A new type of app has taken over Snapchat stories in the last couple of months, and hardly in a positive way. It spent over two weeks on the Apple Top Ten Apps list and nine days in the top spot. Meet YOLO. 

Like its equivalent, Sarahah, which is no longer on the App store because of the controversy it stirred, YOLO is an app where users can anonymously leave comments to an account linked to a person’s Snapchat. A person will post a link on their Snapchat story, which can be viewed by all of their friends on the app, and others will click the link and comment their opinions on that person. Some will offer compliments or inside jokes, but it seems that most people have nothing to offer but mean commentary. As an add-on to Snapchat’s huge platform, YOLO has the potential to usher in a new form of cyberbullying.

The app was seemingly invented as a fun way to communicate with friends (and, of course, as a way for Snap to add more users and grow profits), but it’s clear that the designers have unleashed a monster.

“I find that YOLO and Sarahah are a negative thing in this day and age,” junior Olivia Schenk said. “The apps provide a sense of falseness, and because they’re anonymous, the purpose of the app is abused. If the app was used for good and the reason it was supposed to be created for, then it would be fun.” 

Sarahah was deleted from the App Store following accusations that it was promoting cyberbullying. Not shortly after Sarahah was deleted, Yolo emerged on the scene. It has since gone viral.

The appeal is dangerously strong.

“I personally think that YOLO and Sarahah are pointless but at the same time very interesting,” junior Emma Meyhofer said. “I have Snapchat deleted, but when I had it, I would always go through people’s YOLOs and see what people would say about them on their stories.”

The root of the problem may lie in the app’s anonymity.

“The power of being anonymous grants teens the power to say harsh or mean things they usually wouldn’t have the confidence to say in person,” junior Reed Milliken said. “YOLO and Sarahah are two popular ways to execute this exact thing.”

YOLO recently added a feature that allows users to block rude or dangerous commenters, but it does not reveal the identity of who is being blocked.

YOLO’s team is clearly aware of the trouble it has created. Their website states, “You are solely responsible for your interactions with other users. We reserve the right, but have no obligation, to monitor disputes between you and other users. The company shall have no liability for your interactions with other users, or for any user’s action or inaction.” 

But as long as their user base keeps growing, it’s not likely that YOLO will make significant changes to its features.  And until they do, the frequency of cyberbullying incidents will only continue to grow.