The odd appeal of absurdly long YouTube videos that play nothing on purpose

The video’s title is, for once on YouTube, pretty straightforward: “24 hours + of pure black screen in HD!” Leaving aside the questions about the difference between standard- and high-def pure black screens, the video does what it says on the tin. Hit play, and you get more than 24 hours — 24 hours, one minute, 27 seconds, to be exact — of black screen and silence. It’s like turning off your computer, without turning off your computer.

This video has 40.2 million views.

The first time I watched it, I assumed there was a joke or a Rick Roll or something in there somewhere and watched an upsettingly long time to find it. Nothing. So I figured it was a bit. Fun meta-commentary about the drivel people choose to watch! Most commenters seemed...

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