Surely between electoral result and result, you have found out about the "news" of the moment on social networks: the famous video "Despacito" has been ousted from its YouTube leadership. Is now Baby shark who takes all the merits becoming the most viewed in the history of YouTube. But what does this children's montage have to make it so addictive? Why does it act like a real drug for the little ones? And why doesn't it come out of our heads once we hear their song for the first time?
The new leader of YouTube
Until now there was an undisputed king when it came to talking about the video most watched on youtube and no, it was not about any of Our channel El Output -wink, wink. The person in charge of holding such a title was none other than the video clip of "Slowly", the catchy summer song by Luis Fonsi that we have all heard over and over again and that ended up accumulating enough views to make history on the platform.
At this point we thought it would be impossible to seize the throne, however, no one counted on the tireless motor of the smallest of the house and the song that has all infants going crazy -well, and parents too-: Baby Shark.
The nice one video aimed at children, just over 2 minutes long, has won first position and is currently accumulating a whopping 7.066.451.398 visualizations in Youtube. An astronomical figure for this video that shows some adorable sharks and some children at the bottom of the sea dancing and singing a song that even those who do not have descendants know. The opinion of the parents is unanimous: the video is a real drug for the little ones who can spend hours watching it. But, what does it have to get hooked like that?
The science behind Baby Shark
The fact that Baby Shark does not get out of your head after listening to it for only a few seconds or that it has all the little ones so self-absorbed has a more "logical" explanation than it seems. The melody that hides behind, as explains en The Daily Beast and collected en GizmodoES a while ago, it's very simple, which helps make it catchy, memorized very quickly and easy for everyone to hum. So are the letters: are basic and easily "relatable" to each other.
This means that especially the little ones can easily associate them with music, generating an attractiveness in the composition that increases dopamine in the child's brain, something that gives him pleasure and makes him like it so much. Come on, the song is created to be extremely catchy for the little ones.
El rhythm it also influences and helps this success. Valorie Salimpoor, a neuroscientist explains that “[…] fast music targets the trunk and other systems in our brain and has the potential to stimulate dopamine systems involved in movement. [...] Synchronizing movement with rhythm patterns can also be very pleasurable because it involves the formation of predictions.".
As if that were not enough, there is another more vital variable in the case of YouTube videos: the images. The colors and brightness used in the video clip are especially captivating for the little ones and the fact that children participate helps to create more hook.
Come on, the video has all the ingredients to be a huge success and it's in sight. It is already internet history. There is nothing.