High school is a festering corpse where sociopaths flourish.  I’ve seen relationships end the same day they began, and best friends become strangers.  Some people thrive in these four, short years, while others struggle to survive them.   This generation’s bullies live through the Internet; where they can anonymously abuse anyone, anytime, anywhere.

Yik Yak is an anonymous social media app that allows people to create and view ¨Yaks¨ in a 10 mile radius.  Its primary purpose is to allow thoughts and ideas to be shared in an seemingly intimate distance.

Yik Yak has an unintentional second purpose--cyber-bullying.  There has been controversy about this app’s unfavorable usage stretching across the United States.  It started on the east coast and is expanding.

Yik Yak eventually reached my school.  One-by-one, students began posting antagonistic comments about each other, exposing secrets, and taunting others.  Students could show their support for certain ¨Yaks¨ by liking or disliking them.

Teacher’s familiar with the app were the first to discover the cyber-bullying; as a result, the app was blocked from the school’s wifi.  The snake’s head had been cut off.

Like the mythical chimera, two head grew from the original.  The following day, students simply used their cellular service to access the app.  Cyber-bullying ran rampant throughout the halls.  This time, with more students getting involved.

Greater action had to be taken, and the creators of Yik Yak were contacted.  Yik Yak was already working on setting up geo-fences around elementary and high schools to prevent more cyber-bullying.  The school's geo-fence was put up within the hour.

Finally the hurricane of social abuse was over, and students acted as if it never happened.  Many students’ reputations were ruined.  I recall witnessing girls sobbing as they ran out of classrooms, while other students huddled together and laughed.

More action was obviously required to repair the damage.  My school announced that the following week would be known as ¨No H8 Week¨.  Posters and public whiteboards were put up all over the school providing positive reinforcement for victims and emphasizing the retributions for those who continued cyber-bullying.