You won’t believe what this recent study found about watching cat videos!
According to Jessica Gall Myrick, an assistant professor and researcher at Indiana University, indulging in these adorable online videos can actually give us an energy boost and enhance our positive emotions. Not only that, but it also helps decrease those pesky negative feelings.
Myrick’s study involved surveying nearly 7,000 people to understand how watching cat videos impacts their moods. Some might question the seriousness of studying such a topic, but as Myrick points out, watching cat videos is one of the most popular activities on the Internet today.
She emphasizes, “If we want to better understand the effects the Internet may have on us as individuals and on society, then researchers can’t ignore Internet cats anymore.” It’s true! Even though it may seem lighthearted, there’s something fascinating about the widespread appeal of these feline-themed videos.
As Myrick puts it, “We all have watched a cat video online, but there is really little empirical work done on why so many of us do this, or what effects it might have on us.” With her background as a media researcher and an avid cat video viewer herself, she felt compelled to delve deeper and gather some data about this captivating pop culture phenomenon.
And boy, did the data impress! It turns out that there were over 2 million cat videos posted on YouTube alone, racking up a staggering 26 billion views. Cat videos reign supreme in terms of views per video, surpassing all other categories on YouTube.
So, what did the participants in Myrick’s study reveal? Here are some interesting findings:
- People felt more energetic and positive after watching cat-related online media.
- Negative emotions like anxiety, annoyance, and sadness decreased significantly after indulging in some cat video goodness.
- Many admitted to watching these videos while at work or during study sessions.
- The pleasure they derived from watching cat videos outweighed any guilt they felt about procrastinating.
- Cat owners and individuals with certain personality traits, such as agreeableness and shyness, were more likely to be cat video enthusiasts.
- About a quarter of the cat videos they watched were intentionally sought out, while the rest were serendipitous discoveries.
Overall, the response to watching cat videos was overwhelmingly positive. It’s no wonder why we find ourselves drawn to these adorable and amusing clips. Who knew that our affinity for furry friends on the internet could actually have such a positive impact on our well-being?
So the next time you catch yourself clicking on a cat video, remember that there’s science behind it. It’s not just mindless entertainment—it’s a source of joy and a mood booster. And hey, with future studies exploring the potential of online cat videos as low-cost pet therapy, we might have even more reasons to indulge in these delightful distractions.
