By Arpita Aneja and Ashley Ross
You see it on your newsfeed, your Twitter account, even sometimes through email from an older relative: a video that suddenly has millions of views. What is it about that video of a cat playing the piano or a man falling off a ladder that makes the Internet go crazy? Well, there are lots of reasons, but here are just 5 elements of a video gone viral.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Cybersecurity Experts Are Sounding the Alarm on DOGE
- Meet the 2025 Women of the Year
- The Harsh Truth About Disability Inclusion
- Why Do More Young Adults Have Cancer?
- Colman Domingo Leads With Radical Love
- How to Get Better at Doing Things Alone
- Michelle Zauner Stares Down the Darkness
Write to Arpita Aneja at arpita.aneja@time.com