A college dating app: Yik Yak recently launched “Yak Match” for college students. Could it work?

  Dating apps have reshaped modern relationships for better or worse, and Yik Yak’s latest feature hops on the digital bandwagon.

  Yak Match launched on Valentine’s Day, matching college students through a 30-question survey. Topics range from standard prompts, such as “dream vacation” and ideal “energy and vibes,” to more personal questions about ethnicity preferences, political identity, and religious affiliations.

  While Yik Yak’s premise centers on anonymity, users are also required to submit identifying information, including name, class year and major.

  “You have to really scroll, but people have talked about Yak Match,” said Branae Grimes, a freshman in nursing. “I think it can work, but I think you have to be into dating websites and putting all your personal preferences out.”

  After completing the survey, users are placed into three weeks of matches. The “friend match” and “group match” focus on shared interests. But the final week uses an artificial intelligence (AI) tool called Ditto to help generate date ideas and pair users based on romantic compatibility.

  Aya Danley, a junior in accounting, said they found their husband on Tinder and stated Yak Match could work for students. 

  However, a UMKC student, who asked to remain anonymous, stated they’re staying far away from it. They recalled a “24-hour situationship” they experienced on Yik Yak before the dating feature was launched.

  “With anonymity, the thing is that you don’t even tell them your gender or your sexuality,” they said. 

  They said that while dating apps are supposed to find the most suitable match for users, the process heavily centers on vanity and fosters unrealistic standards for relationships. 

  “It doesn’t matter what words you put in or how much you try and build yourself up. People are always going to swipe based on the photos that they see,” they said. “I think the usage or the purpose is important. It’s supposed to bring us together. The way it has been used is slowly turning into a little bit of a dangerous, slippery slope.”

  While the app’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) states there are no advertisements or unusual data practices, its Terms of Service and privacy policy indicate that user information is collected and shared with third parties, including advertisers, to analyze user behavior and improve services. 

  Emma Pardon, a senior studying communications, expressed mixed feelings about Yak Match collecting user data.

  “That’s what the future’s gonna look like for most of the things that we’re gonna use,” Pardon said. “I’m not sure I like it that much, but it’s what we have to work with now.”

  Mandy Tudor, a junior in business marketing, said they would be willing to try Yak Match for fun and “to see what happens.” 

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