Media Meditation3: Viral Videos are Vying for Views

So far on vacation I've spent so many hours watching videos on Youtube and other places looking up videos. Even with out relaxing in front of my computer and clicking on video after video I get emailed or IMed some video...

What is it that makes a video go viral? Why are we so fascinated by them? Who makes them go viral?

There are so many viral videos yet somehow they keep popping up. Websites like Youtube are full of videos that are vying for views. The majority of videos and clips on Youtube dont get more than 50 views, but there are a handful that get 100,000 views. The first video I remember getting popular is the video with over 40,000,000 views, and thats just this user's upload-

Yes the man in the video looks hysterical but after seeing it once I didnt have the urge to play it again or send it to others. A lot of people did and I'm sure there are several reasons why such as:

• One of the major parts that made it popular is the limbic brain is attracted to the music thats in another language that sounds like silly voices.
• The movements and music create emotional transfer and you cant help but smile and feel goofy.
• The man in the video wasnt a celebrity or known before the video. He was just a plain folk and others can relate to him.

Two years ago a woman named Susan Boyle auditioned on Britain's Got Talent. She looked old, warn down, and seemed to be nervous. People were laughing at her until she started singing! Every version of this video on youtube has the embedding disabled. But of course, it was easy to find some where else-

Susan Boyle's Britain's Got Talent Audition @ Yahoo! Video

After seeing this woman over come her fears at perform amazingly, its hard not to want to show this to someone else.

• Everyone who watches this movie has their own individual meaning that comes after they watch it. For me I'm really proud of her and it makes me think of my mentee from DREAM who says all she wants to do is sing.
• In the video you can see the audience crying and everyone being so in awe with Susan. It makes the viewer feel warm and fuzzy the way the audition is edited and the way people react.
• The motivation and inspiration from this video is created by the strength she shows and the encouragement that the judges and hosts give her making the viewer feel empowered.

There are so many people who have become famous out of Youtube videos that everyone is trying to make the next big thing. Its becoming easier and easier for everyone to shoot, edit, and post so people decide Youtube fame is better than Hollywood fame. There are blogs and articles all over the web on how convergence helps make a viral video.

I'm not a fan of spending all day on youtube watching babies laugh at paper, bite fingers, or get knocked over by puppies... but it is very entertaining to sometimes do that. And congratulations to those who have made a success out of sharing a part of their life with the rest of the World Wide Web.