The Rise and Fall of Online Quizzes

Taking fun quizzes for entertainment or life advice has a longer, more varied past than you might think.
Do NOT try to drink every time I say the word quiz in this video, or you will soon end up taking quizzes in the afterlife.
My Patreon: / dreamjelly
My Twitter: / dreamyjellies
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
FAQ:
Q: What sound effects do you use?
A: Mostly bits from Animal Crossing GC & NH, and Sims 3
Q: What background music do you use?
A: A lot of stuff from the Sims Bustin' Out, Sims 2, and Urbz GBA OST. Also mixed with Club Penguin, more Animal Crossing, and various DS game OSTs
Q: What editing software do you use?
A: Davinci Resolve Studio
Q: Who is that kid in all your thumbnails/why do you use him?
A: Brent Rambo, a kid from a silly meme for my silly channel :3
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
0:00 Intro
1:25 History of quizzes
2:59 Evolution of magazine quizzes
5:26 Introduction of online quizzes
8:09 The rise of BuzzFeed
11:50 The decline of BuzzFeed
13:38 Marketing and data mining
17:54 Outro
19:15 Patron shout-out

[@iamobsessedwithshadowsight]

When I was like eight I’d take “which Warrior Cats character are you” quizzes probably made by other eight-year-olds and thoroughly examine each answer to guess which one would give me the result I wanted and get upset if they didn’t give me one of my favorite characters 😭

[@S3V3R3DH3AD]

I used to do the exact same thing but with Creepypasta quizzes.💀

[@terriblecacti]

and if you got the wrong one you'd take it over and over again with increasing anger until you got your fave and you'd be like "omg i knew it!!" LOL

[@iamobsessedwithshadowsight]

@@terriblecacti BAHAHAHAHABAHAA YEAH

[@nitely2345]

@@terriblecacti then that moment when it gives you the same answer no matter what choices you made 😂 classic

[@8erru]

@@nicthemasterclown1974 they said when they were 8 but ok

[@marniemoon1740]

I still remember taking a “what victorious character are you” quiz when I was like 7 and when I got Sinjin I shit you not I threw my tablet across the room 💀

[@elbowsbuns1896]

Lmaoooo

[@Jade_West2010]

One time I got Vega somehow. Idk why I didn't get myself.

[@Saphiera270]

SINJIN?!?!?!! no u got violated 😭

[@moonie6368]

fair enough

[@LazyRittz]

such a sinjin move tbh

[@tj465]

When I was 11 I took a quizilla "What's your soul song?" quiz and was given Landslide - Fleetwood Mac. I took it way too seriously but weirdly now 14 years later, I actually really have related to the song and used it as a comfort over all those teen years. So thanks random quizilla person, you changed my life in a small but super specific way

[@captaincaspian42]

So you would repeat the song over and over... making you afraid of changing? Cause you built your life around it-

[@xAmerhax]

I took one that said I was Elephant by Tale Impala. It first introduced me to Tame Impala and still listen to that song every now and then

[@thanatoast]

That's your Stand now lmao

[@clairemacphee4273]

i remember some of the quizilla quizes got so insanely creative too, like basically using the quiz format to write a choose your own adventure story. i ate that shit up age 11 lol

[@bhaalpriestess]

Flashback to me at 10 frantically googling "Am i gay quiz" and taking every one

[@IceePhoenix]

I'm surprised quotev and uquiz weren't mentioned in this video. Quotev was where I grew up taking "am I bi, straight, or gay" quizzes when I was 10 even though I didn't know what any of those words meant and kept getting bi as a result (spoiler alert: it was true). Uquiz is where I got all my personal life advice from, like "hey you, gifted kid, GO DRINK SOME FUCKING WATER AND TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL PROBLEMS FOR ONCE!" after I was pyschoanalyzed and where I shared fun quizzes like "which aesthetic are you?" with my friends. Also even though I hate JK Rowling, I grew up taking pottermore quizzes all the time

[@Nymphxology]

omg i used to post harry potter fanfic, good times.

