VSCO captures student creativity

These days, people take their online persona very seriously. On social media platforms, questions such as “is this the right filter?” or “does this look stupid?” often surface in the apprehensive moments prior to pressing the “share” button.

In addition to those worries comes another has dilemma–what is too ‘hipster’ for Instagram? VSCO, a photo sharing app created by Visual Supply Company, provides the perfect solution.

VSCO, created in 2013, has gained a lot of popularity, mainly because it’s a photo editing app and a social network.

Junior Morgan Gerhardt, an avid user of VSCO, said she thinks the app provides a unique social media experience.

“VSCO is definitely a different type of app for someone to have,” Gerhardt says. “It lets people explore their more artistic side.”

Unlike Instagram, VSCO doesn’t have any resemblance of a “like” button. Users can only view who follows them. Many people, including Gerhardt, said they feel that not having “likes” is a good idea.

“I think it helps people gain confidence in what they’re deciding to share on social media,” Gerhardt said. “Because there’s no ‘like’ button, we have started to drift away from finding joy in some random number, and started finding joy in the content we are sharing.”

Young people associating the number of likes they receive with their self-worth has become the norm. Apps like VSCO are helping social media users find comfort in what they share. Users of regular social media apps can be ostracized for the things they share on a mainstream social network— VSCO lets its users finally break free and explore their inner photographer and photo editor.

Junior Ana Oddo said she enjoys VSCO because it’s “underground.”

“Instagram is more about the people, but VSCO is more about expressing yourself, who you are and what you enjoy,” Oddo said.

This app is available for free (with in-app purchases) on both the Apple App Store and the Android Google Play Store.