“There’s only one thing worse than a rapist. A CHILD,” one of many lines that have set the tone for the humor of Millennials and Generation Z. That is why it was such a devastating blow to both content creators and users alike when Twitter announced the discontinuation of the video creation service, Vine, in 2016. However, years later, it still maintains an important role in young culture through its timeless legacy of creative content and entertainment.

Vine was launched by Twitter in 2012 and immediately skyrocketed in popularity, reaching 100,000 downloads just days after launch and securing 200 million active users over its four-year run. It quickly amassed a relatively wide audience, staying competitive in a market filled with new concepts such as Instagram and Snapchat. However, unlike these platforms, Vine had a unique concept that encouraged posting for a wider audience rather than sharing personal posts just for friends and family. 

Vine’s concept revolved around a signature six-second time limit, as opposed to the 15-60 seconds on Tiktok and other social media, that forced creators to select only the most hysterical portion of an idea and convey it engagingly and crisply. It introduced a new category of quick humor for a generation less interested in the comedy sketches of Saturday Night Live or the political satire of late-night shows that appeal to older demographics. Instead, Vine’s succinct videos produced a library of quotable one-liners and witty remarks that are still used in colloquial conversation.

Beyond pioneering a new comedy genre, Vine offered up-and-coming creators an avenue to become household names. Notable figures like Shawn Mendes, Liza Koshy and David Dobrik all got their start on Vine before breaking through to their respective professional industries. Vine created a community where users could collaborate and build off each other’s ideas, and even smaller creators could quickly gain fame through consistent posting and audience engagement. Even after Vine’s untimely demise, those who left their mark on the platform still have loyal fanbases that follow them to another form of entertainment, from Youtube to music. 

Although newer social media like Tiktok and Byte have taken the internet by storm in recent years, these platforms all stem from the original message of Vine. These apps aim to replicate the same form of quick laughs that Vine built its foundation off of, with Byte, in particular, trying to bring a resurgence in those famed six-second videos. It is thanks to Vine that the idea of anyone being able to post funny content to cater to a specific audience even became popular. Though Vine has been long dead, people can still find a community similar to the ones found on Vine and feel connected. 

Vine is gone but never forgotten. It lives on in the minds and slang and iconic Vine compilations on YouTube. There is no denying how it revolutionized the entertainment and social media industry to accommodate for new generation humor while also creating a platform for fresh creators. Tiktok is considered “still a piece of garbage” when compared to the legacy Vine left behind.