Though Yik Yak is hardly a new app and not even necessarily new to the Washington University student body, it has suddenly blown up in popularity. For those still out of the loop, this app allows anonymous Tweet-style posts to be contributed to a geographically based discussion board. Posts can then be up- or down-voted.

As anyone who has read YouTube comments can guess, the majority of posts range from amusingly mocking to aggressively unkind. Unlike Snapchat and Tinder—last year’s big social media phenomena—though, Yik Yak has a more harmful side. Here, Scene staffers give their thoughts on the new app that might be set to take campus by storm.

I must say I became fully aware of the Yik Yak phenomenon this summer in New York City as the sheer number of interns had such a hilarious variety of shrewd and witty comments to make about their daily lives (you can still look at some of them on the Yak thread “The Working Wolves of Wall Street”). However, the Yak scene on campus, which has been trending recently, is mainly comprised of fraternity bashing and the qualms of overworked students. Regardless, I think the app is still great for a good time-waster, but it may also prove a source of stress if students feel personally victimized by its anonymous users. —Erica Sloan

While I would be lying if I said I didn’t laugh at a few of them, I’m honestly annoyed that there is yet another way for people to say rude things to each other anonymously. I resisted even getting on the app until my curiosity overpowered me because I didn’t want to immerse myself in so much negativity, given the small nature of our campus community. —Laura Harvey

If only we could transform the app into one that anonymously compliments others—yet here we have just one more platform through which individuals can insult one another. Some comments are funny and clever, yes, but others are unnecessarily harsh and completely uncalled for. Not to mention that 95 percent of them are frat-bashing—why? The app’s one saving grace seems to be that it is off-limits to middle and high school areas, but what does that say? That bullying is to be reserved for those 18 and older? —Claudia Vaughan

Yik Yak is solid entertainment for a dull moment. Like Twitter, there are new Yaks every minute, and though not always funny, they’ll help you pass time for a couple minutes. Though posts get mean every now and then, a little trash-talking between fraternities shouldn’t hurt anyone. It’s definitely good to see that Yaks about individuals were quickly down-voted off the site (if a Yak has a net score of negative five, it is removed), because that would take it too far, especially considering that the post writer has no form of identification and cannot take responsibility for the post. Now it’s time to see if this is yet another college app fad or if trash-talking is here to stay. —Tyler Friedman

Although many of the Yaks (is that what we should be calling them?) are slightly mean or just plain confusing, some of them perfectly describe what I’ve been thinking but am too afraid to say out loud. I can’t say this is an app I foresee anyone checking multiple times a day like Twitter, Facebook or Snapchat, but the occasionally hilarious one-liners provide enough entertainment that Yik Yak is likely to become even more popular before we all move on from it. —Frances Fuqua

I feel like such a freshman. I only understand 10 percent of the jokes on there. —Lindsay Tracy