Funny viral cat videos have taken over the Internet. They’re so popular that even celebrities like Taylor Swift, Ellen DeGeneres and Chris Pratt have gotten in on the action by posting their own cat-centric clips. What makes this small sub-genre of online video content so appealing to so many people? It could be that cats are the perfect target audience for short video content. After all, who doesn’t like sitting around and watching a little critter chase its tail or cuddle up in a tight little ball when it gets chilly?
Putting aside the obvious appeal of cute, fluffy animals doing amusing things, there is something about cat videos specifically that has led to their widespread popularity. After all, there are plenty of other animal videos out there — some of which also go viral — but none with quite the same staying power as those concerning felines. The answer may lie in what they provide viewers:
A momentary escape from reality where we can laugh at someone else’s awkward situation without worrying about our own problems; a source of absurd comedy that lightens our spirits when we need it most; and a brief respite from daily stresses during which we can forget our troubles without needing to take any drugs or alcohol to do so.
Comedy as Therapy
Humor is well-known as an effective therapy for stress. It is thought to reduce blood pressure, lower levels of stress hormones like cortisol, and increase immune system strength by activating the “happy” neurotransmitters in our brains. Funny videos are perfect for this kind of stress relief because they can lower our blood pressure and raise our moods in a matter of minutes. A quick scroll through your social media feed is all you need for a quick therapy session where you can forget about your daily troubles. And because the content is always changing, you can always expect a fresh supply of new stress-reducing clips coming your way.
Funny Videos Are a Break from Stressful Reality
Real life is stressful. We all have things that stress us out — from work, to family, to finances. We all have moments where we’re stressed out by one thing or another. At times like this, it can be easy to fall into a negative pattern of thinking and worrying about things that may or may not actually happen. Even if nothing specific is stressing us out, our daily lives can be overwhelming.
Sometimes it can be difficult to take a step back and realize that we have the power to change some of these things. But watching funny cat video clips can help you forget about all that. They can help you forget your daily problems, forget your daily stressors, and just let go of your worries for a few moments.
A Sense of Absurdity
Humor is often the result of something that is out of the ordinary — something weird, unexpected, or absurd. Watching a cat jumping around and pretending to be a dog, for example, is certainly a weird, unexpected, and absurd situation. This kind of humorous content is one of the most enjoyable kinds of comedy to consume: It elicits a feeling of surprise, a sudden burst of laughter, and then a smile as we try to make sense of what just happened.
It’s easy to relate to this kind of humor too because we all have moments where we feel silly. We all have those moments where we do something weird or something doesn’t turn out the way we planned. So, we can easily relate to these silly situations that cats find themselves in, and we can let go of our worries for a few moments as we watch them play out on our screens.
A Brief Respite From Daily Struggles
A lot of us spend half our days worrying about work, finances, and other aspects of our daily lives. It can be easy to let these troubles weigh on our minds and make us feel stressed out. Sometimes it can feel hard to take a step back and realize that we have the power to change these things. But watching funny cat videos can help you forget about all that. They can help you forget your daily struggles and just let go of your worries for a few moments. This can help you get through difficult times and help you feel less stressed out as a result.
So, What’s the Bottom Line?
In short, cats are cute and funny, and this makes them a perfect target audience for short video content. Watching funny viral cat videos can help you let go of your daily worries, forget about your daily stressors, and just have a laugh at something unexpected. It can be a great way to take a brief respite from the struggles of daily life and feel better as a result. Have a purrfect day.
- Try reading: Why Are Persian Cats So Popular?
- Check out: Funny Viral Dog Videos