Our generation has an obsession with anonymity.

From Formspring, a Q&A forum that was popular amongst middle school students in the mid-2000s, to Whisper, one of the first pioneers of anonymous internet media that was launched in 2012, it would seem that the same consumers of these sites have decided to graze in greener pastures, alongside a small, spinning yak.

Yik Yak has become an increasingly popular, pervasive, but not necessarily pernicious force on our campus.

The free app operates by including all posts within a 10 mile radius of the poster. Each yak can be a maximum of 200 characters, and while a title, in this instance called a “handle”, can be included, it is not necessary.

There are no passwords or usernames, but users must enter their phone numbers and allow location services to discern their whereabouts. And although there are six rules listed under the “Rules & Info” portion of the app, which include Yik Yak’s stance on bullying, harassment and offensive messages, the app itself is not governed by the same rules as other forms of social media.

Yik Yak does not directly affect one’s image due to its secretive nature, so unpopular opinions can, and are, posted without fear of any real life ramifications from peers.

It can, however, lead to serious problems if what has been posted threatens the safety or well-being of anyone, and the original poster can be discovered through the location data that provides the steady stream of posts to the user’s dashboard.

Despite recent high profile cases, where users have posted threats facetious threats about violence, especially in schools, it only serves as a real time bulletin board, where even the most inane, uninspired or insipid commentary can be put on public view.

While future employers or family members may see your posts on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, Yik Yak has marketed itself as a forum strictly for the collegiate crowd. While anyone could use it, beyond occasional comedic value, the app has little appeal; therefore, the likelihood of it maintaining a lasting clientele is slim.

There is the semblance of a rating system – each “up” increases the popularity of a post, while each “down”, with a limit of -5 before a post is deleted, displays the campus’ approval or disapproval of their peer’s ideas.

There is an element of instant gratification associated with posting a popular Yak – especially when the post may contain material that many members of our student body may disagree on.

The most popular themes for yaks are the typical college student’s appreciation of Netflix, sleep, food – the infamous grill line in Davison is usually praised, and partying, though there are also innumerable critiques of the toilet paper available on this campus and commentary on how gregarious the squirrels are.

A majority of the posts are not critiques of others, but find their basis in the struggles of daily life – a long line, homework, or other such topics.

While there have been some troubling and derogatory posts made about women, users can reply to Yaks to defend themselves, others, and their ideas, and this technique has been employed in these instances.

As long as Yik Yak continues to be a shallow bastion for the bored college student, its use poses no real or imminent threat to the values of this college more so than any other form of social media.