non-profits, and the question of anonymous social media

Alexis Stempien

Yik…Yakety Sax?

Yik Yak is “Twitter for a 10-mile radius”. Users post, anonymous messages that can be upvoted or downvoted, and the most popular Yaks are featured on a “Hot” page.

Quick Stats:• launched in 2013• 1.8 million users (comScore, Dec. 2014)• college demographic (95% of users)• free and mobile-only (iOS, Android)• posts are 200 characters max

Yik Yak and Non-Profits

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Yik Yak and Non-Profits

• likely not useful for most non-profit organizations– users are anonymous– audience is mainly college campuses– no hyperlinks, images, mass audiences, or longevity– not a medium for advertising

• still useful for (clever) campus organizations– can promote events, especially social ones or giveaways– audience is specifically Michigan students– Yaks must sound organic and not commercial (success is often in

wit and humor)

What about anonymity?

• YikYak’s safeguards against verbal abuse/harassment:– app will not open in high schools due to “geofencing” because of the

lower maturity level– when trying to post a potentially threatening message (ex. false

bomb threats), this pop-up window appears: “It looks like you’re posting something threatening. Just want you to know that Yik Yak and law enforcement take this stuff seriously.”

– a list of banned words– while composing a Yak, the app scans your text for menacing

language and real names– a team of monitors track Yaks and take care of serious problems– repeat offenses = suspension from the app

• the story of “pink hat guy”

When anonymity is good

• anonymous online bystanders are more likely to step in when they see bullying or harassment (Computers in Human Behavior, April 2015)

• students take creative risks they normally wouldn’t (Junco, “Engaging Students through Social Media”)

• students can more safely explore their identities anonymously

• professionals can learn more about a campus environment through the students’ eyes (what’s working and what isn’t)

• helps develop a sense of community

Sources/References:

• http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563214007249

• http://www.wired.com/2015/03/yik-yak-online-anonymity-good-college-students/

• http://www.macworld.com/article/2897478/location-is-the-new-hashtag-yik-yak-aims-to-be-the-next-twitter.html

• http://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenhuet/2014/10/20/yik-yak-wants-to-be-a-news-hub-but-it-needs-to-grow-up-first/