Keller @ Large: Cautionary Tale Of Meaningless Life Of Vine
BOSTON (CBS) - Vine, we hardly knew ye.
Yes, the sad news came Thursday that Twitter will be ending the Vine mobile app that lets users create six-second video clips and, of course, post them online for the world to enjoy.
Don't worry – you will still be able to view your favorite Vines of a dog bouncing on his hind paws or whatever it is that once delighted you. They will live on in perpetuity, in a sort of morbid online Vinehalla.
But all kidding aside, this is big news. Just ask your kids.
Vine was once the most popular free app in the universe. But the truth is, that's not much of a distinction.
Twitter, which owns Vine and is responsible for its demise, will more than likely soon follow Vine into the mists of online obscurity, judging from its dismal financial performance.
Imagine that – a world without Tweets!
What will Mr. Trump do with himself at 3 a.m. if that happens?
The moral of the story is, these fun little high-tech toys that we have become obsessed with are just that, toys. And just like little children, our fascination with the latest toy burns hot, then quickly burns out as we move on to the next time-wasting use of our smartphones.
Kids will always be suckers for the newest shiny toy, but what's the excuse for us adults?
We know, or ought to know, that time spent creating Vines or Snapchatting or Tweeting or even venting on Facebook is essentially wasted time, that could and should be spent developing human relationships, reading and learning, or that most rare and precious of adult pastimes, sleeping.
The short, sweet, meaningless life of the Vine is a cautionary modern fable.
Someone should create a Vine about that.
Listen to Jon's commentary: