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Viral videos are short, shocking or humorous video clips that spread quickly across the internet through social media and video sharing websites. They were previously only seen on local TV stations, but the rise of the internet and digital video has made them more accessible. YouTube is famous for hosting viral videos, which can have a short or long shelf life. Anyone can create a viral video, but it’s hard to predict which ones will become popular.
A man demonstrates the evolution of modern dance, two slackers rap about their Sunday afternoon activities and an overweight teenager practices with a fake Jedi sword: this is the world of viral videos. Viral videos can best be described as short video clips with unusually shocking or humorous themes, often shared on social networking sites, video sharing websites, and personal emails. Viral videos get their name because of the seemingly virus-like way they explode across the internet landscape. What might start out as a private family video in Idaho could easily be posted on a Japanese website in literally hours or days.
In the days before Internet sharing and digital video uploading, the only way most people saw “viral videos” was through local TV station feeds. Footage of an unusual or humorous news event might be shown at the end of a local newscast, and sometimes the same footage would be shown over and over on other stations receiving the same feed. Since there was no viable method other than videotape for repeating those stories, there was little chance of the clips going “viral video” in that sense.
With the advent of the internet and the ability to record, edit and publish video from a home computer came the rise of viral video. Short video clips can now be sent via email attachments or even be posted on websites. A number of aspiring film producers and actors have taken it upon themselves to create original content that is destined to go viral. Established comedy shows like Saturday Night Live have also jumped on the viral video bandwagon, producing several classic viral videos like “Lazy Sunday,” “Laser Cats,” and “Shredders,” a mock lettuce commercial.
Video file sharing websites like YouTube have become famous for hosting and featuring viral videos. Many of the top rated videos on YouTube are considered viral videos, including the “Evolution of Modern Dance” performance and the original “Mentos and Diet Coke” experiment. Some viral videos have a very short but memorable shelf life, while others continue to be popular for years. It can be hard to tell whether or not a particular video will go viral, but there is no shortage of amateur and professional videographers willing to jump at the chance.
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