Yik Yak and Spartan Basketball

I personally do not use Yik Yak, but I am familliar with how the app works. Like all social media, it is used more when there is some type of event on campus or in the area. I feel like it is a useful forum for people to share ideas and have the benefit of anonymity. On the other hand, it seems like there are more negative posts on the app than positive ones and that's why it could be a threat to campuses.

I actually have heard of Yik Yak but do not use it. I don’t find it to be to useful to me because from what I know, it simply seems to be an app for gossip. People seem to use it as a way to talk poorly about others or a situation they don’t want to be in.

It seems that many younger college students seem to be the main users of the app. My opinion may come from the fact that I am just a bit older and don’t find the interest in it that I may have when I was age of the majority of users.

I didn’t get a chance to create a bracket this year but I have been watching most of the games. I do have MSU going pretty far in the tournament and making it at least to the sweet sixteen. Watching MSU for almost the entirety of my life I know that Izzo gets his team to play their best basketball in March.  If they play their best then I believe they will go further in the tournament than the sweet sixteen.

Also, I know some people were upset about having a 7^th seed and thought that MSU should have been ranked higher. I think being a seven will allow for less pressure and for a chance to surprise other higher ranked teams.  

I wasn't really interested or curious about Yik Yak until this year when I downloaded it in a fit of boredom. Even then, I didn't use it in class because, surprisingly, none of my classes are boring enough to use it in. Also, in most cases, I'd much rather go on Twitter or Facebook. The few times I've gone on Yik Yak, I haven't found it terribly exciting (possibly because I don't use it in class). 

The NYT article perfectly encapsulates both the draw of the app and the damage it has caused across campuses and schools. The app itself is everything my generation craves in social media: freedom of speech and absolute anonymity. However, as we've seen even on our own campus, this kind of digital environment breeds unfavorable and concerning participation. While anonymity is important in some situations, I believe that if you have something to say, and you feel strongly enough about it, you should be able to say it with your name attached. If not, you shouldn't say it - a.k.a. if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all. This may be exceptionally old fashioned of me, but I think anonymity in this digital age is a thing of the past. You might as well stand up and own the words you're saying because once they're out on the internet, they're there forever. 

The only March Madness that I've been participating in is the Mammal March Madness - super nerdy and super fun. 

I don't use Yik Yak. It only got popular around here about a year ago and I felt too old to even care to download it. It just seemed like something the freshmen and sophomores would use to complain about things I complained about when I was in there shoes, and that's kinda what it turned out to be. I've had friends show me some funny stuff on it but it wasn't memorable.

As for Sparty, I have them going to the elite 8 in 2 of my 3 brackets. I think it's possible for them to upset Virginia. MSU is finally coming into their own. I don't expect them to make it any further than the elite 8 unless someone upsets Nova though. MSU just isn't at that quality this year compared to years past.

I first downloaded yik yak at the beginning of last semester. I thought it was a pretty funny way to help me stay awake in my Econ 201 class. I would go on it in there and see what others were saying about the class, it was quite entertaining. However, it got old rather quickly. The more I was on there, the more I saw repeat posts or rude, uneccessary comments on others' posts. I only posted on there a few times. Now I'm rarely on it. So the bottom line is, it's cool but I don't think you're missing out on much if you don't have one!

I think MSU will go all the way for sure or at least into the final 4. I'd like to see us playing OSU in the Championship game (is that even possible???). But other than that I havn't put much thought into my bracket. Go Green Go White all the way!

I have the Yik Yak app but I don't use it regularly. The only time I actually find myself on it is if I am procrastinating or if something occured on campus. For example before Thanksgiving break I remember hearing about the bomb threat on Yik Yak before I even got the MSU alert. I feel that in some ways Yik Yak can be a benifical app to have when wanting to know more about something that has occured but besides that I find it a bit pointless. Most of the posts that I do see on there are people complaining about classes or someone will post something funny every once in awhile. It's interesting to me how some people are always checking it or posting on it. I guess I personally do not see the appeal in that. I think that class that would probably use it the most is probably the freshman class. I feel like they are more into posting on and communicating on it about issues in the dorms or to find out what's going on off campus, since they are so isolated in the dorms. 

