A Farewell to Vine

Twitter has recently announced that they are flipping the switch on the popular video app, Vine. Launched back in 2013, the app took social media by storm. Since then, it has gone on to host 39 million videos. Active monthly users exceeded 200 million. At its peak, daily video loops surpassed one billion, while annual numbers averaged at half a trillion.

The appeal of the app comes from videos limited to six seconds of footage, which would loop after each play through. In an age where people come to cherish the ease with which they access content, brevity is a powerful tool. The six-second videos were an ingenious way to reach a generation of viewers with short attention spans.

But what makes the six-second format truly novel was how it placed limits on content creators. You had limited time to make your point, so it was crucial to make those seconds count. What we got as a result was art, and we made artists out of nobodies.

The most common uses for Vine are jokes. It’s the perfect format for it. Often, people might have a clever idea for a joke, but it drags on too long, and any initial goodwill will be replaced boredom or annoyance. Ironically, the restriction of brevity frees creators from the desire for longevity, much like a haiku.

That’s not to say there aren’t other ways to take advantage of the platform. Some people might make interesting observations. Others make short videos of cute animals. There is no one right way to make a Vine.

So it is with great sadness that we have learned that Twitter, who owns Vine, will be shutting down the app. Sometime in the next few months, users will no longer be able to upload new videos. All the past content will still be there for viewing. We suppose it’s only natural for this to come to an end. Perhaps Vine was no longer a viable way for Twitter to make money. Whatever the reason, this means of expression is over.

Rather than end on a sad note, we at Hot Press would like to celebrate these past couple of years and the joy Vine brought to us.

These are just a few of many Vines, waiting to be discovered. We hope you enjoyed them. That’s all, folks!