Bitstrips Reaches 11 Million But The Backlash Is Becoming Widespread, How To Block The Facebook Comic App

Bitstrips has taken over Facebook, but is the backlash spreading just as rapidly?

Though it has been around since last December on Facebook, the comic creation app began dominating the Internet last week after the app was released on iOS and Android. It has now been downloaded more than 11 million times and boasts 20 million users.

But as the app becomes the newest toy to share on global social media, the frustration and backlash has begun, as it does with all widespread trends.

According to The Inquisitr, Bitstrips has “already worn out its welcome,” leading many users to “unfriend” users or block activity from the Facebook comic app. The Metro released a similar report, citing a Facebook user who tweeted: “I thank Facebook for inventing BitStrips for pointing out to me who should be mercilessly culled off the friends list.”

For those who are growing tiresome of the comics, it’s easy to block the app without sacrificing a friend connection on Facebook.

On your Facebook news feed, find any post from Bitstrips and click the small gray, downward-pointing arrow on the upper right hand corner of the post. On the drop down menu, click “Hide all from Bitstrips.” It’s that simple.

Bitstrips, “the most customizable avatar-creation tool on the Web,” allows users to create and share comics of themselves and others with personalized messages. With more than 1,000 customizable templates and new ones added daily, users have endless opportunities to create comics about their day, their friends, pop culture or whatever is on their minds.

The app has gained 1 million additional users in less than a week, now claiming 11 million fans, according to The Mirror, after releasing apps for iPhone and Android users. But Bitstrips, with its headquarters in Toronto, has been around for months.

Three months ago, Venturebeat.com called Bitstrips “the hottest startup you’ve never heard of” after its vice president of marketing, Shahan Panth, called it “the next step in the evolution of social media.”

CEO Jacob Blackstock believes the app, largely used by the 18-24 demographic, will resolve the “frustratingly flat” status of social media today.

"Bitstrips is hard to categorize because it's not a game," he told the Baltimore Sun. "It's a new way to express yourself and interact with your friends. Instead of posting the same things as everyone else, you can create something that relates to your life."