YouTube cat videos have amassed over 26bn plays. That’s an average of 12,000 plays for every video. How often do you watch cat videos, and what does this say about you?
(1) Never (2) less than once a month (3) 2–3 times a month (4) once a week (5) 2–3 times a week (6) daily (7) multiple times a day.
When the question was put to 7,000 respondents in an internet survey by Indiana University’s Media School, the average was 2-3 times a week to daily, so to count as an above-averagely enthusiastic viewer you have to watch almost every day.
If you do, you are more agreeable than average (easier to get on with), but also more shy (maybe more outgoing people venture into the real world for their cat fix). You are also more likely to have “affective support” – someone available “to show you love and affection, to love you and to make you feel wanted”, suggesting viewers are not using online cats as a substitute for human affection.
If you watch cat videos once or twice a week or less, you are less emotionally stable than the average person. That’s right, watching lots of cat videos tends to be a sign of emotional stability. You would also score lower on the World Health Organisation’s emotional wellbeing scale, which rates participants for how often in the last two weeks they have “felt cheerful and in good spirits”. Miaow!
A fully referenced version of this article is available at benambridge.com. Order Psy-Q by Ben Ambridge (Profile Books, £8.99) for £6.99 at bookshop.theguardian.com
