Here’s some positive lazy Saturday news: a recent study published by Computers in Human Behavior suggests that watching cat videos on the Internet might be good for you.
Entitled “Emotion regulation, procrastination, and watching cat videos online: Who watches Internet cats, why, and to what effect?,” the study is headed by professor Jessica Myrick of Indiana University, who was interested in knowing exactly what her title suggests. A sample of almost 7,000 self-proclaimed cat video viewers recruited via social media was surveyed.
It was revealed that cat owners—36 percent of whom were cat people, while 60 percent owned other pet animals—look and watch more cat photos and videos than non-owners, a percentage of which were dog people. The two share traits of introversion, shyness, and agreeableness.
And the reason why? Apart from the fact that watching is unintentional, the respondents admit to procrastinating via this guilty habit as a way of bouncing back to productivity.
The effect seems to be positive. Participants reported feeling more energetic, hopeful, and content while feeling less anxious and sad (which is what they usually feel before watching the videos).
While results are seemingly convincing, the study also carries a few doubtful methods such as relying on human recall. The study’s conclusion also doesn’t suggest video-watching as medicinal therapy. This also doesn’t mean that other cute, fluffy animals on the net won’t make you feel things.
But hey, admit it. Your weekends are made of this:
Photo courtesy of Youtube