Images and videos from domestic cats – one of the most viewed kinds of content in the Internet , in particular, are extremely popular macros [en] in the genre lolcat . ThoughtCatalog calls cats “the unofficial talisman of the Internet” .
The topic attracts the attention of scientists and critics trying to figure out the reasons for the cult popularity of such a “low” art form. This may seem frivolous, but through the Internet content with “cats” people really interact with the media and make a cultural exchange . According to some researchers, the best examples of such a seemingly straightforward content have depth and richness, in addition, it has a positive psychological effect comparable in effectiveness to real pet therapy.
Individual cats, such as Angry Cat and Lil Bab , have gained popularity on the Internet due to their unusual appearance.
Psychology
Jason Eppink, curator of the exhibition How Cats Captured the Internet at the Moving homemadefunnytube.info Image Museum , notes the “prominent role” of cats on the Internet . Wired Magazine notes that the “tenderness” of cats would be a “too simplistic” explanation of their popularity on the Internet .
In a scientific study, it was found that subjects felt happier after watching videos with cats. Researchers commented on this as follows: “If we want to better understand the impact that the Internet can have on us as individuals and on society, then we can’t ignore cats anymore” , “consumption of cat-like media content deserves attention” . The Huffington Post suggests that viewing this kind of content at work is a form of procrastination, employment self-illusiowhile IU Bloomington believes that “[this] is more than just relaxation; it helps to increase energy and positive emotions, reduces negative feelings ” . The BusinessInsider website claims that “this is consistent with the results of studies on the effects of animals on humans” . In 2015, researcher Jessica Gall Meyrick discovered that people are twice as likely to post a cat’s photo or video on the web as selfies . In addition, it was found that people who watch videos with cats feel more energetic and positive after watching .
Maria Bastillos believes that the video with cats “crystallizes everything that people love in cats”, with their “natural beauty and grandeur” in “one tiny step to complete humiliation”, as a reflection of the human condition . When Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web, was asked to name a popular use of the Internet that he did not foresee, he answered “cats” . The 2014 newspaper publication claims that feline unselfconsciousness, which is so rare among people in the era of hyper- observation , is attractive because it allows you to imagine the “possibility of freedom from observation”, it creates a sense of the ease of observation and control by the authorities. Time Magazinealso considered cats to be “secret spies” .
The Cheezburger Network believes that cats are a “perfect canvas” for human emotions, as they have expressive faces and bodies. Mashable notes “catlike” wit, charm, popularity among geeks, spontaneity, personality, and the fact that dogs simply lack “all of this” as a possible explanation for the popularity of cats on the Internet . A study called ““ I Can Haz Emoshuns? “- Understanding Anthropomorphosis of Cats among Internet Users” found that Tagpuss, an application that shows the user an image of a cat and then offers to describe their emotions, “can be used to interpret cat behavior, which is usually people do not understand ” .
Jason Eppink, curator of the exhibition How Cats Captured the Internet, explains: “People on the Internet post cats more often than another animal, because it is a kind of perpetuation of oneself. This becomes a self prophetic ” . Blogger Jason Kottke believes that cats are “easier to objectify” and therefore “easier to make fun of” . Journalist Jack Shepard suggests that cats are more popular than dogs because the dog is “trying too hard”, the dog’s playful behavior looks like an attempt to check the owner. Feline behavior, according to Shepard, “is cool, unplayed, devoid of any concern about what you think about him. This is art for the sake of art ”.
Cats have historically always been associated with magic and revered in various cultures. The ancient Egyptians worshiped them as gods and the inhabitants of Ancient Japan were afraid of them, considering them demons, such as bakeneko . Vogue Magazine suggested that the popularity of cats on the Internet is a phenomenon specific to a number of cultures – for North America, Western Europe and Japan. Representatives of other nations prefer other animals: for example, Ugandans exchange images of goats and chickens, Mexicans often “fast” lamas, among Chinese Internet users, images of river crabs and dirty grass horses (Grass Mud Horse) are popular because of the double meaning of their names, allowing circumventing state censorship. Although cats play different roles in different cultures, cat content will become more popular on social networks everywhere in the world, according to a scientific article on cats in German, English, Italian, and Russian-speaking media.