Sites like YouTube have fuelled the rise of viral videos.
A viral video is an Internet video clip that becomes popular not through centralized publicity (like a blockbuster movie) but through sharing between users. Viral videos may be created completely unintentionally or may be deliberately created in the hopes of garnering publicity for an endeavour, cause or product. It is the viral spread rather than the makers' intent that makes a video viral.
The Meaning of "Viral."
The term "viral" in the context of Internet videos refers to the spread of the video through contact between users. It does not have anything to do with computer viruses. A viral video is spread when users pass the link on to each other. Viral video links can be emailed between users or shared via social networking sites and Internet message boards. Dedicated video sharing services such as YouTube can also spread videos virally.
History
Viral videos predate video sharing sites. They go back to the mid-1990s. An early viral video was the Dancing Baby animation. Appearing in 1996, this was a computer animation of a diapered infant to which users added music. Another example was the All Your Base Are Belong To Us animated .gif; this was based on a Sega game that featured badly translated English and spawned an Internet craze around the year 2000. YouTube launched in 2005, enabling users to share videos more easily.
Reasons for Popularity
Videos may "go viral" -- become widespread through sharing -- because people find them amusing; examples include the "Star Wars Kid" video and some animations. Videos of surprising or unusual events and activities such as stunts or accidents may also go viral; examples include footage of Allan McNish's Le Mans 2011 crash. Videos with appealing subjects such as children or animals may go viral, especially if the subject is behaving in an unexpected way; examples include 2011's "barking cat."
Celebrity and Cyberbullying
Viral videos have made celebrities of some, such as the UK's Geriatric1927. The negative side of Internet celebrity is the potential for severe harassment of those seen as figures of fun. The so-called "Star Wars Kid" suffered severe bullying and ostracism after bullies found a video of him playing at being a Jedi and uploaded it onto the Internet. Bullies have been known to video themselves harming others and upload the footage, which may then become viral.
Education and Awareness
Viral videos can be educational. Examples include 2007's "Battle at Kruger," an eyewitness wildlife video; and Oxfam's "pregnant breakdancing" video where a flash mob of women, dressed to appear pregnant, breakdanced to highlight the dangers of giving birth in developing nations. A dedicated YouTube-style website for educational videos, "TeacherTube," was set up in 2007.
Publicity
Commercial enterprises may create viral video campaigns to advertise products or services. Examples include Harcos Laboratires' "10 Second Zombie" videos, created to advertise novelty snacks and beverages. Political campaigns may use viral video, for example 2007's "I Got a Crush on Obama" video. Viral video can also be used to spread negative publicity, as when a disgruntled Comcast customer uploaded footage of a technician who'd fallen asleep on his couch.
Tags: between users, viral video, Viral videos, Examples include, examples include