From instant messaging on AIM to texting on mobile phones, social networking has evolved continuously until its most recent spike in popularity: anonymous social networking. Because a world in which everything is recorded and scrutinized would be an excruciating place to live in, anonymous social networks such as Yik Yak and Ask.fm have aimed to create an open environment that encourages people to confess humorous or serious opinions, such as “I still go to the bank with my mom to get a lollipop,” without others knowing who had written the confession.
However, teenagers have been reported to take advantage of the anonymity by using crude speech to spread defamatory gossip about others, thus resulting in cyber-bullying and conflict. So is this original idea of an impartial, safe environment still intact?
With anonymity, people have the opportunity to express unpopular opinions and criticisms without harmful comments from others. For instance, you probably wouldn’t say “Justin Bieber is a horrible singer” in fear of a horde of Beliebers ready to pounce on you. On the other hand, on an anonymous social network, no one would know that you were the one to say “Justin Bieber is a horrible singer.” And maybe, with enough likes, you could even start a “We Hate Justin Bieber” group with other anonymous people and make new friends. Sometimes, anonymity can be a nice break from our world where everything and every move is judged.
But with every virtue comes a vice; in anonymous social networking, the vice comes in the form of cyber-bullying and false accusations. In fact, according to BuzzFeed News, nine teenager suicides in 2013 were linked to cyber-bullying on the anonymous social network, Ask.fm. Yet, if these anonymous social networks were supposed to create an open environment, what is the factor causing such drastic reactions?
Bridget Bingle ’17 suspects that the radical responses are because “anonymous social networks create an environment that lures in cowards to bully others because bullies are able to hide behind their computer or phone without having to admit who they are.”
Although Ask.fm has started to die down, another anonymous social network, Yik Yak, has wheedled its way into Ridge High School. Will Ridge High School add itself to the 130,000 schools, according to Mail Online, who have banned Yik Yak?
Anonymous social networks are a relief from a world where everything appears to be recorded by the NSA through opening up another world where others can share their opinions and experiences without fear of retaliation or judgment in person. But is anonymity worth the heavy price of cyber-bullying and its effects? After all, every gift comes with a price; it’s just a matter of whether the price is heavier than the gift.