VIEWING CAT VIDEOS BOOSTS ENERGY , POSITIVE EMOTIONS
If you get a warm,
fuzzy feeling after watching cute cat videos online, the effect may be more
profound than you think.
The Internet
phenomenon of watching cat videos, from Lil Bub to Grumpy Cat, does more than
simply entertain; it boosts viewers' energy and positive emotions and decreases
negative feelings, according to a new study by an Indiana University Media
School researcher.
The study, by
assistant professor Jessica Gall Myrick, surveyed almost 7,000 people about
their viewing of cat videos and how it affects their moods. It was published in
the latest issue ofComputers in Human Behavior. Lil Bub's owner, Mike
Bridavsky, who lives in Bloomington, helped distribute the survey via social
media.
"Some people may
think watching online cat videos isn't a serious enough topic for academic
research, but the fact is that it's one of the most popular uses of the
Internet today," Myrick said. "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.
"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," added
Myrick, who owns a pug but no cats. "As a media researcher and online cat
video viewer, I felt compelled to gather some data about this pop culture
phenomenon."
Internet data show
there were more than 2 million cat videos posted on YouTube in 2014, with
almost 26 billion views. Cat videos had more views per video than any other
category of YouTube content.
In Myrick's study, the
most popular sites for viewing cat videos were Facebook, YouTube, Buzzfeed and
I Can Has Cheezburger.
Among the possible
effects Myrick hoped to explore: Does viewing cat videos online have the same
kind of positive impact as pet therapy? And do some viewers actually feel worse
after watching cat videos because they feel guilty for putting off tasks they
need to tackle?
Of the participants in
the study, about 36 percent described themselves as a "cat person,"
while about 60 percent said they liked both cats and dogs.
Participants in
Myrick's study reported:
-- They were more
energetic and felt more positive after watching cat-related online media than
before.
-- They had fewer
negative emotions, such as anxiety, annoyance and sadness, after watching
cat-related online media than before.
-- They often view
Internet cats at work or during studying.
-- The pleasure they
got from watching cat videos outweighed any guilt they felt about
procrastinating.
-- Cat owners and
people with certain personality traits, such as agreeableness and shyness, were
more likely to watch cat videos.
-- About 25 percent of
the cat videos they watched were ones they sought out; the rest were ones they
happened upon.
-- They were familiar
with many so-called "celebrity cats," such as Nala Cat and Henri, Le
Chat Noir.
Overall, the response
to watching cat videos was largely positive.
"Even if they are
watching cat videos on YouTube to procrastinate or while they should be
working, the emotional pay-off may actually help people take on tough tasks
afterward," Myrick said.
The results also
suggest that future work could explore how online cat videos might be used as a
form of low-cost pet therapy, she said.
For each participant
who took the survey, Myrick donated 10 cents to Lil Bub's foundation, raising
almost $700. The foundation, Lil Bub's Big Fund for the ASPCA, has raised more
than $100,000 for needy animals.
Comments
Post a Comment