The Wonders of The Viral

Hey guys.

Today I want to write about why some videos go viral.  I'm not talking about music videos and TV programmes but just random clips taken by 'normal' people like us.  It's something which I have been thinking about for a while and it really does perplex me. Of course the reason for this reasonably new phenomena is simple, with social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and of course Email, it's certainly not difficult for information (both accurate and false) to spread faster than wildfire! But what I really wonder is why do these videos go so crazy in the first place?

Is it the shock factor they hold? Do they surprise? Outrage? Or simply make us laugh?

There are millions of videos on youtube (some people estimating around 120 000 000 and counting) and with an astounding 48 hours worth of video uploaded every minute, why is it that one video can suddenly attract millions of viewers and others will simply pass by unnoticed?

Some videos go down in Youtube history (do I really need to give examples?.... Charlie bit my finger, Double Rainbow!! and Sneezing Panda) while some just add to the years' and years' worth of forgotten and unseen footage.

Off the top of my head recent virals have been:

And:



Finally, another one which came to light a couple of months ago was that of the racist woman. She spouted obscene and cruel verbal abuse towards people on a packed London tube. This video caused such shock and outrage, not only at her ignorance and spiteful tongue but also because she continued to swear unconcerned in front of young children. (this video is available on-line but is continually removed) Fortunately for the London passengers, (and for society as a whole) the woman, a 34 year-old called Emma West, was later arrested and charged with racial harassment. Aaaah! The glorious power of the viral video.

This website was excellent for looking at current virals going around the web and it was amazing how they had all gone from being practically unknown to world famous in a matter of days. Of course, the examples here are few and there are plenty more clips floating or more likely racing around the web right now.

So why do these videos catch on? Well for most of them, I think it is the simple fact that they make us laugh and what more do we want in our God forsaken lives? Something to cheer us up.

Others, like the terrible and offensive video described above, appall us so much that we're shocked. We find ourselves needing to tell everyone about it. I think that if a video clip can bring someone to justice and unite society then the viral is positively a good thing.

Lastly, on a more selfish note, virals can be beneficial to the individual because they can provide an easy income and 15 minutes of fame if that person really desired it..

So what do we gain from these clips? Justice, enjoyment, fame and an income. That is what makes viral videos a success. Overall however, laughter.... (usually)...well laughter is the key to their popularity.

This post was brought to you by Youtube (not really).

Oh and lastly...