As for the tournament I have MSU getting to the Elite 8 but losing to Villanova. From my first hand experience having the opportunity to watch often I think MSU can be inconsistent and their average opponents PPG are too high for me to believe that they will go far in this tournament. Defense wins championships. For the championship game I have Arizona beating Gonzaga 80-72.

I personally have never used yik yak or downloaded the app, but some of my friends have used it. They mainly just talk about it because sometimes they will see something funny. However, I think it's a fad and I think it's already going out because I never really hear people mention it anymore. I think people get all upset about new trends and apps even when they might not be as big as they think they are. I think it's pretty gross that people use the anonymity of the app to make threats and crude comments. I also think it is ridiculous that people think that the app is secure enough to make threats and comments about peoples safety and not get in trouble. Yik Yak may be anonymous profiles, but it is still connected to a unique phone and number.

 

I have Yik Yak downloaded on my phone, but I rarely look at it. I mainly check the app when something has occurred campus-wide and I want to see how people have added a funny twist to the event. For example, when the MSU emergency hotline sent every student multiple texts, phone calls, and voicemails this week regarding the gas leak at the cyclotron, yakkers made some hilarious comments. I also checked Yik Yak while I was in Florida for spring break, and it was amusing to see posts that mentioned MSU students being in the same area as me. However, I will say that many yaks are derogatory towards certain groups, and that is a major reason why I don't look at the app regularly. One feature of the app that is appealing is the ability to downvote yaks that you don't like. Once a yak has netted 5 downvotes, it is removed from the timeline altogether. I like having the power to express my vote if I find a yak offensive or inappropriate.

Just to give non-yakkers an idea of what MSU's yik yak feed looks like, one of the top yaks at the moment reads: "Go Green. Praying for anybody with a 12:40 today."

I have never had a Yik Yak but I am pretty familiar with it beacuse a lot of my friends and roommates have them. They say that it can be pretty funny and sometimes they have read them to me but it is hard enough for me to keep up with facebook, instagram, etc. so I don't want to add another form of social media. I also know about Yik Yak because of the threat we had at Michigan State as referenced in that article. One of my classes actually got cancelled that day because of the threat. I think Yik Yak is a good thought but having it be anonymous could be dangerous. I understand the freedom of speech issue but that's why you can just go on twitter or somewhere else to express yourself when people can't hide behind anonymity, that's when the problems start. 

As for my bracket, I had to put Michigan State going all the way. I actually have a lot of Big10 teams doing well because I like to support the Big10. 

 

I have never posted on Yik Yak, but I have occassionally scrolled through it to see what people were saying.  Many of the posts were anonymously targeting people or groups of people backhandedly, without specifically calling out names.

However, some posts called people or groups out specifically. In my opinion, this app further encourages people to hide behind a screen when saying things that can be extremely detrimental to someone's reputation or self-esteem.  The ability to hide behind a screen and avoid face-to-face masture conversations is a big problem our generation has.  The app also allows people to say things they would never even think to say if the comment was somehow linked to their own name and reputation.

I have only used Yik Yak in one of my classes when a professor encouraged the use of Twitter.  Rather than tweeting, students in my class were using Yik Yak as if they had the power to go behind the professor's back.  Although none of the comments stood out as particularly rude or demeaning, everything the professor said over the course of the 80 minutes every Monday was completely picked apart.

I have never used Yik Yak and it's an app I never plan on dowloading. While I can understand the appeal, the idea of an anoymous app for college kids just sounds like trouble. I already read enough of people's thoughts on Facebook and Twitter so I don't think another app that has a feed of people's posts is necessary. I already didn't have any desire to use Yik Yak, and after reading that article I feel completely confirmed. 

I have MSU going all the way for my bracket. MSU basketball is my favorite sports team so I'm very excited for the tournament. I know a lot of people don't have much faith in our team this year, but I'm hoping MSU can exceed everyone's expectations. If Spartans don't root for MSU, who will?

