USG discusses Yik Yak, initiatives to counter cyberbullying

Members of the Undergraduate Student Government gathered last weekto discuss current committee initiatives concerning cyberbullying within social media. Countering cyberbullying is one of several ideas brought up at the meeting and there has been no formal decision made by the USG Senate committee yet.

The anonymous, local Twitter-like app Yik Yak was discussed, with Undergraduate Student Life Committee chair Ella Cheng ’16 saying it is important to counter the “Yik Yak culture” that has formed on campus and the cyberbullying that takes place within the application. However, USG president Shawon Jackson ’15 said that there is no project around Yik Yak specifically.

Membership and leadership in the USLC rotates from semester to semester, and projects are driven by the members.

Jackson added that the USG’s goal is to make sure students feel comfortable, not go against any social media platform.

Cheng also explained that the committee is not working on initiatives specifically related to Yik Yak, but towards countering negative content on social media such as cyberbullying.

“We’re looking at ways to promote more — not really “anti” — but looking to promote positive social media usage and messaging,” she said.

Cheng is a former staff writer for The Daily Princetonian.

Maria Perales ’18, a member of the USLC who is part of a subcommittee that intends to raise social media awareness, noted that the committee is looking towards the possibility of partnering up with positive social media pages such as Tiger Admirers and Tiger Compliments.

When asked about Yik Yak, Perales said, “I actually thought Yik Yak was funny, but once you use it to hurt other people’s feelings, then it’s problematic.”

Perales added that the USLC considers its anti-cyberbullying project to be a high priority.

“We’re trying to raise awareness that you have a presence online and you should use it thoughtfully,” she said.

Leezet Matos ’18 said that she personally does not use the Yik Yak application regularly, but knows of it. Although she said she thinks cyberbullying is a warranted concern in general, she does not think that it is a big issue on campus.

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“Why? Why would you cyberbully? That’s like high school. My perception is that nobody cares enough to bully you.We’re adults.” she said.

Yik Yak is an anonymous social media app that allows users to see messages within a 1.5-mile radius. The anonymous social media platform has dealt with issues ofcyberbullying. Although co-founder Brooks Buffington told PCWorld.com that Yik Yak is for adults only, not high school or middle school students, the social media app has received backlash on college campuses regarding its perpetuation ofstereotypes and ignorance.