What up? I’m Aurelia, I’m 18, and I’ll always love Vine more than TikTok.
If you read that sentence as a remix of this iconic Vine, you’re my kind of person, and will probably agree with my absolutely correct opinion in this blog post.
Vine was an American social networking platform in which users shared 6.5 second long looping videos. It was created in 2013, with over 200 million active users in 2015. Tragically, in 2016, Vine was discontinued.
Vine’s memory has lived on, though. Since its death over four years ago, thousands of Vine compilations have been uploaded to YouTube that have garnered millions of views. Certain Vines have gained such popularity that any old Vine user is likely to recognize if you quote one.
On the other hand, TikTok is a video-sharing social networking service that launched in 2016, with its original purpose being to share 15 second to 1 minute long dance videos. It has recently gained immense popularity, and is now used to share videos of basically any type.
In a way, TikTok replaced Vine—they’re both short video-sharing networks, and one rose after the other fell. But Vine was better, and it will always be better, despite what anyone else tries to tell you.
Here’s my proof.
- Vine is sentimental and nostalgic
Vines have the ability to be nostalgic because they’re no longer around. They’re like an old movie that your parents are oddly attached to, despite the fact that it’s not actually all that. It’s because that movie is a classic. And so is Vine. Who doesn’t love feeling sentimental? Do you know how many “RIP Vine” compilations there are on YouTube?
- The quotes are iconic
Vine is unparalleled when it comes to providing iconic quotes. From my observations, a large part of this is because they’re so short—it’s much easier to remember one funny sentence, such as “I wanna be a cowboy, baby!” than it is to remember the contents of a one minute video. Also, it’s because the funniest Vines are way funnier than the funniest TikToks. I could quote a few TikTok audios if I really tried, but do you really think that anyone will laugh if you attempt to quote a TikTok in seven years? No. They’ll stare at you like you’re insane, because you are. But if I say “Two bros chillin’ in a hot tub,” a decade from now, I know that someone will reply, “five feet apart cuz they’re not gay!”
- TikTok is all over the place
Whenever I bring up TikTok’s cringe factor, someone points out that Vine also had its fair share of cringey videos, which is absolutely true. Any social network is bound to have some very un-funny stuff that somehow blows up.
However, Vine has left behind a legacy of timelessly hilarious videos. They all share a similar very odd and niche type of humor that involves fairly senseless and so-dumb-they’re-funny situations. I don’t know how to explain it, but if you watch a few Vine compilations, you’ll probably understand. I’ve seen TikToks attempt (and occasionally succeed!) to recreate this type of humor, but those TikToks are far more rare. The most popular TikToks tend to be dance challenges, random celebrity videos, and other long videos that usually aren’t funny. It’s incohesive. It’s not suitable for compilations that will long outlive the app itself.
In conclusion: Vine is the best. Here are a few of my favorite compilations in case you need a good laugh: