Eminem can sing 13 words in 2 seconds, Bill Gates makes $500 in 5 seconds, a honeybee can flap its wings 600 times in three seconds, and Vine has taught us that we can laugh in six seconds. Vine is the love child of America's Funniest Home Videos and Ridiculousness, condensed in a six second time slot.
On January 24th, 2016 a new generation was born. Vine showed us that video content was possible in six seconds. We were able to learn how to cook, watch replays of crazy sports incidents, learn how to dance, watch animals, and much more. One of the most important things Vine has taught us is that it is possible to capture viewers minds and make them laugh within a six second time slot. Vine has completely changed the game of the Internet and America will never be able to forget it.
Yesterday, October 27th 2016, Vine announced that it would be shutting down. Vine stated that in a few months they would be obsolete, "Since 2013, millions of people have turned to Vine to laugh at loops and see creativity unfold. Today, we are sharing the news that in the coming months we’ll be discontinuing the mobile app." Vine stated that nothing would be happening to the App or Vines as of yesterday and that they would notify us when any changes were made.
So, why is this such a big deal? Well, where are we going to go for the quick and to-the-point laughs? Where are we going to go for our new slang? The phrase "What are thooose!" came from Vine, and so did a lot of phrases that America has picked up into their culture today. Vine gave us a whole new way to speak. It may not be grammatically correct, but it is a fun way to talk with peers.
Vine gave us a way to express our creativity. It showed us how to be yourself within a six second time slot and share it with the world. The things that went viral were the things that made us laugh. They were the vines that taught us that dancing in your socks and short-shorts to music was completely acceptable. They taught us that falling was normal, they taught us that sining at the tops of your lungs off key was fun, they taught us that cooking could be funny, and they taught us that the funny stuff in life is the stuff that maters.Vine taught us that being different was more than acceptable, it was incredible.
It is fascinating to watch people rant about driving, about school, about work, about the society, and about anything. My favorite Vine of all time is Alx James's Vine when he is taking the names of cars and putting them into ways to make us laugh. For example, "You better Lincoln Navigate out of my way!" The best part about Vines that rant or Vines in general, is that they are relatable. I do not know one person who does not get frustrated when they are driving on the road.
Unfortunately, this is the end. This is when we let go of one of our favorite apps. It is bitter-sweet, but I do not think that this will be the end of Vine for all of eternity. We all love it too much. Vine has been thanking the fans, but I think we should be thanking Vine. Farewell Vine, it has been fun.
