If you’re one of those who can’t live without your daily dose of Instagram or TikTok, you’ve surely come across the acronym POV more than once. But have you ever wondered what POV actually means and why it has become omnipresent in digital culture? Get comfortable and get ready to discover it from a geek perspective!
POV: Much more than a simple viral trend
The term POV comes from the English “Point Of View“, which translates as “point of view.” Although today we see it flooding viral videos and memes, its origin is much older and more sophisticated, since it stems from classical film theory itself. In the seventh art, the subjective shot or POV shot is used when the camera is placed literally in the protagonist’s eyes, allowing the viewer to experience the action as if they were the main character. Remember those scenes in video games like Half-Life, where you see everything through the hero’s eyes? That’s exactly the effect the POV shot seeks.
But social networks, always restless and creative, have taken the concept much further. What started as a way to show personal perspectives — for example, travel bloggers using POV to transport their followers to exotic places — has evolved into first-person narratives, everyday situations full of irony and even stories narrated from the perspective of pets or fictional characters. In fact, on platforms like TikTok or Instagram Reels it’s almost impossible to browse for a few minutes without coming across a POV video that invites you to put yourself in someone else’s (or something’s!) shoes.
Point of view: From cinema to your smartphone
The most curious thing is how this technical resource jumped from celluloid to the palm of your hand. In films like Gravity (available on HBO and Movistar+) the subjective shot is used to immerse us in the space anxiety alongside Sandra Bullock, while in the film Project X (available on Netflix), the camera turns us into direct witnesses of a completely out-of-control teenage party. Even music has joined the phenomenon: the music video “Smack My Bitch Up” by The Prodigy achieved cult status by showing an entire crazy night from the protagonist’s point of view, with an unexpected final twist that left a mark on pop culture — although it also faced censorship for its controversial content.
On today’s social networks, POV has become its own language for storytelling. From short sketches to dramatic or comedic tales, creators use this format to connect emotionally with their audience, making them feel like active participants in the content. And it’s not limited to video: you can also find it in photos or written threads that seek that complicity with whoever is on the other side of the screen.
Why is POV so successful and how can you use it?
It’s no coincidence that POV is a hit among Generation Z and lovers of digital storytelling. Who doesn’t want to step for a moment into another life, another reality or even another universe — as if your smartphone were a direct gateway to the geek multiverse? In addition, this approach allows you to play with different narrative perspectives: first person (“I experienced this”) or third person (“she was there when…”), which gives rise to creative, intimate and often surprising videos.
Dare to experiment too: record that everyday moment from your point of view or invent a story through your pet’s eyes using #POV. You don’t need to be a filmmaker or have a GoPro like a pro streamer; just unleash your creativity and take advantage of the tools offered by apps like TikTok and Instagram.
So now you know: every time you see a video tagged with #POV, remember you’re facing a small masterpiece of digital storytelling, a direct heir of experimental cinema and adapted to the hyperconnected codes of the 21st century. Ready to create your own story from another point of view?
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