The internet may have begun its life as pretty much just text on the screen, but things have developed considerably in the years that have passed. The web has become more colourful and engaging, and it’s all the better for it. If you’ve been using the internet recently, you’ll have noticed that there’s been a big rise in video content. Indeed, did you know that video is responsible for 80% of internet traffic? It’s true — and that’s a trend that’s only going to increase in the years to come. 

So how did we get here? Let’s take a look at some of the key reasons behind videos’ rapid rise to the summit.  

Streaming Devices In Our Pocket

People may have always wanted video content. The problem was that our devices just weren’t capable of video streaming. It’s unthinkable that an old Nokia would stream videos, of course, but it’s not just dumbphones that couldn’t handle cat videos and the like. The earliest smartphones didn’t exactly offer a seamless experience, either. Today, even the cheapest smartphones are powerful enough to stream videos — and with more people owning smartphones than ever before, it’s no surprise that video has grown in popularity.

The Rise of YouTube

Of course, you can’t want something if you don’t know it’s an option. It’s odd to think about now, but it wasn’t all that long ago that the average person would have had a difficult time envisioning what streamed content would look like. 

Thankfully, three people — Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim — did have this vision. They created YouTube, which is one of the world’s most successful and most visited websites. This site opened up a world of possibilities for video content to take over the world, allowing users to upload their own content or stream videos from other creators.

Fun Fact: 500 hours of content are uploaded to YouTube every minute!

Everything Moves Online

The internet didn’t just bring about new opportunities for video content. It also allowed historically offline activities to make the shift towards video streaming, too. In the olden days, people would, for example, visit a real-world casino or have to make do without visiting a casino at all. But in the digital age, you’ll find sites like Wildz, a real money online casino where card dealers live streams hands in real time. Even things like bird-watching have made the jump to video streaming, with many sites having a permanent camera set up at bird hotspots.

Social Media Shifts

If the world’s biggest websites prioritise videos, then it’s natural to think that video will rise to prominence. And indeed, that’s just what’s happened, especially on social media sites. Instagram may have begun its life as a photography website, but take a look at your timeline today, and it’ll be around 85% video. The website has done this because of the rise of TikTok, which has shown that people love consuming video content. 

A Natural Progression of Internet Use 

The shift to video has happened in part because of shifts in the content that websites push. But it’s also due to a natural progression of the internet. With so much content out there, web users are always looking for the most engaging way to consume pieces of information. And there’s no medium better for that than video. There have been plenty of studies that show that attention spans are decreasing due to the internet. That could be a good or bad thing, but there’s one thing that’s undeniable — video offers the perfect solution for people who don’t want to (or can’t) stomach long-form content, such as a whitepaper.