Easily one of the most accessible forms of distraction for the average college student, the… Easily one of the most accessible forms of distraction for the average college student, the ever-growing trend of viral videos is the perfect way to jumpstart your brain after several hours spent staring at a textbook.

Although online videos have been around since most of us were in middle school — remember that awful “Badger Badger Badger” song or Charlie and his finger-biting habits? — 2010 has yielded some of the best videos in recent years.

With a rise in comedy troupes releasing sketches online, anything from the gender role-swapping Harvard Sailing Team to The Second City’s Sassy Gay Friend’s trademark “What, what, what are you doing?” is likely to pop up in daily conversation. Even initially non-funny videos can make the rounds on YouTube with some artful Auto-Tuning, the best example being — does it even need to be said? — Antoine Dodson and the Gregory Brothers’ “Bed Intruder Song.”

But how can we explain the viral-video phenomenon? John Lyne, a professor in Pitt’s Communication Department, attributes the success of viral videos to our generation’s “social networking habits,” or the ability to share anything online with just the click of a few buttons.

“When YouTube came along, it opened up the possibility of easily sharing videos. It became a big part of our culture with astounding speed. One day we will be able to exchange holographic virtual realities, and that will be amazingly transformative,” Lyne said.

Another draw might even be the few moments of fame a good Internet video can garner. With the likelihood of getting an agent and actually becoming a big name in the entertainment business as slim as it is, the idea that you could throw together a clever video and, within a few hours, get some attention on the Internet is a big draw for some people, Lyne explained.

“I do think fame is a part of the appeal,” President of UPTV Josh Demaree agreed. “Hearing that Antoine Dodson made enough money off of The Gregory Brothers’ ‘Bed Intruder’ song that he was able to buy a house and move his family out of the projects is a modern day rag-to-riches story. And it all came from the attempted rape of his sister. I think that is the appeal for people to post their own videos in hope that they become viral.”

Both Lyne and Demaree agree that fame is part of the allure for adding a video, but there’s a different kind of appeal for the average YouTube patron. Ben Mayer, host of Pittsburgh’s Friday Nite Improv, attributes trends in viral videos to the competitive nature of social networking.

“I think some of the appeal of YouTube and things like it are that people know they may be catching the “next big thing” before their friends see it. There is a sense of discovery when you find a video on YouTube that is hilarious and that your friends haven’t seen. It is fun to share it with other people and kind of take side credit just for being the first among your friends to find it,” Mayer explained.

Regardless of your taste in comedy, there will always be something for everyone on YouTube, whether it is a video of a cat playing a piano or an Auto-Tuned Mel Gibson rant, there’s bound to be something out there that will make even the biggest Debbie Downer crack a smile. Let’s just hope that 2011 will turn out a video funny enough to get the refrain of “hide yo kids, hide yo wife” out of our heads.