GIF Database Giphy Says GIFs Are Now 'Out Of Fashion' And 'For Boomers'
One of the companies that creates GIFs - Giphy - has decided to go after its own product. The company called GIFs "out of fashion" while suggesting that young users think GIFs are "for boomers" and "cringe."
If you spend a lot of time on social media, chances are that you use a lot of GIFs during your conversations. One of the companies that creates GIFs - Giphy - has decided to go after its own product.
Giphy lets users upload animated images and videos that could be anything - a scene from a film, or an event that happened in real life. Now, it appears that GIFs are going out of fashion, or at least according to Giphy.
Example of a GIF / Credit: Wikipedia
Are GIFs history?
The company called GIFs "out of fashion" while suggesting that young users think GIFs are "for boomers" and "cringe." In addition, Giphy said that content creators are "finding less value" in GIFs, claiming that GIF uploads on the platform have declined in the last two years.
"There are indications of an overall decline in GIF use," Giphy said in filings with the United Kingdom's competition watchdog in August. Giphy said that this is happening owing to a "general waning of user and content partner interest in GIFs."
Also read: Stephen Wilhite, The Creator Of GIFs Has Passed Away Due to COVID-19
Currently, Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is attempting to block Facebook's parent company's (Meta) $400 million takeover of the company. In the filings, Giphy stated that it had "no meaningful revenue-generating business" and was hoping Meta would help it monetise GIFs.
Also read: Scientists Turn Solar Panels Colourful To Make The Technology Look Cooler
In fact, Giphy wants to be sold to Meta, even though CMA ordered Meta to sell Giphy in November 2021 to reduce competition among potential buyers. Giphy, though, claims that only Meta seems interested in buying Giphy. While companies like Amazon, Apple, Twitter, and Snap have also shown interest, the discussions didn't move past "initial contacts."
What do you think - are GIFs outdated now? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.
References
Mann, J. (2022b, September 17). The company that makes gifs says they¡¯re ¡°cringe¡± and ¡°out of fashion.¡± Business Insider. Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/the-company-that-makes-gifs-says-theyre-cringe-and-out-of-fashion/articleshow/94272505.cms
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