Viral Video
A viral video is a type of online content that spreads rapidly across the internet, primarily through platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and social media sites like Facebook. The term "viral" refers not just to popularity but also to the speed and breadth of a video's reach, including its capacity to connect with audiences beyond its intended demographic. While humorous or emotionally engaging content often has a higher chance of going viral, experts argue that the way a video circulates, such as being shared by influential figures, plays a crucial role in its virality. Notably, there are both intentional viral videos—created with the aim of entertaining or promoting—and unintentional ones, that gain popularity without prior expectation from their creators. Examples include the "Charlie Bit My Finger" clip, which became a family favorite turned global sensation, and Susan Boyle's audition on "Britain's Got Talent," which showcased how professionally produced content can also achieve viral status. In the digital landscape, trends like food recipes and life hacks have gained significant traction, particularly on TikTok, leading to widespread discussion and influence on consumer behavior. Overall, the phenomenon of viral videos reflects the evolving nature of digital communication and audience engagement.
Viral Video
A viral video is a video that spreads rapidly through online mediums. Most viral videos are shared on video-sharing websites such as YouTube and apps such as TikTok or social media sites like Facebook. These videos are posted online just like any other video content, but the speed at which they spread across the internet and around the world is what makes them "viral" videos.
Definition
The definition of "viral video" is sometimes debated. While some people think that viral simply refers to a video that is popular, others have more complicated definitions of the term. For example, Karine Nahon, who wrote the book Going Viral with Jeff Hemsley, told the New York Daily News that there is more to viral videos than just popularity. According to Nahon, a video is considered "viral" based on the rate at which it spreads, the number of times it is shared, and the range of people it reaches. Nahon argues that a video needs to reach people who are not the target audience for it to be considered viral. For instance, a humorous video of a cat chasing a dog would not be considered viral if it were only shared among pet owners. It would have to have a broader reach to be a true viral video.
Elements of a Viral Video
The popularity of sites like YouTube and Facebook has led to more people sharing videos online. By the late 2010s, the short-form video-sharing app TikTok had become one of the most prominent platforms for viral videos, especially among younger populations. Users can easily upload their videos in a matter of seconds and share them with others. Of course, not every video posted on the internet goes viral. Some people argue that there are key elements that help a video become viral. One of these seems to be length. Experts argue that shorter videos are more likely to become viral than longer videos. The content of the video is important, too. Videos that are funny or particularly emotional seem to have a better chance of going viral. For example, videos that feature animals or cute kids often reach "viral" status. Other experts argue that cute animals or kids are not enough to create a viral video. They contend that a video needs to show something that has not been seen before to be truly viral.
Others argue that the content of a video is not as important as the way in which the video circulates across the internet. For example, in a TED talk in 2011, Kevin Allocca, a trends expert at YouTube, said that a celebrity or a public figure with a large audience must share a video to help it become popular. In addition, he suggested that audience participation is one of the keys to a video’s popularity. Allocca said that comments on and parodies of videos help make them more popular than just sharing alone does.
Nevertheless, Nahon claims in her book that there is not a secret recipe to creating a viral video. She says that even if someone includes all the elements supposedly needed to create a popular video there is no guarantee that the video will go viral. Additionally, some videos are very popular for a day or two and are quickly forgotten in a week or so.
Popular Examples
There are several types of viral videos. Some videos are unintentional viral videos, meaning that the creators never expected the video to become popular. Often, regular people share this type of video with friends and family members who then spread the video by sharing it with their friends and family members, and so on. Other videos are intentionally created to entertain people or promote a specific product. In both cases, the content of the video—whether it be funny, emotional, or inspiring—often increases the popularity and helps it reach viral status.
One example of an unintentional viral video is titled Charlie Bit My Finger, which was first posted to YouTube in May 2007. The clip shows a young British boy holding his baby brother, Charlie. The older boy cries out to the camera when Charlie bites his finger. Although the video was never meant to be shared beyond the boys’ family, it went viral, becoming one of the most popular YouTube videos of all time with more than 880 million views as of 2021. Another popular unintentional viral video is David after Dentist. This video, released in 2009, features a dad having a humorous conversation with his young son who is still under the influence of medication following a dental procedure. David after Dentist actually helped to coin the phrase "viral video." Although some people thought the video exploited David’s medicated state for laughs, the family eventually made money off the video that helped pay for their children’s schooling. In 2017, a professor working in South Korea was giving a BBC News interview when his two young children surprisingly interrupted before being led away by their mother. Many people in work-from-home situations related to and shared the video clip of the humorous incident, and the professor, Robert Kelly, became well recognized; the virality of the video only increased after the lockdown measures of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic declared in 2020 led to an even greater number of people regularly working from home and spending more time online across the world. A video posted on TikTok by Nathan Apodaca, featuring his commute to work on his longboard while he plays a Fleetwood Mac song as he drinks cranberry juice after his vehicle had broken down, went viral to the extent that Apodaca received large amounts of monetary donations from viewers as well as a free, brand new truck from Ocean Spray.
Some examples of intentional viral videos include the videos Jack Sparrow and I’m on a Boat from the comedy group Lonely Island. The sketch comedy website Funny or Die has also released several viral videos over the years. One of the most popular intentional viral videos of all time came from the British television series Britain’s Got Talent. The 2009 clip of a middle-aged woman named Susan Boyle auditioning for the show and astounding the judges with her amazing voice quickly spread across the internet. The video led to stardom for Boyle, who eventually went on a world tour and made millions of dollars. While some people argue that videos such as these are not true viral videos because they are professionally produced, others contend that it is the rapidity at which they are shared and their reach beyond the internet that makes these videos viral. By the 2020s, posting videos of kitchen hacks and food recipes had become a major trend on TikTok, and many short videos were created of people making food, particularly dishes that could be made with an air fryer, with the knowledge that the videos would likely be widely influential, shared, and discussed, including on mainstream outlets. Some of these viral videos even led to the increased popularity of certain air-fryer brands.
Bibliography
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