Usually, it’s to show their reaction to something like a new product, enticing us to know more. But despite understanding this, the photoshopped image is, at best, annoying and, at worst, looks like clickbait.
Why do all YouTube thumbnails look like this? And even though no one likes them, why does almost every creator still uses them? In this article, we’ll find out all of this and more.
Introducing the YouTube Reaction Face
It’s called the YouTube reaction face, and you might recognize it instantly. On the thumbnail image of a YouTube video, there will be a screenshot of a face with wide eyes, a mouth open, and a shocked or quizzical look. You might also see large, bold text, question marks, and arrows.
In its early days, the trend of showing an image like this was a clear sign that the video was clickbait. The thumbnail promised a lot of intrigue, but the content wouldn’t live up to the hype generated by the dramatic image. Despite this, the trend continues to this day, even though both audiences and content creators find it annoying to look at.
Is It All Just Clickbait?
The problem is that this kind of thumbnail is great at making us click on a video to watch. But despite it starting as clickbait on the internet, that doesn’t mean that the majority of videos now aren’t genuine content.
One way to think about it is to imagine different levels of “clickbait,” as this YouTube video by Veritasium explains. On the one hand, you have true clickbait thumbnails that trick us into watching something that isn’t worth the hype. While on the other, an interesting title and attractive thumbnail set reasonable expectations for what we are about to watch.
The hard part nowadays is figuring out who strikes the right balance. Everyone from the most famous YouTube stars to your wholesome family-run channel use this style of thumbnail to make their videos look attractive to us.
Do YouTube Thumbnails Increase Viewers?
Many YouTube creators will swear that having a reaction face thumbnail does get more people to click on the video. It’s certainly a huge part of the equation for creators who want to get their hard work and passion out in front of people.
Since YouTube metrics were introduced, there are now real-time tools to see how many people view a video thumbnail versus how many people click and watch, also called the click-through rate (CTR). This gives creators hard proof that some thumbnails, like the YouTube reaction face, do far better at getting us to watch a video.
The YouTube Algorithm Likes Catchy Thumbnails
The YouTube algorithm is another reason why the reaction face thumbnail continues to persist, whether we like it or not. The best chance a video has of being watched is if the thumbnail is shown on the recommended video list.
A high click-through rate and a stylized, attractive thumbnail help creators get their video on the suggestion list, which gives any video a chance to be seen by many people. So there is a real incentive for YouTubers to stick to using this thumbnail.
If you want your favorite YouTube channel to stop using the YouTube reaction face to “game the system,” sadly, there isn’t much of an alternative. YouTube is the largest video hosting platform out there. Sure, there are many alternative video sites to YouTube, but none of them have been able to topple YouTube’s position since it was founded in 2005.
Who Is Responsible for YouTube’s Thumbnails?
Since most people use YouTube to watch, share, and upload videos, it looks like we’re stuck with the annoying reaction face thumbnail, at least for now.
But who is ultimately responsible? Are content creators the problem? Or YouTube’s algorithm? Or are we the ones to blame for clicking on the thumbnails in the first place?
In reality, YouTube creators design these thumbnails because they can genuinely help their videos attract more people, which is something they work very hard to do. And as for the rest of us who subscribe and watch YouTube videos, it’s hard to ignore thumbnails that entice us in, whether it is potential clickbait, or not.
It’s so ingrained in the way YouTube works now that you can create a thumbnail using Canva with a template in this exact style.
At the end of the day, there is nowhere else as popular to go to watch your favorite videos. So as long as people keep using the YouTube reaction face in thumbnails, we will probably keep clicking on them.
How Do We Make YouTube Thumbnails Less Annoying?
Although we may feel powerless against the YouTube reaction face, there are things that we can do.
If you use the YouTube platform, let your favorite content creator know what you think of their thumbnails. They may not be aware that they are going overboard with the reaction face. After all, they want to provide their audience with the best viewing experience.
On the other side of the fence, if you are a content creator reading this, try to vary your thumbnails, so they don’t all look the same. Someone who views your channel homepage shouldn’t just see your face on every video preview.
You can try mixing thumbnails with a more minimalist approach by only featuring an image of the product or using an image that has a pleasing pattern instead. Roughly one reaction face for every four videos is a good compromise.
Finally, if you don’t want to succumb to posting reaction faces on your YouTube thumbnail, you don’t have to. A simple title and a well-composed photo are enough to create a good thumbnail.
The YouTube Thumbnail Explained
The YouTube reaction face won’t be going away any time soon. They are an effective way to get us to click and watch a video, and the YouTube algorithm gives creators plenty of incentive to stick with this model.
But if you want to help change the way YouTube thumbnails look, make sure to let creators know just how annoying it is to see the YouTube reaction face all the time. As for all the creators that are brave enough to reject this trend, we applaud you. Seeing a little less of these thumbnails makes us feel a bit better.
