The anonymity the Internet provides is a double-edged sword, allowing freedom to speak out can quickly become detrimental to the health and safety of others.

An app that capitalizes on the anonymous nature of being online, called Yik Yak, is becoming a college campus staple. It allows users to post short comments to people in their area without any identifiers on who they are.

For the most part this app seems light-hearted and fun. Many posts on the Skyline campus are jokes about classes and finals. But there are also inappropriate posts, people sharing their innermost dialogue for the world, or rather for those in range, to see.

It could be enlightening to know how the people we see on campus are actually feeling, but it could also be a bit too much information. At times we learn about the dietary and sleeping habits of these people and other times the app becomes a cesspool of racism and sexism.

When no one has to be at fault for what they post, the forum can deteriorate into name-calling and cruelty. One aspect of the app that helps protect us from this downward spiral is the user moderation in effect of up votes and down votes, when too many of the latter occur the app deletes the post. While this isn’t a foolproof system, it’s a necessary precaution.

As ill-willed as some “yakkers” can be, the app still serves a need; a lot of college students are looking to connect with others. It can be daunting to reach out and meet new people on campus or even to find someone to talk to. Yik Yak can let people express their thoughts without the fear of rejection.

However you decide to use Yik Yak, all I ask is for you to be courteous to others. You don’t have to censor yourself; go ahead and talk about how boring your professor is or how much you love the monkey mocha at the sky café, but please don’t target other students.

As much as we’d like to forget it, this campus is a learning environment and as one it should be inviting to all. The people on Yik Yak are the people we pass in the halls and see in our classes everyday. The posts you make don’t exist in a vacuum, if you post something hurtful you’re hurting your classmates.