I enjoy some of it when people are given good interview questions and you’re able to learn about cultures and people you otherwise would never meet. One of my favorite videos is some Pakistanis trying American chili for the first time. Their immediate reaction was to call it “curry,” which is hilarious because yeah, it kind of is. They even compared bread rolls to flatbread they use to eat curry with. It was just a really unique perspective on something seen everyday.

But most react content is just people making the soyface for the thumbnail, not commenting on anything, then telling you to like and subscribe. It’s low effort. It’s all about developing parasocial relationships with the audience so the “creator” can pretend to be your friend. They never have anything insightful to say or discuss, just making dumb faces.