Why We Watch Reaction Videos – The Psychology of Shared Experiences and Loneliness
Have you ever found yourself stuck in the endless loop of reaction videos on YouTube? This article explores the psychology behind reaction videos, why we keep watching them, and how shared experiences can reduce feelings of loneliness.
The other day I discovered an artist I had never heard before, with an incredible song and video: Ren – Hi Ren. After watching it once, I clicked on a reaction video. Then another. And another.
Before the evening was over, I had heard what a soldier, a suicide survivor, a professional musician, a goth, a guitar teacher, and a pastor all had to say about the same video.
I found myself watching with them. Crying with them. Exploring the human psyche with them.
Then it hit me. The shame.
Part of me still feels that reaction videos are one of the most questionable forms of entertainment. People building content on someone else’s creative work. I listened to the song at least fifteen times that evening, but only one of those views actually counted for the artist.
There was also something uncomfortable in realizing how much I relied on others to validate my own reaction. As if my own perspective was not quite enough.
That feeling stayed with me. But a few days later, I started asking myself: why do we watch reaction videos in the first place? Why do we get stuck in that loop?
Then it clicked. The Together Effect.
When I sat there with my phone, I wasn’t really alone. Someone else was there, watching the same video, reacting to the same moments. We were moved by the same lines and impressed by the same brilliance. In the absence of a physical friend, I had found digital ones.
And that is the psychology behind reaction videos.
We don’t just watch for the content. We watch to feel something together.
Research supports this. A recent report, The Goosebumps Effect by Stockholm Live, shows that shared experiences increase wellbeing, strengthen our sense of hope, and make us feel happier.
It is not only about the moment itself. When we experience something together, our emotions synchronize. Sometimes even our heartbeats align. The boundary between “I” and “we” begins to dissolve, creating a sense of belonging.
It turns out that it is not about where we meet, but that we meet. That we direct our attention toward the same thing. That we feel something at the same time.
This is why we keep returning to reaction videos, live events, concerts, and shared moments of any kind.
We are wired for shared experiences.
So yes, I might still feel a bit guilty when I click on another reaction video. But now I understand why.
It is not because I lack taste.
It is because I don’t want to feel alone.
And when I see it that way, it is hard not to feel proud.
Proud to be part of creating experiences that bring people closer together, even when they are not in the same room.
Patrik Eriksson Creative Producer
