Vine, a video sharing app, is soon to be shutting down. This was announced Oct. 27, 2016. The app, owned by Twitter, wasn’t given a specific expiration date, but it was enough to send the internet into a frenzy, with the news trending on Twitter almost instantly.
The first question people were asking was, “Why?” The simple answer: it is no longer making money. The app’s popularity has plummeted, dropping to No. 243 on the App Store for free iOS apps according to Apple, compared to its previous placement of No.20 in October 2013. It has been speculated that Vine is also simply a distraction from Twitter itself, which is trying to build on its video sharing feature.
This sharp decline made advertisers lose interest in Vine. With little to no advertising, popular account owners, known as Viners, have been leaving the app for YouTube and Instagram in hopes of making a profit. With all of these things combined, it is understandable why Vine’s downhill roll is resulting in the death of the app.
Beyond losing the six second format, what does the end of Vine mean for this generation?
“Me and my sister went on it for hours at a time and it was really fun,” sophomore Madison James said. “I was pretty sad [about Vine shutting down] because there’s just so many memories. I spent so much time with my sister on there.”
Other people feel differently about the situation.
“I’m content; I think it’s time,” sophomore Corinne Meacham said. “Vine has been unofficially dying since Viners started leaving the app for other platforms. Vine has shaped a lot of what social media can be. It was the first of its kind. We had YouTube before, but nothing so quick and easy. It really brought about a new type of convenience for users. But all good things must come to an end.”
Vine, due to its short video span, was an easy place for first timers. The simplicity of it made videos, whether scripted or genuine, easier to make and share rather than dealing with the complexity of creating full length videos. After building up a following, the users moved to YouTube and similar sites for more opportunities and the cycle began again.
“A lot of YouTubers got started off of Vine and made money off of Vine,” freshman Alyssa Krasovich said.
A place for consumers and professionals alike, Vine helped bridge the gap between amateur filmmaking and a professional quality. The app constructed a platform for the average user to create. From witty skits to artistic statements, it was a place for all.
– By Harper Bone
Below: Harper Bone has created a collection of her favorite (school appropriate) vines, both artistic and humorous.
