Beatbox reaction videos are the new trend.

We’ve all seen the suggested video of a dude holding his hands above his head, jaw wide open, and a few ? emojis littered around the thumbnail. And if you’re like me - you’re also guilty of clicking on it.

Grandpa reacts. Aunt reacts. Bald middle-aged man…...reacts.

There are thousands of these videos floating around the web and are undoubtedly becoming a trend within the YouTube space. So, what’s the problem?

Well, it’s complicated.

Before we dig in, let’s see where it all started.

What are reaction videos?

Reaction videos are simply videos of people reacting to a popular video and documenting it. According to knowyourmeme and my frequent visits to eBaumsworld as a kid, reaction videos gained popularity via people scaring their unsuspecting grandmothers playing an innocent maze game where a creepy face pops up and screams so loud that it could easily pop an eardrum. It was a combination of this and people reacting to the weird generation where “2 girls 1 cup” was a thing.

Don’t google that.

Reaction videos have gotten so big, it’s become an accepted phenomenon within the YouTube space. So much so that even the New York Times wrote about it. And let’s not forget the Fine Bro’s infamous attempt at trying to copyright the video format.

Beatbox reaction videos

People are reacting to almost everything - from movie trailers to viral videos...so does that mean beatbox is finally becoming mainstream?

Yes, I do like to think so. Just looking at the numbers, popular beatbox videos are now reaching over a million views. Some even tens of millions.

This is a valuable opportunity for any YouTuber who’s trying to get their name out there. Beatbox content has been fairly underground and untapped for years now, so being one of the first people to jump on the opportunity and expose it to a larger audience is always enticing.

What’s so good about reaction videos?

The intention of beatbox videos is to record genuine reactions to noteworthy content. Seeing the grandma jump out of her seat from a scare video is genuinely funny because we all knew it was real.

In the same light, seeing someone discover beatboxing and being blown away by the art form gives us a sense of appreciation. It’s awesome seeing new people see what we’re all about.

It’s just like getting one of your best friends into watching the Beatbox Battle World Championships with you or when you convince a friend to come out to an event. You want to introduce them to new beatboxers, new sounds, and new videos.

There’s nothing more exciting than sharing our lifelong passion with a stranger - let alone someone we care about. And plus, the more, the merrier.

What’s so bad about reaction videos?

See, when reaction videos started out, they weren’t for the views. The intention was to share a funny moment with the world, and nothing else. Now, it seems like people are riding the beatbox hype train to gather subscribership.

I don’t want to take away anything from those guys out there who genuinely enjoy beatboxing. There’s absolutely nothing wrong that. We wholeheartedly encourage that more than anything.

It’s just those who proudly upload click-baity thumbnails with no substance to their content.

Reaction videos are changing

With mass adoption to anything, the quality of said thing will always go down. If you’re sitting in front of a camera, intentionally, and you title your video with the keyword ‘reaction,’ you’re promising the viewer a substantive reaction.

I personally don’t think a single drop of the jaw or raised eyebrows is substantive enough to qualify as original content.

How reaction videos can improve

Reactors, what we would like to see is more creative interpretations to what you’re watching. Tell us what you’re feeling.

What questions do you have? What amazes you the most? What don’t you like?

All we want to see is more substance.

There’s a fine line between creative interpretation and stealing content. When there is no actual interpretation to what you’re watching, you’re taking someone else’s hard work and profiting from it. That’s not cool.

Please, at the very least, credit and link to the creator. It’s the least you can do!

Which reaction videos should we watch?

That being said, there are plenty of actually funny and creative reaction videos out there. We’d love to see which ones to check out. Please let us know in the comments below what you think!

Until next time, Humanbeatbox family!