Will Vine be back if Trump bans TikTok? Internet wants app restored to 'relive middle school years'
President Donald Trump on July 31 told reporters that the administration will ban Chinese owned video-sharing app TikTok in the wake of security concerns. While aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “As far as TikTok is concerned, we’re banning them from the United States.”
This has made the Internet nostalgic about an age-old app called Vine that was introduced in 2012. It was competing with Instagram before fading against the popularity of Tik Tok that took over the subscribers.
Vine was a social networking app promoting short-form video content where users could share six or seven seconds long content using looping video clips. The app was popular around 2013 when users were addicted to it and used to browse videos and hoped to trend their own content.
In 2016, Twitter announced that it was shutting down Vine due to reasons like poor earnings. It later revised its plans saying that the app will be replaced by Vine Camera App but that the community would still be shuttered. This almost obliterated the significance and usage of Vine but after Trump announced his intention to ban Tik Tok, the Internet wants to bring Vine back. Swayed by wistful nostalgia, folks on social media have declared it a perfect time to resurrect the Vine app and indulge in some nostalgia.
“Now is the perfect time to bring back pre-internet America and let us re-live our middle school years,” tweeted a user pointing to how it reminds us of our old school days when social networking was based on apps like Vines for fun and trendy content.
NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO BRING BACK VINE AND LET US RELIVE OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS
— Nick Roberts (@Nick_Roberttss) August 1, 2020
“Vine wasn't even a thing until I was in college my G-d I'm old” tweets a user.
Vine wasn't even a thing until I was in college my G-d I'm old
— Ann Richards’ Boots ↙️↙️↙️ (@ars_boots) August 1, 2020
Many say that Tik Tok was an app that Generation Z did not ask for “TikTok is the little brother of vine that we didn't want”
TikTok is the little brother of vine that we didn't want
— Colin Flanagan (@colinflanaganOH) August 1, 2020
Soon hilarious memes about competition between the two apps started doing rounds.
Vine and Tiktok fighting for the top bunk in there grandmas basement pic.twitter.com/52F8xinkPd
— most of my tweets are about one direction (@KimberlyAscenc8) August 1, 2020
Many also compared the cringe-worthy content of TikTok with Vine and said that the latter was more humorous and real fun.
Bruh it’s way better than cringe dances on tik tok, and WAYYYY more people that are actually known for being funny on vine are actually famous Not known for Dancing
— Jxsiah (@LxrdJxsiah) August 1, 2020
Others tweeted about serious concerns for influencers saying that influencers cannot always port followings between platforms. They highlight that there are millions of creators right now on TikTok and only the “elite very few” can jump over and “dominate” another platform with equal ease. They mention how “each platform requires different skills/resources to succeed. Like with Vine, the top talent will usually do fine but the mid-tier talent and smaller creators struggle.”
If u tweet “Michael Jordan.” That’s 1 single player in like the history of the entire sport AND he went right back to hoops! That’s my point, there are millions of creators right now on TikTok, only the elite very few can jump over and dominate another platform with equal ease
— Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz) August 1, 2020
Others feel different and tweeted that now Vine will have a community of its own stars and influencers if Vine comes up after TikTok ban. “Vine stars now that tiktok influencers are also getting their platform taken away from them,” tweeted a user.
vine stars now that tiktok influencers are also getting their platform taken away from them pic.twitter.com/UB1zk1PI5m
— minghaohaohaohaohao (@xumilkhao) August 1, 2020
Since the Internet has become more accessible, people have the power to consume content at astounding rates which was not possible before.Now it is yet to be seen if the Tik Tok ban materializes and paves way for Vine to be used by Generation Z.