Bullying

Yik Yak can be used as a platform for harassment by teenagers. Its anonymous quality gives people boldness to post what they truly think even though it may be vulgar or inappropriate, which makes it perfect to launch attacks on a person or group. Yik Yak is only able to be seen by people in a couple mile radius around you, but this acts as a double edged sword. Being held to a couple mile expanse controls the extent and popularity that harassment can go to, but everyone in that area, literally anyone who has the app-friend or not, can see it which can be just as bad. Yik Yak also presents a different social media platform with its anonymity, feed, and location sensitivity that is entirely unique and something danah has not seen. She mentioned that she had some experience and knowledge about Formspring-a site that allowed people to ask questions anonymously- but the person receiving the questions chose whether the questions were posted to the public or not. So even though people could be harassed online via Formspring it was a rare case that it spread publically, but with Yik Yak the person being harassed does not have a choice whether it is public or not. Yik Yak is an new and unprecedented platform of social media with great potential as the new social media app but also as a way for abuse and public shaming to happen.