Yik Yak is the latest and greatest app on college campuses. It is basically an anonymous version of Twitter with a slightly higher character count, but what makes it so interesting is the ability of the Yik Yak herd to self-police the feed. For those unfamiliar with Yik Yak, its users post anonymous messages to their local “herd” (users within a limited radius) and their herd can then comment, upvote their favorites, or downvote those they dislike. Yaks move quickly and only stay on the feed for a few days if they get upvoted, but if they reach the dreaded score of -5 due to downvotes, they are “voted out of the herd” and removed.
While every herd is different, there are a few general tips on riding the yak.
1. Keep it short and funny.
The character count may be slightly larger for Yik Yak than for Twitter, but that doesn't mean you need to be verbose. College students have very short attention spans, and no one is looking for in-depth emotional counseling advice, so just get to the point, and start accumulating those upvotes. Besides, some of the funniest yaks are one-liners.
2. Make it relatable for your herd.
Students like things they can relate to. It's nice to share your pain or frustration with others so you can feel like you aren't alone. Yaking increases your “Yakarma” score, so keep up the great yaks about the stress of exams, avoiding awkward eye contact with your latest hookup or the people tabling in commons, or the amount of time spent watching Netflix instead of going to the gym.
3. Recycle paper, not posts.
Be yourself; be original. There are plenty of funny one-liners on the Internet, whether on Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr, or even other colleges' yak feeds. You may have seen it and thought it was funny, but so have the rest of us, so avoid the reyak.
4. Reyak spotting? Let it go.
We get it -- it isn't new. Maybe they are new to the herd community and are afraid they just aren’t that funny. Maybe they recycled without knowing it or maybe they need to just feel the herd love to build their confidence. Whatever the case, no one wants to see your recycle emoji, so just let it go.
5. Yik Yak is not Tinder.
Everyone hates blind dates, so why would you look for your next boyfriend, girlfriend or hookup on an anonymous app? Ask questions, rant about school and your relationships, share your insights, but don’t ask the herd to disclose their identity and join you for Netflix and chill. People are looking for a laugh, not a hookup.
6. Yak to understand opposite sex.
The fact that Yaks are anonymous makes it the perfect place to ask questions about the opposite sex without feeling stupid. Your herd becomes your personal Dr. Phil. Who can resist a no-nonsense relationship expert with all the (right?) answers? Just take everything you read with a grain of salt.
6. Upvote like it's your job.
It helps your Yakarma, boosts other people’s confidence, and ensures the yaks keep coming. It’s like an anonymous high five, and who doesn’t need one of those? The yaks you upvote help determine your herd’s unique sense of humor, so if something makes you laugh, or even just smirk, upvote it.
7. Above all, be yourself.
Yak about funny or ironic things that happen throughout your day. Make it real. That’s what makes it entertaining and, more than anything, relatable to everyone else. Sometimes the best yaks are those where you reveal something unfortunate that happened to you that others can relate to. So dig deep and take a risk. Your herd and your Yakarma score will appreciate it.
In case you’re still a little confused, here are some funny yaks from the past to give you a better idea:
