The Burrito Box and Yik Yak

I never thought that discovering a new fast food option, the Burrito Box, would tie into a relevant controversy today, the app Yik Yak, but the two are related in a somewhat unexpected way; they both revolve around the idea of anonymity.

 People are calling the new Burrito Box the Redbox for burritos. It is a type of vending machine that allows you to choose between 5 different types of burrito, and cook it for you within a minute. The first machine has been set up inside a Mobil gas station in West Hollywood, California. The Huffington Post Los Angeles commented on this launch:

"It may seem strange that the Burrito Box debuted in Los Angeles, a county that is jam-packed with authentic and delicious Mexican taco trucks and restaurants. But we're not surprised -- Southern California is already home to vending machines that sell gourmet cupcakes, caviar, cold-pressed juice and marijuana.

Because sometimes you just don't want to look another human being in the eye while giving in to a craving."

I found the last line very interesting, for it was hinting at the idea of anonymity. People are moving away from in person interactions, and prefer social settings like Facebook, and communication through texting. In turn, people are losing their face to face communication skills, and have begun to favor these alternate modes of communication. If you can order a burrito without other people knowing, it increases the likely hood of you getting that burrito; as the quote mentioned above, you don't have to deal with the feels of guilty or judgement from others. If the anonymity makes it easier to order a burrito, doesn't that mean that the anonymity of the Internet make is easier for people to say things that they normally wouldn't say in person? This theme seems to be very popular today in America, proven by the rising popularity of the new app, Yik Yak.

Who hasn't heard about Yik Yak at New Trier. It's exploding (I came home yesterday, and my mother was talking about it; I walked into advisory this morning, and my advisor was talking about it). It is creating a dangerous environment that is leading to many cases of cyber bullying, upon which some schools are taking action, and some cases even leading to arrests.

Some of our new technologies like Yik Yak present an immeaiate issue, but other like the Burrito Box may lead to some more disnant consequences as we move further and further away from direct person to person communication. Are we going to far with the idea of anonymity?