Social media has become a necessity in daily lives, but does the opportunity to anonymously make a post present any risk? New apps are made every day, leaving society with new ways to explore technology. Because of popular culture, there are many apps that find themselves prevalent on college campuses: Whatsgoodly and Yik Yak are two of the most talked about applications.
Whatsgoodly looks like a friendly polling app with the icon of a pug in sunglasses, but the use of the polls are questionable. The typical questions (on Illinois’ campus) include the ranking of sororities and fraternities, polls about individuals, sexual questions, relationship advice, and mindless humor.
Yik Yak is used by a similar demographic, making the posts relatively the same, but in a status form. And while no one takes it too seriously, there is still an issue at hand. Once people are given the opportunity to be anonymous on a public format, there is lack of control.
There is no telling of any true malicious motives with posts, but the moral of the story is that it’s wrong. These apps and their users, myself included, need to police themselves while anonymous. Because of the way people use the apps, they have the power to create a more divided campus, and the opportunity to prolong misunderstood or misrepresented groups of students.
Examples of Whatsgoodly poll usage.
This is a prime example the, "I can ask this dumb question, because no one can make fun of me," post.
Most posts revolve around Greek life on campus, but the reverse is just as popular. A "geed" or "GDI" is a student who is not in the Greek system. This is one example of the potentially offensive posts.
Relationship or social advice is also a very popular topic, because maybe the only friends millennials have are their phones -- or not?
Gender specific polls are becoming increasingly popular throughout the Whatsgoodly platform, and sometimes it's humorous to see the answers. Sorry, I think Timberland boots are hideous, and the comment on the male's poll is worth a look.
Yik Yak is a platform for one-line comedians to shine, or just to see an idiot's opinion.
Yaks from UIUC campus.
Yik Yak proves that you can use anonymity respectably (for a college student), but does not completely clear up the negative connotation some anonymous platforms carry. It is now up to the millennials to clean up the reputation social media has, and will continue to have, if we don't take a little bit of initiative.
