Yik Yak

About
Yik Yak is a social media mobile app designed to let users see and post anonymous messages within a 10-mile radius. The app was created by Tyler Droll and Brooks Buffington, and was released in November of 2013. Just a few months later, the app had skyrocketed up the top charts into the top-ten most downloaded apps.

How to Use Yik Yak
To use Yik Yak, you must first download it onto your mobile device. Once you've done that, you can begin posting messages anonymously.

Once a message has been posted by you or another anonymous user within your 10-mile radius, anyone in that range can vote the post up or down one point. The more votes it gets in a positive direction, the higher it will appear on other users' screens.

"Yaks" are often funny or informative quips about things happening in your city or on your campus.

Controversy
Since its launch, Yik Yak has been a hotbed for controversy. Despite the many posts that are funny or harmless, Yik Yak is known as an app rife with cyberbullying and generally contemptible thoughts, as seen in this video: Inside Higher Ed writer Eric Stoller and student affairs scholar Rey Junco have each stated their thoughts on why, despite the negative aspects, Yik Yak (and anonymity in general) can still be good for college campuses.

It is worth warning student affairs professionals, though, that they should not use Yik Yak unless they are willing to see objectionably content.