Tag: Yik Yak

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Follow Up the threat that was posted on Yik Yak late last night against Ridgewood High School

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file photo Boyd Loving

Follow Up the threat that was posted on Yik Yak late last night against Ridgewood High School

May 14, 2014 
 
Dear Ridgewood Parent or Guardian, 
 
As a follow-up to my earlier emails concerning the Yik Yak app, the threat that was posted on Yik Yak late last night against Ridgewood High School has been thoroughly investigated and  deemed not credible by the Ridgewood Police DepartmentThis incident was treated as a serious threat that required professional police involvement at the local, state and federal levels. It also included the cooperation of Yik Yak officials, who worked with these agencies to determine the I.P. address and the GPS location of the person who posted the threat. I have been informed by the Ridgewood Police that they have taken into custody this person.
 
There is no doubt that apps will continue to cause problems for schools and parents. However, despite these challenges, technology is an overall positive enhancement to our lives that is here to stay. As parents and educators we need to keep our lines of communication open and work together to teach our children what is appropriate and what is not. We are committed to making sure that our students understand the serious impact of the misuse of technology on individuals and our community.
 
In closing, I would like to thank the Ridgewood Police Department for their immediate response and hard work mobilizing state and federal authorities through the night and into today. I want to also thank the RHS administration and staff for their professionalism, excellent communication skills and coordination with officials through the night to ensure that the high school had significant police presence in place for this morning’s opening. Administrators, agencies and officials acted swiftly and tirelessly to assure that our building was secure.
 
I speak for all district administrators and the Board of Education on this very important topic of student and staff safety. Please be assured that safety is our number one priority and that any and all threats will continue to be taken very seriously.
 
Sincerely yours,
 
Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

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Yik Yak is just the latest we may be able to limit it use or get rid of it altogether but there will be another one just like it along 5 minutes later

Yik-Yak

Yik Yak is just the latest we may be able to limit it use or get rid of it altogether but there will be another one just like it along 5 minutes later

Unfortunately Yik Yak is just the latest mole to whack. We may be able to limit it use or get rid of it altogether but there will be another one just like it along 5 minutes later. Maybe as parents we should step up and teach our kids about respect, responsibility and self confidence instead of focusing our fear and rage at this and other social media outlets.

I installed Yik Yak a couple weeks ago to see what it was about and 99% of the posts are pure sophomoric drivel. Hopefully this should dilute some of the sting associated with the other 1% assuming it’s at all dangerous or hurtful. Comments like “Jimmy is a poopy head” should raise as much concern for our kids collective intelligence level as anything else.

A notice went out that some kid posted something about shooting up a school and the police didn’t seem to give it any credence whatsoever. After reading a couple of days worth of posts myself I have to say that I’m not very concerned either.

I don’t disagree with the doctor here in that the Ap, like any social media outlet, has the potential to be used as a vehicle for hate and bullying. I also agree that social media in general has begun to replace real human interaction and conversation with horrible consequences.

As parents it’s our job to teach our kids about responsible, moderate use of social media since it’s probably here to stay. As for Yik Yak, my message to my kids is why would you want to associate with the morons that post on it in the first place?

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Psychiatrist’s view: Yik Yak is most dangerous app I’ve ever seen

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Psychiatrist’s view: Yik Yak is most dangerous app I’ve ever seen
By Dr. Keith Ablow
Published May 09, 2014
FoxNews.com

Click here to read a letter from Dr. Fishbein to Ridgewood parents and guardians, regarding the negative use of the new social media app Yik Yak by teens.

Here’s something important our society seems to be afraid to say out loud: Despite its name, “social media” is an inherently antisocial medium.

As a psychiatrist I can tell you that Facebook contributes to narcissism, depression and impaired interpersonal relationships. This likely happens because users craft appealing profiles of themselves, twisting their stories along the way, fooling themselves into thinking they have hundreds or thousands of “friends” and finally using a keystroke to block unwanted feedback.

Thank you, Mark Zuckerberg.

But the new Yik Yak app, originally designed for college campuses, is the most dangerous form of social media I’ve ever seen.

Yik Yak can turn a school into a virtual chat room where everyone can post his or her comments, anonymously.  Untruthful, mean, character-assassinating short messages are immediately seen by all users in a specific geographic area.

According to ABC News: “Yik Yak works like an anonymous bulletin board, displaying messages from people in a user’s area that can be voted ‘up’ or ‘down’ on the page.  Tyler Droll, founder and CEO of Yik Yak, said the app was designed to be like ‘a city’s central plaza or campus bulletin board.’”

“‘Yik Yak users interact with everyone around them,’ Droll said.

“’Yakking’ is the welcoming, authentic and anonymous version of tweeting.”

Translation:  Anyone using Yik Yak can turn a school into a virtual chat room where everyone can post his or her comments, anonymously.  Untruthful, mean, character-assassinating short messages are immediately seen by all users in a specific geographic area.

If a student writes, “Susie has an STD,” there’s no way to know if the “yak” is true. But hundreds of other students may see the electronic message, leaving it to the target to defend herself.  

Psychologically, Yik Yak actually removes all pretense of being a person with empathy, genuinely connected to other human beings.

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/05/09/psychiatrist-view-yik-yak-is-most-dangerous-app-ive-ever-seen/