Online School Threats Raise New Concerns About Social Media Apps
MANHATTAN BEACH (CBSLA.com) — Amid two online threats that led to the closure of a South Bay high school, new concerns are being raised about social media sites like Yik Yak that allow users to post messages anonymously.
Makers of Yik Yak said Tuesday that the social media app wasn't intended for high school students.
Instead, they say, the app was designed for use on college campuses to allow messages to be shared within a 1 ½-mile radius.
But Kit Chavers, a student at Mira Costa High School, says the threatening posts on Yik Yak that led to the cancellation of classes Tuesday were quickly passed on to other social media sites, like Twitter.
"I have seen multiple threats," said Chavers, who first learned Monday of Yik Yak when the first message circulated online.
The first threat, reported by an unidentified student, stated: "If you go to Costa you should watch out very closely at school today" and prompted the lockdown of the school.
The second threat, published late Monday, stated: "Nice try Costa. Today was just a drill."
"If my kids were using Yik Yak, Whisper, Snapchat or any of the other anonymous apps, I would be concerned," said Karen North, a psychologist and professor of social media at the USC Annenberg School for Communication.
But North reminds parents that social media, like anything else in high school, goes through trends.
A spokesperson for Yik Yak its technology prevents messages from being sent at high schools. In other words, the threats were made off campus.
Yik Yak also said it's cooperating with police on the Mira Costa case as its done in the past with other investigations that have led to arrests.
"If you think you're being anonymous, you can absolutely be traced through the unique I.D. of the device that you're using," North said.
Meanwhile, the makers of Yik Yak are advising parents to place restrictions preventing their children from downloading apps designed for adults by adjusting the settings on their kids' mobile devices.
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