Vine is the new “it” app. At one point, it was the number one free application in The App Store. Thousands upon thousands have downloaded this video sharing app and it had surpassed other similar apps with many more downloads, including Cinemagram, Viddy and Keek.  iPhone and iPod touch users across the world have downloaded and become obsessed with Vine in a few short months. People post everything from their home-cooked meals in their comfy kitchen to suicide bombings in the Middle East. The bottom line is that Vine is a worldwide phenomenon, with more and more people purchasing the app every day.

For those who have yet to download it, Vine is a free mobile application that allows users to create six-second video clips. However the video only records when your finger is pressed down on the camera, creating GIF (Graphics Interchange Format, image files compressed to reduce transfer time) like effects to the pictures.

Vine was created by Dom Hofmann and Rus Yusupov in June 2012. The company was acquired by Twitter in October 2012 and made its debut in the App Store Jan. 24. In just a few months, Vine became the most used video-sharing application in the market. On Apr. 9 2013, Vine became the number one most downloaded free app within The App Store.

“I love Vine because the people I follow post really funny things. I usually post stuff involving my food. I love to eat, ” Jasmine Beck said.

Students are creating accounts and following each other in the same way they do with other social media.

“Right now Vine is my favorite apps. I follow people like Tyler the Creator and because he posts the funniest stuff,” Brandon Mullins said.

The video aspect is popular and adds something picture-sharing apps don’t have.

“I enjoy Vine because you get to see a side of your friends or celebrities that you can’t see through Instagram or Twitter,” Mackenzie Berlin said.

Vine has not yet been added to the Android marketplace, so Android users cannot download it just yet. However there has been special tools of Vine possibly becoming an Android app as well. Only time will tell how long the success of Vine will last.

by DESIREE STONE