I have never personally used Yik Yak. Truthfully after the shooting threat back in November it freaked me out, and I don't notice it on my twitter feed nearly as much since it occurred. However, it still does not take away from the fact that I do think it is pretty neat. If I were to use it I honestly would probably use it during class when I am bored. I know this sounds bad but what college student isn't on his or her phone during class if he or she is bored? If I wasn't on it during class, I would probably use it right after class to vent. I know last semester I would have said some pretty interesting things after getting out of any accounting 201 quiz or exam!  

 

Yik Yak was never really big with my circle of friends. Although there are some funny things on there, and it was entertaining to see people in the same classes or buildings as you saying similar things to what you were thinking, a lot of the content on the app ended up being sexist, racist, or just mean. I dislike anonimity on social media in general, so I tried to stay clear of Yik Yak. It didn't have very much staying power either. I don't see people using it nearly as much as they were 2 or 3 monts ago.

 

Before this blog post, I had never even heard of Yik Yak. So, I've never used it before. However, after reading the article I'm glad I've never come across this "social media" platform. It doesn't seem appealing to me at all. The article gave examples of some of the things that are posted on this site, and I'm appalled by the content. All of the comments seem to just be very negative, hurtful, and downright inappropriate. I don't think I've ever heard anyone mention Yik Yak before. I was a transfer student, and the largest class I've had at MSU has been an ISS class with over 200 people, and still then I didn't hear any comments about people using it. I think that shows that it's not as popular as other social media site's such as Facebook or Twitter. I think Yik Yak should be site that people look into, and hopefully figure out a way to make it more positive.

I had a Yik Yak during the end of last semester, but I ended up deleting it. I just didn't really see the point in the app. Yes, it was sort of interesting at first, but it just didn't interest me as much as the Facebook and Twitter app does. I have heard of it getting some popularity in some of my friends classes. I'm pretty sure it was an ISS or ISP course. When I had the Yik Yak app, I actually never made a post! I just scrolled through the newsfeed. 

I know Yik Yak has many interesting purposes and many people find the app to be entertaining for a variety of reasons. People like to use it to comment about classes, professors, and each other in general. Some of these Yik Yak posts are comical and postive. However, I know that the posts aren't always uplifting. By reading the article from the New York Times, I realized that the app has many negative effects. I just personally believe that the app is getting out of hand. I think people are taking it too far by using threats and being cruel to others. 

I had a YikYak for a very short time and mostly just to see what it was all about. Honestly, I found it obnoxious and a little bit ridiculous, so I deleted it after about only a week.

I can see the draw to YikYak and why people enjoy using it. You can say whatever you want with absoultely no consequences because of the anonymity. It tracks your location so you can see what people in your area are talking about, which can be interesting and a fun way to stay involved with the people and topics that are closest to you. However, in my opinion, YikYak is what is wrong with social media. Social media and online interactions already make it easy for people to hide behind profiles and their computer screens while doing and saying things they may not do in person and YikYak just makes this easier by adding the anonymous component. Posts can be hurtful and rude to people with no justification. Just on MSU's campus there have been issues with YikYak usage. A few weeks ago an MSU student was arrested for posting a bomb threat on the YikYak site. It was a joke, but it was still taken seriously and he wouldn't have thought he could've gotten away with it if it weren't for YikYak.

As for March Madness, I of course have MSU going all the way and winning it all! I try to plan my bracket for a few upsets as the tournament usually brings about at least a few.

I had Yik Yak the summer of 2013. I was at a work conference in Chicago and was introduced to it. I told my friends about it at MSU, and eventually more and more people began to use it.  I do not have it anymore because I find it pointless. It did get a little crazy and many people had rude comments about MSU, Greek Life, and individuals in general. I do know that a lot of people still use it and like it, but I choose to stay away from it.  As far as March Madness, I have MSU going to the Final Four. GO GREEN! :) 

 I never heard about Yik Yak after one of my friends told me some gossip from Yik Yak. I personal think it is kind of dangeous when connecting some anonymous. It is a pretty fresh thing to do when you want to post some comments which you never post before, because you know nobody is going to be judged and you don't have to be responsable. Anyway, I am not intereted in this app because I think if you have somenthing that can never talk in the public, then it may be something that  shouldn't be mentioned.

