Recently I had the pleasure of sitting down with the star of YikYak, ‘Blue Avocado,’ via Zoom. For confidentiality purposes, the icon was off-camera with the screen name ‘Blue Avocado’ and no audio recording took place. Now, maybe one day the Courier will have the pleasure of revealing their identity, but, if so, it surely won’t be for a while says Blue Avocado.’
YikYak is an anonymous posting app that has been around since 2013. Through all of its ups and downs, YikYak still has a prevalent influence on Fisher’s campus. From dining hall menus to events on campus, YikYak is a central hub for most students to get quick information or advice from their peers. Though many people have had a major influence on others through YikYak, there is one icon that stands out among the rest. This would be none other than ‘Blue Avocado,’ also known as BA. For three semesters now, ‘Blue Avocado’ has been many student’s morning inspiration and bedtime reminder. From positive to aggressive motivation, many people look to YikYak for their daily dose of inspiration.
‘Blue Avocado’ and I started talking about YikYak and what the app truly means to them. What started out as a spontaneous idea soon turned into something more. They said that their daily posts have become a habit more than anything. “Sometimes I’ll forget at night and do it an hour or two late, but I’ve never completely forgotten.” Their one-year anniversary of posting twice daily was September 15th, including school breaks, except for summer.
It was exciting to hear the post that started it all. BA explained that at first, the app was just used to be weird and funny, initially making dumb posts and funny comments; but, that first night it all changed. BA decided when they were going to bed to post something more meaningful. This post read something similar to “Goodnight, I hope everyone sleeps well, you’ve got this! Your parents love you and if they don’t, I’ll love you for them.” They stated how they liked being there for other people and knew how hard it is to be struggling.
BA also talked about how YikYak was “more free and user-friendly” last year before a total app revamp. They felt as though there were more users before the changes within the app and they would consistently encourage people to reach out and talk for many different purposes, such as advice for personal problems. They felt it was important to be there for their peers as a resource and form of anonymous support.
In getting to know BA I asked them “are your posts personal to you and your daily moods, or is there something that pushes you to support others in their dark times?” The response was very strong and motivational. BA mentioned how they struggled a lot during their freshman year and many of their posts were meant to help those who may have been dealing with similar doubts or personal limitations.
Now, they are mentally in a better place, stating instead that “I noticed there is just a general hatred for getting up for morning classes,” and that on weekends “there are people who are hungover and would rather sleep in until 3 p.m. instead of taking care of themselves.” Continuing with that thought, BA pointed out, “when you sleep in and keep yourself in bed all day, you’re more likely to be miserable. You can’t just stay inside all day being depressed and living as a shut-in. I used to do that and I can tell you that it’s a miserable way to be, and it certainly isn’t easy to get out of by yourself.” BA tries to be as supportive and motivational to their peers as possible and I believe they deserve respect for their time and effort.
BA also mentioned how they “try to make people realize that, even if it feels like no one cares about them or it feels like they don’t have any friends, they don’t need someone directly there with them for it to be true. They just need to know that someone, somewhere, cares about them. There’s so much stuff in this world that doesn’t matter, that we flood our minds with, but nothing matters besides helping and caring for other people.” I feel like I know BA at a new and far more personal level, despite their anonymity in our interview.
I asked BA some additional questions about their secret identity. When asked if any close friends, family, or roommates knew about their secret identity they responded, “My roommate introduced me to YikYak, so they knew, and I have told two other people outside of my family.” They also mentioned how no one has ever correctly identified them due to them never releasing information on their graduation year, gender, dorm location, classes, or major.
Without giving the people much to work with, BA has found it to be quite easy to be anonymous in public settings. This is despite having over 57,000 yakarma, which is YikYak points gained from upvotes on posts and comments. They mentioned that they gained an average of 1,000 karma per week last semester, making them a Fisher legend. After mentioning how their identity is almost a complete secret, I bring to you a personal message from Blue Avocado to the readers of the Cardinal Courier:
“I appreciate any and all of you who have taken the time out of your day to read this. It really means a lot that I’ve had enough of an impact on other students to warrant an interview. When I started doing this just over a year ago, I hadn’t expected it to matter to anyone for more than a few days, but I’m glad I was wrong. I want you to remember that even though people can be heartless, the news is rarely good, and the world seems like an ever-darkening place, there will always be someone who cares about you. No matter who you are, no matter what you do, no matter your race, sex, gender, nationality, age, religion, anything, you will be loved. You are never alone, regardless of how it may seem. You can do this. You have just as much of the ability to be a light in this world as anyone else. Don’t let yourself get distracted or dragged down by all the bad things in the world. Don’t compare yourself to others. Don’t let social media control your mindset. Just love yourself as you do others. In the end, all that matters is the impact you have on those around you, that’s your legacy. Never lose hope in a world that needs it more than anything, you are the light in the darkness. Don’t ever let yourself burn out.”
-Blue Avocado
