The internet is mostly blue

Think of the websites you visit most frequently: Google, Facebook, Twitter are probably somewhere on the list. Maybe Tumblr, if you’re young and artistic. LinkedIn, if you’re job hunting. On your phone, Instagram. What do they all have in common? They’re blue. As John Herrman at The Awl observes, blue is the dominant color of choice for many of the leading websites and apps these days. It’s the background or the trim around your photos and messages. It’s the color of so many app icons. Why is this the case? Herrman reviews some quotes that suggest every tech company has a different reason for choosing their particular hue, but all arrive at the same primary color. Which is to say, Picasso would be right at home online.