VSCO...what's that?

most recent posts on VSCO

I find it unlikely that many people have heard of the application called VSCO as it just now reached 30 million active monthly users. VSCO stands for “Visual Supply Co” and was originally used as a photography editing application. Photos edited by this application often had the associated hashtag, #VSCOcam posted with it when shared on other social media platforms. Now, VSCO has turned into another photography social media platform where people can share their edited photos with their followers, as well as follow others and keep up with their pictures.

You might be thinking that VSCO has the same concept as Instagram, which it does. You post pictures, you have a profile and a newsfeed, you can share or like pictures, you can edit pictures, etc. You can also link your VSCO account to other social media platforms to gain more followers and access potential followers. You can post captions and locations with your pictures and edit them with an abundant number of settings and filters The newsfeed is also similar in the way that is shows pictures people have posted and shared to their own profile. However, there are more differences in how VSCO and Instagram work and are used for than there are similarities.

VSCO and Instagram may be similar in concept, but they also do have some major differences. One major difference is there when you share photos, they don’t automatically get added to your normal profile. VSCO has three sections: images, journal and collection. Images are the pictures you choose to post on your personal profile. The journal consists of albums. You can create a specific journal for a trip you took or a holiday. Journals can be used for any group of pictures you want. Your collection consists of all the pictures you share. When viewing someone’s profile, you can view their published images, journals and collections. Another difference between VSCO and Instagram is that you can’t comment on someone’s post. This eliminates any risk of negative feedback or hard reactions. The only major downside, I think, to VSCO is that you can’t be private.

first posts on VSCO

I personally use my VSCO for more of an aesthetic appeal. The pictures I edit and post onto my profile may be blurry, candid’s, quotes, etc. I find VSCO to be lower key than other social media platforms, such as Instagram or Facebook, and I find myself not worry so much about how many likes I get or if I posted the picture at the correct time for people to notice it. Social media can be stressful in that way so I’ve found it to be relaxing to post whatever I want without worry of how people may react to it. I have my VSCO account linked to my Instagram, Twitter and Facebook profiles in hopes to direct more attention to it. VSCO profiles can be viewed publicly, without an account; any interactions on posts do require a profile.

VSCO is one of my favorite applications and is just as easy to set up as any other social media platform You have a profile picture, a username and an optional bio. I think VSCO is a rising platform that will continue to receive more attention. Almost every week notice new users on the application and expand my network. I find it to be a soothing application where I can really post what I want without worrying about what other people might want to see. I still love my other forms of social media and Twitter is my go to for entertainment, but VSCO as a special place in my heart for the unique things it offers.