It is sad to lost on the Sunday's game, but I will always support Spartan! Let's fight for the final!

I have never heard of Yik Yak before reading this blog. I don't think I will ever join this social network. The stories that the article in the New York Times talk about mentioning MSU are unbelievable. I'm not a big sports fan, but as far as the tournament is concerned I have faith that MSU will go far. 

I am not a Yik Yak user. In fact, this is the first time I have ever heard of it. After reading the NY Times article, I feel like the app appears to be doing more harm than good. I understand that people enjoy a good laugh and want to stay connected, especially college students, but not everyone knows the value of boundaries and respect. As a result of people's immaturity, certain social media that can be used as a platform for bullying and destruction should be prohibited. What's even more interesting is how Mr. Droll said “We made the app for college kids, but we quickly realized it was getting into the hands of high schoolers, and high schoolers were not mature enough to use it.” This statement is ironic because it is apparent that most college students are not mature enough to use the site either because they are making serious threats towards harming their schools and the well being of others.

 

Before heard about Yik Yak, I have been using the same app call Bibi which was popular among the Chinese. At first, it is fun to look up the comments from anonymous, but after I saw someone have posted some awful comments and he/she began to have fight with the other tried to leave the comments.From my points of view, I encourage you to talk, but not in a harmful way.Because it is social media, it is your right to create a better place.

I am not big fan of sports, but seems I am a Spartan, I will always support Spartan!Go green!

I've only used Yik Yak one or two times and I think it can be a fun app to use in certain situations, but most of the time I found that it was either filled with pointless Yaks that had no relevance to me or it was being used to cyberbully. I think that the app is great in theory, but it's being used as a way to anonymously degrade people and I don't support that. The article confirmed my beliefs on the app and I'm glad to see that the creators are taking the steps that they can to monitor and limit the amount of hateful Yaks.

Even though it's a long shot, I have MSU winning the tournament because I have faith in our team and I always choose MSU to win!

Personally, I haven't used Yik Yak but I have a few friends that do and my little brother used to.  He is a junior in high school and they had some trouble with Yik Yak this year.  Apparently, they had a few students participating in cyber bullying through the app.  It became a really big deal and they tried to track down who had been posting such awful comments. I think that giving people the opportunity to post opinions anonymously allows them to say things they would never say to someone’s face, which isn’t okay.  If you can’t say something to someone’s face then it probably shouldn’t be said.

I'm currently not on Yik Yak but my girlfriend is. On our way to Florida this Spring Break my girlfriend explained Yik Yak and actually used it in the airport it was funny to see just how many Spartans were in the airport at the same time as us. It's an app I can see myself using in the future. As far as the tournament goes I believe Michigan State got a very favorable region. In my opinion if we can get by Georgia and Virginia we would have a really got shot at making a final four run. That remains to be seen though. As always I have to have one bracket with the Spartans winning it all. Go Green!

I have heard of Yik Yak but have never used it before. After reading the Times article I found it horrifying. It's just another app that provides a place for people to be bullies and not take the consequences for it. I think students are attracted to this because they can build their own self esteem by hiding behind a phone. The whole remaining anonymous is what draws individuals in, if their names were attached to what they were saying I believe they would think before they typed.

That loss on Sunday was awful, but I still have faith our Spartans can get into the sweet sixteen!

So, prior to reading that article, I really didn't know anything about Yik Yak. I had heard of it, but couldn't have told you what it was. I'm semi-horrified, though, by what people are using it to do.  I'm very against censorship - so I understand that it's a sticky situation. However, I can't believe that people feel inclined to use it as a channel to bully others.  Some of the examples they cited are horrible. The problem isn't the app, it's the people using it. It clearly enables users to be mean because of the anonymous nature; it apparently brings out the worst in people. Society should be ashamed. 

On a more positive note, I always have MSU winning.  When you don't know anything about sports, it's easy to have blind faith in your team!