The company’s slogan is “Ride the Yak.” But this texting software is apart from the countless other mobile messaging apps available. How? That’s what we’re going to find out. However, let me first give you a little introduction.
Describe Yik Yak.
Get a live feed of what others are saying around you is how Yik Yak is introduced. From a typical vantage point, one may assume that it is a mobile phone location-based texting app. Yes, it is, but it’s not exactly that. The Tyler Droll and Brooks Buffington-developed software has swept the entire US collegiate scene. They both attended Furman University’s liberal arts college in Greenville, South Carolina, where they learned how to make iPhone apps and later founded Yik Yak. After graduating from there, they made the decision to work full-time on it, making Yik Yak one of the hippest messaging services for college students.
What distinguishes Yik Yak from other messaging services like WhatsApp, Wechat, etc.?
For starters, Yik Yak is not a messaging tool for one-on-one communication. Anyone can start a community here; most of them are college-specific. Students from that university can sign up and communicate there (called yaks). Your words can receive upvotes or downvotes from other students, and depending on the outcome, you receive Yakarma, a numerical score. Your Yakarma grows over time, giving you more power in the neighbourhood.
Users of this app can look into other campus communities anonymously to keep tabs on what is happening there. Additionally, similar to Reddit, the app automatically divides yaks into two categories: recent and hot. The user can switch to hot yaks to see what’s happening in the community in addition to the recent yaks that are displayed to them by default.
What systems is Yik Yak compatible with?
Both the Android and iOS platforms support Yik Yak. Unfortunately, India still does not have access to it. The majority of its users are exclusively found in the United States, particularly from its institutions.
Yik Yak Disputations
The fact that Yik Yak is not monitored and allows anonymous posting has led to a lot of harassment. The majority of the reported cases include online pranks and bullying. Many schools have prohibited the app from their facilities because to the rise in crimes of this sort. Due to its anonymous nature, many of its users have been found to post about bigotry and harassment on campuses, despite the fact that it is primarily location-based and yaks can only be seen within a 10-mile radius. According to the Yik Yak website, some people even use threats, which are taken seriously by their team and even reported to police. Although you must be at least 17 years old to use Yik Yak, it’s common to see teenagers who are younger than that using the app.
A Canadian school was compelled to lock down earlier this year as a result of a threat made by some users who claimed there was a gun in the science lab.
Yik Yak has a terrible reputation among most schools as a result of all these factors. However, in the end, it’s simply a tool. So, in the end, it’s up to the user to utilise it whatever he wants, for good or bad.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Yik Yak
Some of its benefits include:
- Anonymous posting, anyone can post anything without revealing their identity
- Location specific, thus you get to know what s hot in your area at just a glance.
- Communities can engage easily and best posts are up-voted to top.
Disadvantages:
- Cases of cyber bullying, harassment, name calling are common in the app.
- Difficulty to track culprits of the above crimes.
- May lead to depression to teenagers.
Methods For Disabling Yik Yak On Your Child’s Phone
Some parents may be concerned that their child will be the victim of cyberbullying if they use this app because it has the potential to be abused. Thank goodness, Android has built-in support.
You can set up device administrators inside the phone and create users with access to only certain apps if you use Android phones and tablets with Jelly Bean and higher. By doing this, you can be confident that your youngster won’t access any harmful websites or apps. There are a few apps that can ban apps depending on pre-set user preferences, both in the App Store and the Play Store.
Mobile Guardian is conceivably the greatest app for both Android and iPhone users. This programme includes a 7-day free trial with the ability to restrict a variety of phone functionalities, including calls, websites, and apps. Given the modest cost of just 2.95 each month, it is unquestionably a worthwhile investment.
Best Selfie Apps For Android, iOS, and Windows Phone
Acquiring Yik Yak
You can download the app from this page if you reside in North America. Although there isn’t yet an official client for Windows Phone, you can follow the Yik Yak communities in your campus using an unofficial software called Yodel.
