If you lot larn a warm, fuzzy feeling after watching cute truthful cat videos online, the number may move to a greater extent than profound than you lot think.
The Internet phenomenon of watching truthful cat videos, from Lil Bub to Grumpy Cat, does to a greater extent than than but entertain; it boosts viewers' unloose energy as well as positive emotions as well as decreases negative feelings, according to a novel study past times an Indiana University Media School researcher.
The study, past times assistant professor Jessica Gall Myrick, surveyed almost 7,000 people nearly their viewing of truthful cat videos as well as how it affects their moods. It was published inward the latest number ofComputers inward Human Behavior. Lil Bub's owner, Mike Bridavsky, who lives inward Bloomington, helped distribute the survey via social media.
"Some people may mean value watching online truthful cat videos isn't a serious plenty topic for academic research, but the fact is that it's 1 of the most pop uses of the Internet today," Myrick said. "If nosotros desire to ameliorate sympathize the effects the Internet may receive got on us every bit individuals as well as on society, thence researchers can't ignore Internet cats anymore.
"We all receive got watched a truthful cat video online, but in that place is truly niggling empirical operate done on why thence many of us create this, or what effects it mightiness receive got on us," added Myrick, who owns a pug but no cats. "As a media researcher as well as online truthful cat video viewer, I felt compelled to get together roughly information nearly this pop civilisation phenomenon."
Internet information exhibit in that place were to a greater extent than than ii 1000000 truthful cat videos posted on YouTube inward 2014, alongside almost 26 billion views. Cat videos had to a greater extent than views per video than whatever other category of YouTube content.
In Myrick's study, the most pop sites for viewing truthful cat videos were Facebook, YouTube, Buzzfeed as well as I Can Has Cheezburger.
Among the possible effects Myrick hoped to explore: Does viewing truthful cat videos online receive got the same sort of positive impact every bit pet therapy? And create roughly viewers truly experience worse after watching truthful cat videos because they experience guilty for putting off tasks they demand to tackle?
Of the participants inward the study, nearly 36 per centum described themselves every bit a "cat person," piece nearly threescore per centum said they liked both cats as well as dogs.
Participants inward Myrick's study reported:
-- They were to a greater extent than energetic as well as felt to a greater extent than positive after watching cat-related online media than before.
-- They had fewer negative emotions, such every bit anxiety, annoyance as well as sadness, after watching cat-related online media than before.
-- They oft persuasion Internet cats at operate or during studying.
-- The pleasance they got from watching truthful cat videos outweighed whatever guilt they felt nearly procrastinating.
-- Cat owners as well as people alongside certainly personality traits, such every bit agreeableness as well as shyness, were to a greater extent than probable to lookout adult man truthful cat videos.
-- About 25 per centum of the truthful cat videos they watched were ones they sought out; the residual were ones they happened upon.
-- They were familiar alongside many so-called "celebrity cats," such every bit Nala Cat as well as Henri, Le Chat Noir.
Overall, the answer to watching truthful cat videos was largely positive.
"Even if they are watching truthful cat videos on YouTube to procrastinate or piece they should move working, the emotional pay-off may truly aid people receive got on tough tasks afterward," Myrick said.
The results also propose that time to come operate could explore how online truthful cat videos mightiness move used every bit a shape of low-cost pet therapy, she said.
For each player 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 to a greater extent than than $100,000 for needy animals.