Be Real, Yik Yak, and Gas: Short-lasting apps

In 2022, several apps were created for a multitude of purposes: some, such as Be Real, allow an exciting way to interact with friends, while others, such as Yik-Yak, are an outlet for teens to share drama. Unfortunately, although these apps held brief popularity, their relevance only lasted a short time.  

An app that almost resembles Twitter is Yik Yak. Users can post any comments they want, which users within a 5 mile radius will see, and even better, anonymously. Inevitably, these anonymous comments were usually hate speech: the app’s goal of connecting local communities fell short, and it allowed students to spread toxicity. 

“I mainly just saw very out-of-pocket stuff [on Yik Yak]. It was kind of comical,” Chloe Cluff, 12 said.. Yik-Yak was shut down due to a rapid decrease in  users in 2013 but re-released in 2021.

Similar to Yik-Yak, the app Gas has an anonymous front for users. The app connects you to other users from your school and then generates polls with cheerful, but odd questions. Then, it generates names from your friend list, allowing you to click the title for who “fits” the question best. Its purpose is to “gas” other users up - flatter them- by responding to polls anonymously with questions such as “who’s the first person you’d call after a breakup.” In addition, Gas makes it clear its goal is optimism, “All polls are positive & uplifting so you can never be bullied,” stated in their Privacy and Safety Center. 

However, some students at SJHS believe Gas was pointless: “It lasted for like three days and was boring,” said David Scharich, 11. Therefore, even though Gas is trying to spread positivity, this isn’t necessarily what teens find appealing. 

On the other hand, Be Real- an app that sends out a notification, and you take a photo within a two minutes - was popular amongst SJHS students, and although it has become less prominent, many users are still active.

“My sister told me to get it back in March, and I’ve been using it pretty much since then. I enjoy that there isn’t a filter, ” said Ellie Fischer, 10. She has been active on all three apps but has only truly enjoyed Be Real.

2022 has brought many things: and long-lasting apps are not one of them.