings…that doesn’t mean the student’s aren’t ‘Yik-Yakking,’” Karl Schwab, a representative of Slippery Rock University said.
Zdobinski questioned what the purpose of the app was.
“I don’t know what I was looking for. What does anybody really look for when they Yik Yak?” she asked.
Senior criminal justice major Brittany Hufford, 21, suggested that the app was for hookups, parties and to complain about classes.
“A lot of people look for sex,” Hufford said. “I don’t know if anyone would ever really get a hookup from Yik Yak though.” She said that probably wasn’t a good idea for Yik Yak or any social media service.
“I see a lot of people complain about their classes on there, their exams that they just bombed,” she said. “They can’t post that on regular social media because then someone will see it.”
She said it was nice because “you can complain all you want and no one will ever know who you are.”
“They’re like ‘come over for a party,’” Zdobinski said. She added that it is pretty bad when Yik Yak is involved in perpetuating rumors. “YikYak really over-embellished that whole story,” she said, referring to rumors someone had died at the Heights over Homecoming weekend.
She added that it causes a problem in terms of cyber-bullying, something she felt was a negative to the app.
“YikYak contributes to cyber bullying which as an education major is something I learn a lot about,” Zdobinski said.
Kalene Ireland, junior mathematics major, 20, refused to download Yik Yak.
“I don’t like to download things because it takes away from studying. It’s a distraction,” Ireland said. “I’ve heard of people using but they use it during class a lot and I don’t know how good that is.”
The students expressed mixed feelings on the benefits and negatives to Yik Yak at Slippery Rock University.
“It’s too much of a distraction and they make fun of people on there too so I don’t like that,” Ireland said.
“I feel like it has its pros and cons,” Dufford said.
Zdobinski felt it was pointless, offering no benefits to using.
“I don’t see any benefit from it. I mean what’s the best thing that’s going to happen because you ‘Yakked’ something. It’s just overall pointless I think.“
