Your productivity levels are about to take a nosedive. On Tuesday, BuzzFeed, otherwise known as ADD central of the already ADD-prone Internet, unveiled a new app called BuzzFeed Video, which, as one might guess, is a compilation of some of the site’s best videos for your quick-viewing pleasure. Debuted at Mobile World Congress, the app is almost painfully simple — but it may just be the lack of bells and whistles that makes Buzzfeed’s content as a whole so easy to consume. So buckle up, friends — you’re about to accidentally watch an inordinate amount of clickbait.
Effectively a running feed of some of BuzzFeed’s most popular videos, the app opens to a selection of most-watched footage, and auto-plays as you stop scrolling to check things out. Once you start scrolling again, the video pauses and you’re free to continue roaming. The two sections of the app include the trending feed and an original series compilation, which lets you take a deeper dive into some of Buzzfeed’s original serials. But let’s be honest — we’re mostly just here for the one-offs.
Available today for download on both iOS and Android, this latest announcement seems to be part of BuzzFeed’s plan to dive into the burgeoning video market, which is currently dominated by players like YouTube and (perhaps to a lesser extent) Facebook. To date, BuzzFeed seems to have depended significantly on other social media platforms for content dissemination — this exploration into a native app will certainly be a first for the site. But if it works, it’ll certainly be a testament to the popularity and viral nature of its content.
Already, the LA Times reports, the vast majority (70 percent) of BuzzFeed’s views come from smartphones or tablets, so they’re certainly digging in the right area. So if you ever need to kill time, you know what you need to download.
