Like any college campus, Southwestern students flock to anonymous online forums that are not officially affiliated with the school. On these websites, such as Yik Yak and Fizz, you can don the protective shield of anonymity to gripe about whatever ails you. Most people use the obscure nature of these apps to complain about professors, roommates, failed romantic endeavors, or even parking tickets. However, there is a darker underbelly to these pages, something that many students acknowledge but fail to take action against. From memes masculinizing black women, to men ranking and rating their sexual partners, to women who use the apps as a source of comfort only to be viciously cyberbullied and threatened, the anonymity that these apps offer allows for the worst members of our community to go unpunished. Even worse, they allow these people to build hate-fueled communities of their own. 

So why do anonymous online forums serve as breeding grounds for the worst of human behavior? Researchers have coined the phenomenon the “online disinhibition effect.” When given the opportunity to wield a nameless, faceless identity, internet users often act in ways they wouldn’t in face-to-face interactions or in identifiable online spaces. Studies have shown that when partaking in anonymous online behavior, people tend to act with more aggression and less compassion or reason. Because of the lack of authority figures or consequences, some view these spaces as vessels to spew their most harmful ideas and dangerous opinions. These internet users know that, in the real world, they would be chastised or punished for expressing these thoughts. They hide behind digital armor and, unfortunately, are often very successful in finding like-minded individuals.

Hate online leads to more turmoil in real life spaces, especially on college campuses. When a post is made on Yik Yak or Fizz, it spreads extremely quickly, especially on a smaller campus like Southwestern. False rumors, disparaging comments, and prejudicial beliefs can spread among the student body and stick in the cultural zeitgeist long past their  relevance on the social platform. With posts on both apps commonly reaching hundreds of engagement points, it is foolish to assume that what is written online stays online. Plus, there are direct links to hate speech online often serving as “warning signs” for real life violence. Many times, concerning online behavior is ignored or even encouraged, allowing it to develop into  a real life tragedy.

It’s important to point out that hateful behavior on these apps overwhelmingly targets women, people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and the disabled community. For example, 1 in 4 American women have experienced some form of online abuse, with even higher statistics for women of color. In another study, 73 percent of LGBTQ+ individuals reported being the target of harassment and violence online. This is extremely noticeable on these online pages. The butt of the joke almost always ends up being women or a minority group.

This is not to say that apps like Yik Yak and Fizz should be forgotten altogether. When utilized correctly, they can be a fun tool to spread important information quickly or find exciting new opportunities and connections on campus. But to unlock all the good these apps can do, we first have to make a conscious effort to minimize the bad. The best way to fight hateful rhetoric on campus spaces is by being more than just silent bystanders, even in online communities. If you read something hateful on campus-related forums: downvote, report, and call out the original poster. Make it clear that this behavior will not be tolerated–physically or digitally. By condemning harmful ideas online, we remove the notion of normalization in the real world. In turn, we create a kinder, more open campus.