Yik Yak at Monmouth College

Yik Yak, a popular app created in 2013, resurfaced in 2021 and impacts large organizations, such as sororities, at Monmouth College due to its most popular feature: anonymity.

By creating an account with only a phone number, anyone is able to post, comment, and message openly within a 5 mile radius. As stated in the app store’s description of Yik Yak, “Inside the app, your identity is a secret. This makes it fun and easy to jump into conversations without societal labels! Everyone is equal on Yik Yak.”

Yik Yak’s presence at Monmouth College has not always been fun or easy. Last week, several Monmouth College sororities were targeted with messages such as “[Kappa Kappa Gamma] is bitchy, [Pi Beta Phi] is homophobic and [Alpha Xi Delta] is performative, not progressive!” “Pi Phi and Alpha Xi are just as racist as Kappa. They just hide it better,” and “Kappa girls just want to get hammered and f---d,” among many other posts.

“From our perspective, it is very hurtful and confusing to know why someone would make things up or have complaints that they don’t… just say it to your face instead of behind a screen. We don’t necessarily let it consume us too much, but it can definitely, negatively affect our mental health,” said Kappa Kappa Gamma president, Gabrielle Crothers.

Many colleges are looking at the effect Yik Yak has had on students and considering banning the social media app from use on campus.  According to an article from Vox titled “Colleges’ Yik Yak problem, explained,” colleges are looking at statistics and considering taking action. “The app is averaging about one violent threat every two weeks. Amid the everyday banality, people have used it to criticize, target, and threaten students of color, women, and, in some cases, individual students. And so a debate is raging about whether Yik Yak is bad enough for universities to ban it, a lifeline for students who are struggling and isolated, or something in between.”  “I think more people should be talking about how Yik Yak is toxic. I know there’s probably not much the school can do…but I think if people just really take the steps to delete the app or just not engage in anything and understand the repercussions,” said Crothers. “Overall, if you’re on Yik Yak saying bad things, please stop. It’s horrible. It’s toxic. It’s a form of cyberbullying when it comes to sororities, fraternities, or honestly any other organization on campus.”

Alexandria King - Contributing Writer