What is Vine?
What is Vine? Vine is video application that allows it’s users to share 6 seconds of anything they want. The rating in the app store is
What is Vine?
You are probably already familiar with vine or have heard about it. A lot of celebrities and news agencies use Vine as well, Ellen DeGeneres and the BBC News is very active on Vine.
Vine is social media platform where users can share a six second short-form video. The service was founded in June 2012, and Twitter acquired it in October 2012, just before its official launch. Users’ videos are published in the app and can also be shared on Facebook and Twitter. Vine’s users can also browse, follow and comment on other videos within the app. Vine enjoys the support of twitter.
A BBC review of the app described Vine videos as “mesmerizing”, and that it was like “[watching a] bewildering carousel of six-second slices of ordinary life.”
Vine has created some viral, popular content as well specifically geared to showing 6 second moments or stories that don’t take up a lot of time and resources. One of the most popular and famous “Viners” are Batdad and EhBee.
Batdad is a father who wears a Batman mask and comments about his life with his children often with hilarious results.
EhBee is a family that shows skits about family life. They have been able to create a huge following on various platforms and have worked with brands like Disney, Johnson & Johnson, Nestle and General Mills. You can see some of the hilariousness of their videos here.
While there is great content on this app there are also a lot of potential problems for children and teens.
Parent concerns
- Vine has a strict policy on nudity and inappropriate content on the site however the rating in the app store is 17 years and older. This is due to some content which is inappropriate for younger children.
- Teens have used Vine to capture and share fights at school. It has also been used to capture pranks that have involved violence.
- There is a language issue as well for parents who are concerned with what their children hear.
- There is no strong policing on the app to ensure cyberbullying or other inappropriate content is deleted in a timely manner.
- When looking through the application it seems like fun and even at some times, educational. The problem is that while it appears that way, there are some dangers for children involved in this use of this app.
I give this a 0 out of 5 star rating. I do this largely because the age stipulation by the app store is 17+ and that rating is there for a reason. The app is fun for adults but not appropriate for children.
Safety begins at home
Parents should implement these rules in relation to their children and their devices. Parents are the frontline of safety in this new frontier.
- The ability to review phones or devices that have apps at any time.
- The child’s understanding that parents can delete or take away applications that are inappropriate.
- A Monthly review of online and internet safety practices.
- Appropriate time limits for children using devices.
- If you find that your child is using Vine, please talk to them about their use and review their account.
Every week Smarter Parenting reviews an app to help parents. Register with us on our website and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram for updates on upcoming items.
If you find this app is on your child’s device and you have concerns, talk to them using the skill of Effective Communication found on the Smarter Parenting website.
Next week we review another application. Don’t forget to subscribe to us on Youtube, register with us on our website for more tips, ideas and skills and follow us on social media.
Until next week, Be safe in cyberspace.