The purpose of this project is to explore “virality,” which we define as the tendency of some media to spread widely and rapidly across the internet via the network effect of social sharing. Some media are particularly well suited to achieve virality; memes, GIF’s and short form video are small in size and easily shared despite potential bandwidth or other technical constraints and their content is often hard to police in less forgiving environments due to the ability to “code” their text and graphics.
TRENDS IN VIRAL CONTENT
Identifiable: The internet has created audiences free of the bounds of reach of traditional media. Viral content transcends these boundaries because relatability makes content easily identifiable. It is for this reason that spoofs of viral content also go viral—there is already an invested, interested audience.
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Spontaneous: Viral content has the reputation for being a spontaneous, unplanned form of content that gains its own momentum. The power of the unexpected can move content to great heights because it stands out amongst the crowded social media landscape.
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Creative: Everyone has the ability to be a content creator, so the possibilities are endless. Creativity encompasses more than just a novel idea; it's about carefully curating content for mass audiences. Viral content has become a social currency, as a mean of displaying originality.
Inspiring: It's impossible to know what the future holds. Feel-good stories are appealing because they make people hopeful for the future. Motivational and inspirational content crosses demographic and geographic barriers.
Genuine: Don't believe everything you see on the internet. Genuine content is hard to come by, which is why it's a common quality of viral content. Activating high levels of emotion, whether positive or negative, increase the likelihood of people sharing.
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Funny: Laughter is a universal language with universal appeal. What makes humor so valuable is the lack of necessary spoken or written language; visuals are enough to tell a story.
Informational:
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