Going Viral

There are plenty of videos on YouTube today that practically everyone has viewed or at least heard of. It is crazy to me how a silly video can gain millions of views. I have definitely spent my fair share of time on YouTube watching these hilarious videos multiple times in a row. My friends and I quote YouTube videos in everyday conversations on a regular basis. The question is, how on earth do these random (sometimes completely stupid) videos gain the attention of millions of people around the country and/or world?

For me, I love anything funny. I am pretty easily entertained, so it does not take much to give me a good laugh. The videos that really stand out to me are the ones that are easily quotable. I am a proud southern girl who is highly involved in Greek life on my college campus, so anything mocking that stereotype is hilarious to me.

and…

These two videos are two of my favorites. I die laughing every time I see them. They pick fun but in a funny way and you can talk about these videos with friends anytime and it will always be hilarious.

Another thing that will always make me fall in love with a video is if it has cute kids in it. Everyone has seen the video of the laughing baby and the “Buhlood” video is always a classic. Everyone has also fallen in love with David After the Dentist. There is just something about children that makes a video almost impossible not to become attached to.

Cute kids are already practically irresistible, but a cute kid with a British accent almost isn’t fair.

This video’s 9 million+ views just shows how much of a hit it has become! Here is a more recent video that has begun to spread like wildfire.

How can you not love this little girl?

Overall, the main factors that have shown to make a video viral are humor and a “cute factor.” Videos need to be decently short, because viewers really don’t have that long of an attention span. They also need to be somewhat relatable . Lastly, it has to be quotable. That is how videos spread so quickly. People hear others constantly saying all of these funny quotes and they want to go see the video that started it all.

April 15, 2011. Topic of the Week. 2 comments.