The resurrection of Vine

Potential releasing of video app causes controversy

Photo+from+Dom+Hoffman%2C+one+of+the+founders+of+Vine.

Photo from Dom Hoffman, one of the founders of Vine.

Story by Molly Kyles, staff writer

They’re everywhere. Littered across YouTube, polluting Instagram feeds and infiltrating every Twitter timeline. There’s no way to use the internet without encountering one, and if you dare to click, there’s no question— you’ll become addicted. Beware of this silent drug. Beware of its interesting titles. Beware of Vine compilations.

Vine, a popular 6-second video app, was shut down in 2016. But on Dec. 6, one of Vine’s co creators, Dom Hoffman, hinted at a follow up app that could resurrect the crushed dreams of millions.

When Vine’s demise was initially announced, the internet mourned. A community of approximately 200 million active users surrounded the app. Vine brought us comedy- Both scripted and unplanned, in bite-sized, replayable chunks.

With the death of Vine came a new trend, RIP Vine compilations. These are compilations of hours worth of vines uploaded to Youtube, so people can experience Vine even after it’s gone. These gained considerable popularity, gaining anywhere from 200k to millions of views. Teens especially took to the trend, and arguably, Vine compilations made Vine even more popular. RIP Vine videos put all the most iconic Vines in one easily accessible place.

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However, a new chapter has been added in Vine’s history when Hoffman hinted at Vine’s possible predecessor. Based on the success of Vine even after its death, it would seem that approval for any follow up app would be through the roof. Surprisingly though, it is not, and opinions on Vine 2 vary wildly.

The internet’s been buzzing with different fears that the app will flop, unpopular creators will return or that Vine 2 will simply never live up to the original.

The app’s success depends on its audience. There is worry that the audience that frequented the first Vine won’t return to the follow up, perhaps because they’ve moved on to other entertainment, or they’re tired of the same 6 second format. Whatever the reason is, Vine 2 will need to market itself as a new and innovative source of entertainment, but also maintain the same charm that classic Vine possessed.

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Even before Vine’s fall, there was a stereotype of an egotistical, ditzy viner. After Vine fell, these creators dispersed to other social media, such as Instagram and Youtube. Very few viners gained the same popularity on these apps that they had on Vine. The audience on these platforms forces viners to readjust their content, and because of this they can get a lot of hate. Lots of these ex-stars have been met with criticism and controversy, whether it be warranted or not. Examples of these widely disliked stars are Lele Pons, Jake and Logan Paul and Musical.ly stars like Jacob Sartorious.

Another fear is that no matter what lengths Vine 2 developers go to, the new app won’t live up to hype. One of the things that made Vine so special was that everyone was a beginner and experimenting with new techniques. Near the end of its life, Vine became more driven by monetary gain yet still remained a platform where anyone could succeed. In Vine 2 however there is no guarantee that already-famous creators won’t take advantage of the new platform.

Vine was a unique app because of how unexpected it was. The app had an original idea driven by creative people, and no one could have anticipated its success. Even after Vine died, it is difficult to find a teen in the country who can’t reference some iconic vines. Either way, Vine 2 is destined to explode, whether it’s in failure or success.