Policing students on technology and social media can feel like a Sisyphean effort at times. Students always seem to discover workarounds for security obstacles set before them, whether it’s an expensive firewall or the latest generation of record encryption software.
Enter Exhibit A: The Yik Yak app.
Yik Yak is a social media application that works like a secret Twitter feed. People can anonymously create posts for others in the immediate vicinity to view, making the app more intimate and immediately relevant for users. If you'd like a good summary of the app, watch the video below.
Yik Yak co-founder Brooks Buffington said in an interview that the app was originally intended as a “virtual bulletin board” for college campuses. However, he admitted that they “were naïve” and “idealistic” when it came to the level of maturity possessed by the app’s users.
Consequently, Yik Yak became an anonymous showroom for a plethora of derogatory comments. The app was quickly adopted by students across the United States, not just the collegiate communities for which the app was initially intended.
Private schools have attempted to combat the application with increased parent communications.
- Joe Ruggiero, Upper School Head at the Francis W. Parker School, sent an email to parents in light of the media blitz surrounding Yik Yak. He discussed the app’s propensity to fuel hate and discontent in the school, as “the anonymity [of Yik Yak] is empowering certain individuals to post comments about others that are hurtful, harassing, and sometimes quite disturbing.”
- St. Andrew’s Episcopal School’s Head George Penick sent a similar email, warning of the “obscene” posts on Yik Yak. In addition to the email, Penick spoke directly to the older students about the app’s dangers and banned the app from campus. He also urged parents’ cooperation to “protect [their children] and other students from the many, current abuses of this app.”
- Fort Bend Christian Academy took the opportunity to talk about cyberbullying in general, not just the direct fallout from the rash of Yik Yak scandals breaking out in schools across the country. In its blog, the school defined cyberbullying, identified problematic apps, and informed parents how they can help protect their children, as well as what the school is doing to combat the app’s negativity.
- McGill-Toolen Catholic High School also posted an article on its website about Yik Yak. The post explains what the app is, how it’s harmful, and explicitly lists the methods of removing inappropriate posts—including helpful contact information.
In the end, Yik Yak has been banned on most middle and high school campuses using a method called “geo fencing.” Since the app uses GPS data during use, the developers can disable features like posting or reading boards in banned locations. If students try to access the app at school, they’ll now receive a pop-up blocking access:
Some schools still experience trouble as not all campuses have been blocked with the “geo fence.” If you are still able to access Yik Yak at school, send a message via the company’s contact page to start the blocking process.
The dust has settled from Yik Yak for the most part, but that’s not the first time an app has become a venue for cyberbullying—and it won’t be the last. Next month, we’ll provide a list of troublesome social media applications that have harmed both students and schools, as well as a list of questions to determine whether newly popular apps will be abused by your students.
Additional ISM resources:
ISM Monthly Update for Business Managers Vol. 8 No. 7 Are Administrators Guilty When Bullying Leads to Suicide?
ISM Monthly Update for Business Managers Vol. 10 No. 1 Back-to-Bullying Season
ISM Monthly Update for Risk Managers Vol. 3 No. 2 Fight Bullying With an Acceptable Use Policy
Private School News Vol. 13 No. 2 Bullying: Address the Problem, Attack the Cause
Private School News Vol. 10 No. 5 Cyberbullies Need Protection, Too
Additional ISM resources for Gold Consortium members:
I&P Vol. 35 No. 9 How to Scrutinize an Insurance Policy
I&P Vol. 36 No. 3 Addressing Bullying and Sexual Misconduct
