Our wildest dreams have been confirmed and now we can finally justify those hours of watching cat videos. A new study confirms what we've all known in our hearts since our pets hit the web: Cat videos are actually good for your health.
The study was conducted by Indiana University Bloomington, where an assistant professor took an interest in specifically why we all have such an insatiable affinity for cat clips.
“We all have watched a cat video online, but there is really little empirical work done on why so many of us do this, or what effects it might have on us,” said lead researcher Jessica Gall Myrick in a statement, which mentions she's a pug owner. “As a media researcher and online cat video viewer, I felt compelled to gather some data about this pop culture phenomenon.”
While we were all glued to our screens, Myrick interviewed nearly 7,000 study participants about how cat videos made them feel. Among other things, she discovered that after viewing the videos, participants reported feeling more energized and positive, they had fewer feelings of anxiety and depression, and cat videos offered a welcome reprieve from work or studying.
“Even if they are watching cat videos on YouTube to procrastinate or while they should be working, the emotional pay-off may actually help people take on tough tasks afterward,” added Myrick.
The best part? The study reportedly raised $700 for Lil Bub's Big Fund for ASPCA. So there you have it. Cat videos for all!
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Photo: Mike Bridavsky/www.lilbub.com
