I feel like this is an 'aging out of the internet' moment for me, but I have to ask;

What is with the videos you get online now, where there's some random person's head in the corner sort of nodding, or shaking their head, or wiggling their eyebrows or something? Sometimes the picture flies around the screen for apparently no reason. I do not recognise the people, they are just there. In the corner. Silently judging with their eyebrows.

Initially, I thought they were going to start signing, but nope. Just sitting there. Doing facey things

@Teaceratops Normally this is because you're getting the video secondhand from a "reaction channel".

If their opinions are sufficiently quiet, they can completely replace the original.

@Craigp hang on. I'm trying to wrap my head around this.
Instead of making their own content, these people just stick their own head on other videos, and run it through their own channel, and just sit in the corner, making faces, just to get views? Adding nothing? Commenting on nothing? Just... Check out my wiggly eyebrows?

Not as a joke, as 100% serious? It's not some comedy skit I don't understand?

@Teaceratops @Craigp

Most "reaction videos" include at least some commentary -- sometimes after the video they are commenting on.

@TerryHancock @Teaceratops I haven't found that to be the case, I find there are loads of people who repost some else's video while nodding along.

@Craigp @TerryHancock yep, this has been my experience also. The only time I've seen the floating head talk is when it's been a doctor or nurse or paramedic explaining that you should absolutely not do the thing in the video.

@Teaceratops it's the TikTok era's laugh track.