By: Peyton Riddick
Triangle Contributor
Like many other universities across the country, Wingate is struggling with the negative effects of the anonymous social media platform Yik Yak, and how it is potentially harming the safety and mental well-being of students on campus.
A social media app, Yik Yak is an anonymous and localized platform that allows users within a five-mile radius to share thoughts, opinions, pictures and
information onto the site without creating an account that ties to a phone number, email address or even a user’s name. While there are some minimal restrictions according to the app’s guidelines, posts are still released with harmful language that include racist, sexist and homophobic comments that reveal names.
“It’s hard to regulate with it being anonymous and the concerning thing is the lack of accountability,” Wingate sophomore Haley Kallgren said. “Things get said that could cause damage to another student’s mental health without worrying about the consequences.”
Other schools across North Carolina are fighting back against the harmful effects of the app. According to The News & Observer of Raleigh, UNC System President Peter Hans is seeking to ban Yik Yak and similar apps from campus Wi-Fi across the state’s 16 campuses.
Wingate Campus Safety Chief Mike Easley says the university has no tolerance for cyberbullying or harassment and that his office monitors the app daily looking for potential violations of campus policies.
“Harassment and bullying should not be normalized, especially in a place where young adults are learning and progressing in their personal, academic and social lives,” Easley said. “Campus Safety has downloaded the app to read these posts to get an understanding of what students are talking about and remembering that the Yik Yak user base may not be representative of the campus population.” While the app is anonymous, Easley says there are some instances where posts can be traced back to their creators. Yik Yak will turn over a user’s information to authorities with cases involving specific threats. Campus Safety is working alongside the Wingate Police Department on a consistent basis to prevent harassment, bullying and serious allegations from spreading and damaging the university’s morale, according to Easley.
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