RedditWe're not sure if this should make us worried or proud, but strangers on the Internet have come together once again for another worldwide web event—The Button.
On April 1, Reddit released a new subreddit simply titled The Button, and it's sole purpose was to see how long people can wait before using up their one click. You see, the button is accompanied by a 60-second timer, and users have to see how long they can let time run out before tapping on The Button and resetting the timer back at 60 to obtain some flair.
"If you just want to press the button but don't care about flair please either wait for it to get as low as possible or press it as close to 60 as possible. So that other users can try to let the timer count down to lower numbers. So far our record is 35 seconds," the subreddit thread explained.
The concept is so simple it's complex, because why?
Why does The Button exist? Why do people care so much? Why is it taking over the Internet? Why is society so fascinated that they can't wait to press it? Should we be worried about this? Should we stop talking about it? Should we give it a rest with all these questions? OK, OK.
While we may not have all the answers, the root of The Button's intrigue is simple—it's the mystery. What happens when time runs out? Nobody knows, but it's a fact that it will, at one point, inch it's way to zero with nobody left to click and reset the timer. And what happens after that will either blow people's minds or make them feel dumb for caring so much (we're gonna bet on the latter).
Nearly 700,000 participants and counting have sacrificed their click on The Button to keep the timer going, and its creation has inspired songs, a short mockumentary, a program that charts its progress and even some conspiracy theories.
So what will The Button ultimately reveal? Only time will tell...literally.