With the prominence of GIFs on the web and Vine’s soaring popularity – over 200 million monthly users – there’s no question about it: the social media generation likes media that gets right to the point. The average human attention span is now 8 seconds, one second less than that of a goldfish, driving home the point that short and sweet is always better. When Vine isn’t short enough, however, now there’s Boomerang, Instagram’s new seriously short short video app.
Introducing Boomerang
For true lovers of fast and easy, Boomerang is the all new one second solution to video. Boasting a simple interface with only two buttons, one to capture pictures and one to toggle between front- and rear-facing cameras, the interface is streamlined and simple. Images are captured in bursts, and then strung together to create a one second video clip. As the name implies, users can view the video clips forward or backward to enhance the experience, creating a short, interactive snapshot in time. Boomerang videos can easily be shared on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, establishing a highly social, incredibly short way to share moments with friends and family.
More to Share
As a stand-alone app intended to provide sharable content across numerous platforms, Boomerang is an easy way for Instagram to expand visibility without cluttering the existing app with more features. Rather than Vine, which provides 6 seconds of video, or Phhhoto, which provides 15 seconds of content, Boomerang makes it possible to memorialize a single second without the need for framing or truly filming; instead, users can capture a moment in time and share it on social media, creating a truly interactive experience for fans and followers. Much like Apple’s new Live Photo option, in which still images are enhanced by the ability to preview several seconds of footage before and after each shot, Instagram now has its own way to add a dynamic element to a still photo.
Simple, Straightforward, and Competitive
Length is one of the pitfalls in other short video apps, forcing users to create a compelling enough short film to warrant watching. Boomerang solves this conundrum, giving viewers such a short experience that it’s over almost before it began. With clips that play immediately and thus can’t be missed, the concept is eye-catching, fun, and, above all else, young. Offering a way to mix up Instagram’s straight-forward and long-lasting concept, this quick video model can potentially be seen as a rival for apps like Snapchat that are more likely to attract a younger demographic. Controls are simple, ensuring that novices in the social sharing scene will be masters in no time.
There’s no time like the immediate present to share content, making Boomerang a viable concept in a social world focused on fast and instant. Designed to be popular among preteens and current Instagram users, the ability to make looping GIFs on demand, even if only a second in length, boasts strong potential. With thousands of users in just a few days, Boomerang’s successful launch is already demonstrating just how much today’s generation likes media that gets right to the point.
