VSCO stands for Visual Supply CO and is a photo and video editing app known for its 100+ filters and its way to make pictures match a certain aesthetic. Users can edit their photos through various filters or can adjust photos using the “toolkit” feature. VSCO is often compared to Instagram and Lightroom, which is also a very popular editing app.

Most people started using VSCO as a simple editing tool. However, now people have started using the platform as their main source of inspiration because it allows them to add unique and interesting filters that can make even the simplest photos look interesting.

People are obsessed with this app because of its way of making pictures look retro and faded. Particularly teens and young women are “hooked on the look” of its trendy appearance. Middle schooler Chloe Lea-Wilson stated, ¨I first learned about VSCO on TikTok. I think it is really popular because people enjoy being trendy and VSCO is very trendy.¨ 

A big part of why VSCO is so popular is that it is a social media platform, but there are no visible likes or followers. When you share a photo on VSCO, your followers aren’t able to like or even comment. You can see who’s following you, but there’s no follower count you can check, so people won’t get fixated on how many they have.

In a lot of schools now, the “VSCO look” is becoming a popular and trendy appearance. Having items such as Hydroflasks, scrunchie hair ties, shell necklaces, and metal straws can make you a “VSCO girl” (a term generally used to describe a girl who regularly uses the app). This phenomenon has already entered the classroom leaving kids whispering “sksksksk” in class and saying “and I oop” when something surprises them. 

“I honestly think that VSCO is so popular because it’s something different and no style has gotten this big as it is and the editing app is truly iconic,” says seventh grader Mikayla Aguayo.

Overall, trends play a major impact in our society today and VSCO is leaving a vivid impression on teens all over the world.