There are certain types (or genres — whichever term you like better) of videos on YouTube that are, for one reason or another, addicting. You can’t just watch one. You have to make your way through the recommendations that show up at the end of the video, move down the list of videos running down the right side of the page, and subscribe to your favorite YouTube channels and watch all of their videos. It’s a vicious, entertaining cycle. Here are a few YouTube video genres we can’t help but watch over and over again.
1. Horror Video Game Walkthroughs
*NSFW due to language
I own one video game that could be classified as horror, (Amnesia: The Dark Descent) and for the two years that I’ve owned it, I’ve been stuck in the exact same place. Why? Because beyond the room I am hiding in, the monster is waiting for me, and I’m not brave enough to face it. For this reason, horror video game walkthroughs are perfect — it’s like getting your friend to tell you about Oculus because you’re curious but too afraid to watch it yourself. Or it’s like an audio book you can find online — it’s being read for you! The best part about it is, while the game will still be pretty damn scary (if you’re me), once you find a YouTube gamer that you like, he or she will also make you laugh. Which helps with the whole ‘fear’ thing.
2. Fail Compilations
*NSFW due to language
To be honest, sometimes it makes me feel like a terrible person to admit that I like watching fail compilation videos. However, I feel pretty confident saying that I’m not the only one who likes this type of video. Why else would we have shows like America’s Funniest Home Videos, or Wipeout? Slapstick comedy isn’t a new concept; YouTube has just given us an easily-accessible opportunity to see and share the slapstick moments in our own lives.
3. Vine Compilations
*NSFE due to language
The cousin of the fail compilation, but with more intentional humor, which can be just as funny as the unintentional kind, if not more so. For people who don’t have a Vine account, and/or don’t want to take the time to make one, this is how we see Vines. The majority of the vines in any video are usually comedic, but sometimes you’ll run into videos that include vines of people with beautiful voices singing, or with amazing video editing skills. Like anything else, sometimes the video you choose can have Vines that are a hit-and-miss, but in general, they’re pretty fun to watch.
4. Tutorials
I chose the video above because I saw it once, and have seen it and other videos like it several times since then. Popin Cookin, however, is just one of the many strangely addicting videos of people making, or demonstrating things we want to try. There are lots of these kinds of videos out there; you name it, it probably exists. Some of them are funny, some are informative, and others (like the one above) are fascinating. Once you see the video, you either end up laughing, or wanting to try whatever it is the YouTuber did (sometimes both).
5. Jenna Marbles
*NSFW due to language
I realize Jenna Marbles isn’t exactly a video genre, though she certainly belongs to a YouTube video type… I just don’t know what to call it. Because of this, I’ve just decided to allow Jenna Marbles to be the representative, because she’s fabulous. You know she recently dyed her hair purple? I’ve never been interested in dying my own hair, particularly not in any strange colors, but on her it looks awesome. She can pull it off.
6. Time Lapse Videos
The time lapse effect makes even the most seemingly mundane things in life look amazing, such as the movement of stars at night, or the sun’s circular path in the sky during the summer solstice near the poles of the Earth. Time lapse videos of science doing its thing, artists creating, and anything that people like to see at a faster pace, are interesting, quick to watch, and totally worth it.
7. Cat Videos
In my opinion, these are probably one of the strangest types of videos to be addicted to. Don’t get me wrong, I love cats — I think they’re awesome. But at the same time, it’s not like I don’t know that they like cardboard boxes and paper, or that they can be fierce enough to beat up their canine counterparts. But for some reason, seeing videos of them being funny or adorable is mesmerizing enough that the compulsion to click o