According to YouTube, 300 hours of video are uploaded every minute. And 45 percent of the people posting those videos are uploading footage that features an animal–usually a cat. So don’t feel bad if you’ve indulged in a few (or a few hundred) cat vids. They’re incredibly addicting. Turns out that cat videos are more than just a guilty pleasure (and by “guilty,” I really do mean guilty. A lot of time people spend on their in-cat-uation is time they should have been doing something else–like working or studying). In fact, it may actually be good for you.
Researchers have consistently found that physically interacting with pets can have some very significant, positive effects on patients’ physical and emotional health. A variety of studies show a correlation between pet therapy and decreases in anxiety and depression, reduced behavioral problems, and lowered blood pressure and heart rate. But petting an animal who’s sitting on your lap is quite a bit different than going online and watching one jump onto a chandelier or run around the house with a paper bag over her head. Or is it?
I found this post very interesting. I know having pets around can make a person more active because they have to walk and play with them, but people do not really think about the emotional gains also. It is cool to know that these emotional gains can also be received after watching funny cat videos online.
This was a very interesting post! I’ve definitely heard of cat videos but never personally watched them so I was surprised to hear how popular they are. At the same time, I know how fun cats can be (cousin has one that is awesome!) so videos probably could be fun too. My opinion is that sometimes people need a bit of lighthearted humor in their lives to de-stress from their hectic lives.
Agreed! While too much “procrastination” isn’t good, we need a little bit of it. Taking breaks is so important for our physical and emotional well-being, why not do it with cat videos?