These YouTubers Are Creating Something Out Of (Literally) Nothing
Why are people watching this? Let's explore the possible reasons. GiphyNews that is entertaining to read
Subscribe for free to get more stories like this directly to your inboxThe trouble with maintaining a typical YouTube account, or keeping up with any creative endeavor, is that it requires coming up with content on a regular basis. But there’s a strange subset of videos that have racked up millions upon millions of views by showing viewers absolutely nothing.
Like, actually nothing
Some of these videos feature a countdown clock or some other tedious graphic, but a number of them make clear the fact that they consist of nothing but a black screen. One title boasts that its display is “in HD,” though we hope that’s a tongue-in-cheek description.
So why has that video, which runs for more than 24 straight hours, received 40 million+ views?
On the surface, a super-long video featuring no audio and only a black screen seems like a silly gag. And judging from some of the comments, that’s how a lot of people are taking it.
“The story, the characters, the acting is a masterpiece!” one viewer gushed. “Especially at 1:23:53, where dark acted as the void, is just so beautiful.”
But there are some potential benefits. As another viewer wrote: “I keep this playing overnight so that my laptop doesn’t shut down while downloading games.”
A history of long videos
While a black screen is an extreme example, there are many other types of videos that last many hours and have received tons of views throughout YouTube’s history.
Some are silly, like a 10-hour stream of a goat’s duet with Taylor Swift.
But there are some cases where you might want something playing on a day-long loop, for example:
- Background noise to help you go to sleep
- Soothing music when you leave a pet at home alone
- A fireplace scene to set your home’s winter mood