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Anonymous Speakers and Cyber Bullying

 Although in theory anonymous speech could be used as constructive or a way for people to express themselves freely we now mainly see anonymity being used to say hurtful/negative things about others freely. On the rise are social media sites that allow users to provide others with anonymous messages and feedback. Although the technology itself is neutral the websites quickly gained the reputation for becoming an environment that breeds toxicity and bullying. An article in the Chicago Tribune discusses that four high schools within the Chicago area issued warnings to parents regarding a social media app that facilitated anonymous communication called "Yik Yak" and encouraged parents to make sure that their children do not have access to the app.

I thought that it was interesting that the Chicago schools would go this far to attempt to deny the students access to the app in fear that bullying would occur. I obviously disagree with cyber bullying and  have experienced being bullied on an anonymous platform at first hand.  However I can't help but feel that the Chicago schools are censoring the students a bit too much. I believe that instead of denying the students outright access to the app they should instead place an emphasis on an anti-bully culture within the schools and demonstrate that anonymity allows others to produce positive content and share thoughts/ideas that they would not normally. I believe that this negative use of anonymity would not occur if it was a more common practice. For example, if we were to have an online classroom discussion regarding a course topic we might see certain students that are hesitant to share their ideas start to become involved more. Then when students see a website that offers this type of interaction it would not be something as exciting to them and they wouldn't have the notion of "now I can finally say what I want" I also think it is an important factor to stress that although these websites may initially conceal your identity - your identity can be revealed if you choose to harm or violate the rights of others.

 Rajwani, Naheed. "Yik Yak Disabled in Chicago as Principals Worry." Tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Chicago Tribune, 07 Mar. 2014. Web.

Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 4, 2017 at 11:32 PM

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  2. AnonymousOctober 4, 2017 at 11:39 PM

    I remember when Yik Yak went viral at the University of Minnesota. What initially started as an open forum for nearby individuals to express their thoughts and opinions, became a toxic environment filled with hate. I believe that with apps like Yik Yak it's the anonymity that encourages trolls and allows hateful individuals to share their ignorant views. If there's no repercussions, why not? It's almost like a power trip. So I agree that there has to be a degree of accountability when sharing your thoughts online. Once it's out there, it's out there forever. In the past, Internet Service Providers who allowed defamation and libel to be disseminated on their platform were held responsible. I believe that apps like this should be held to the same standard. In the case of Chicago, if Yik Yak was not planning to discontinue their service, the schools were right to take action. This example highlights the need for accountability for internet communication, especially if it can result in bullying and harassment. Yik Yak has tried to remedy this by enforcing real names, verification codes linked to phone numbers, but it still has been linked to cyber bullying.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/09/technology/popular-yik-yak-app-confers-anonymity-and-delivers-abuse.html

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  3. AnonymousOctober 5, 2017 at 4:45 PM

    This topic of anonymous speakers in relation to cyber bulling is extremely interesting, but also difficult to discuss. Obviously a very present issue in today’s society, cyber bulling is hard to navigate and monitor. Many people and many different opinions about it. In your post, you discussed the app “Yik Yak”. I had never heard of this app until you mentioned it. After reading your initial description, I agreed with the Chicago high schools and believed parents should limit their kids access to the app. Why be participate in a negative environment, when you could just choose to not be apart of it? However, you brought up an interesting argument about using the app to create an atmosphere with an emphasis on anti-bullying. I think this is a great idea. The more kids learn about and discuss the effects of cyber bulling, the more it could be prevented.
    This idea of teaching students to create an anti-bullying environment online also relates to how we can learn to preserve mutual respect when voicing our opinions. In high school, I learned the basic rules about how cyber bulling is not right and the consequences. However, I was never taught how discuss issues in an openly and respectfully. I would like to say that we all know how to treat everyone with respect, but from what can be seen online, that isn’t really true. Maybe, in order for students to feel more comfortable, having anonymity will be beneficial in fostering a more open environment for everyone if they are taught the importance of respect.

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