The Yak is Back

When I was an undergraduate studying journalism in the 1980s, freedom of speech was a cornerstone of our Media Law and Media Ethics courses. Without the First Amendment, our professors affirmed, our nation would no longer be free. But anonymous speech was always a tenuous topic.

Enter Yik Yak, a messaging app founded in 2013, retired in 2017, and rebirthed this week. Yik Yak users -- primarily middle, high school, and college students -- can post anonymous messages on the platform within a 5-mile radius of their location. Messages can then be upvoted or downvoted by other users within their localized area.

Aimed at instilling a sense of community on school campuses, Yik Yak reached its zenith in 2014 with 1.8 million users and some $73 million raised in venture-capital funds. That same year, allegations of hate speech and bullying led to a remarkable three-year decline until the company's founders, two students at Furman University in South Carolina, shut the app down in 2017.

In early 2014, a school in Massachusetts evacuated students twice after receiving Yik Yak bomb threats. Shortly after, three schools in California were put on lockdown after threats of violence, and a number of students reported cyber harassment. Yik Yak responded by creating geo-fences for campuses and adding filters for keywords such as "bomb," but the efforts were not enough. Students nationwide began to denounce the app, despite its initial popularity.

While many worry that the rebirth of Yik Yak this week will provide yet another place for toxic commentary, others are less concerned: "I thought it was funny," said Morgan Hines, a former Northeastern University student in Boston. "It formed a lot of camaraderie between students. There would be random shout-outs to things happening on campus, like people who are attractive or being annoying in the library, or a fire alarm going off at 4 a.m."

Yik Yak's owners say they are committed to ensuring a safe space that is free of hate speech, bullying, and threats, and it will be interesting to see whether their new "Community Guardrails" will provide the protection they intend.

Ephesians 4 reminds us that many in this world will lead lives where their hearts are hardened and they are separated from the Lord, exemplified in the bullying that can emerge particularly when people remain anonymous: "That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self. ... Therefore, each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body" (Ephesians 4:20-25).

Love well, speak truthfully, and encourage those around you to speak kindly as well -- whether they claim their speech or prefer anonymity. All that we say should be in alignment with the peace, hope, and love of the Holy Spirit: "only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs" (Ephesians 4:29). Whom will you build up today? And how will you encourage others to do the same?

God bless,

Jennie