Computer Science
Document Type
Article
Abstract
Reaction videos (RVs) are surging in popularity, emerging as a distinctive facet of participatory culture on modern social video-sharing platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch. This study aims to explore not only the motivations and engagement patterns of viewers towards RVs, but also the underlying nature of the virality and community-building phenomena that this sub-genre of video content fosters. We conducted 16 semi-structured interviews with individuals who identified as regular viewers of reaction videos to gain a deeper understanding of how they discover reaction videos (RQ1), the values that drive their motivations for viewing RVs (RQ2), and the ways viewers engage with RVs (RQ3). Our research highlights the variety of original content that RVs utilize, ranging from movie trailers to music releases, and the different engagement strategies viewers rely on in their consumption of RVs. Our research highlights the wide range of original content that RVs engage with, from movie trailers to music releases, as well as the diverse engagement strategies viewers employ when consuming RVs. Our findings highlight the significance of emotional connections with reactors, the value of communal experiences centered on shared interests, and the role of RVs in facilitating content discovery and critique. Drawing on viewers’ experiences with RVs, this work offers a behind-the-scenes perspective on the complex dynamics of spectatorship and its influence on the production and consumption of content in today’s digital landscape. We further contribute to a nuanced and comprehensive understanding of reaction video culture. © 2026 Copyright held by the owner/author(s).
Publication Title
Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction
Publication Date
4-2026
Volume
10
Issue
2
ISSN
2573-0142
DOI
10.1145/3788078
Keywords
reaction video, TikTok, YouTube
Repository Citation
Okyere, Rodney; Bautista Isaza, Carlos Augusto; Pyon, Jaehoon; Ogbonnaya-Ogburu, Ihudiya Finda; Niu, Shuo; and Lee, Sang Wong, "Watch Me Watch: Reaction Videos as a Social Form of Online Video Engagement" (2026). Computer Science. 248.
https://commons.clarku.edu/faculty_computer_sciences/248
APA Citation
Okyere, R., Bautista Isaza, C. A., Pyon, J., Ogbonnaya-Ogburu, I. F., Niu, S., & Lee, S. W. (2026). Watch Me Watch: Reaction Videos as a Social Form of Online Video Engagement. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 10(2), 1-28.
Cross Post Location
Student Publications
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