[@captaincaspian42]

Made my shitty pottermore account my entire personality in 8th grade 🫡

[@Nymphxology]

@@captaincaspian42 oof

[@pewdiepierulesxD]

quizilla turned into quotev they just changed the name (:

[@coatimundi69]

assigned bisexual by quotev

[@pikitat]

As a kid, I used to take every single "What kind of dragon are you?" quiz I could possibly find online. I was always upset at the answer because I didn't want to be JUST a water dragon, I also wanted to be every other kind of dragon at once

[@spacebassist]

Lol, whatever you say water-breather

[@captaincaspian42]

Same I wanted to be an ice and nature dragon XD

[@Camp_Half_Blood_Is_Here]

Main character energy lol

[@Localbisexual]

I have a vivid memory from my childhood where I was hanging out with my big sister and taking buzzfeed quizzes for fun. I did a "how are you feeling right now" quiz and got "horny". I didnt know what that meant as a child but when I tell you my sister closed out of that tab SO FAST

[@chaoticdusk7076]

Quotev was my life blood when I was younger. I loved taking the "Which supernatural creature is your boyfriend" esk quizzes, especially because they'd sometimes write you a whole little one short featuring your new bf. There was also fanfics and original stories on the site. Overall I just loved doing the quizzes on there and still occasionally pop onto my old account to check out some old favorites.

[@pastelshadows6437]

I have so many memories of Quotev! Mainly the fanfiction and fandom quizzes, I would scroll anime quizzes from series I liked for hours when I was bored lmao

[@mynameskris]

i loved quotev.... so many good memories of me doing fuckall.

[@skylerdevinraleigh3447]

oh quotev was my tween life

[@pizzaandpillowforts]

I loved Quotev!! My best friend and I have a lot of memories from the Undertale/FNAF/etc. fandoms on there in around 2016 lol, cozy happy memories there :) I remember my silly account there living on pretty long and lots of my equally silly acquaintances there, over-the-top profiles and all. Sometimes it makes me miss the simplicity of being a dorky kid running rampant on the internet, but it's equally bittersweet seeing how far all those people have likely come since then.

[@hailey7018]

I definitely had a Buzzfeed quiz phase. I remember my friends and I being particularly obsessed with spirit animal quizzes for some reason

[@mx.menacing]

As a furry that hits hard 😅

[@Faloser]

I beat the impossible quiz about 3 months ago, and with playing earlier in flash's hayday, I remembered most of the questions up to 50. Even with that advantage, though, the game still took me like 6 hours to beat. After I won, I didnt think "I finally did it!", I thought "thank god its over"

[@Pollicina_db]

What did you get in the end?

[@Faloser]

@@Pollicina_db A trophy that says "ur winner"

[@lindaemon]

The wave of nostalgia that hit me upon seeing the Quizilla logo oh my goodness. I wish they’d left it up somewhere in archives, so much of my 10yr old anime fanfics were on that site. xD

[@jeffreyprater]

Same here! I haven’t thought Quizilla in like 15 years. I spent soooooo much time on that site…

[@Meiliina]

Oooh, the fanfics! All the anime pics and "7 minutes in heaven with Akatsuki" and which mental disorder are you quizzes. It was wild!

[@randomtinypotatocried]

I recall at the time since my sexuality was a "mess" I ended up taking a bunch of the quizzes on the site to find my sexuality. Of course it was right after taking a bunch of quizzes for "7 minutes in heaven" for a bunch anime series I was into

[@abbystarheart1]

Some quizilla stuff is available on wayback machine if you remember your username!

[@Gallant_Silver]

quizilla is where i first learned the term "drabble" lol

[@westvirginiascoolestcanadian]

my favorites are always “build an outfit/wardrobe and we’ll tell you (blank)”. i never cared about the results i just really like fashion.

[@themonsterwhisperer]

I wish I could turn into spaghetti.

[@ebibubblesart5843]

it is possible, but extremely unlikely! “In astrophysics, spaghettification is the vertical stretching and horizontal compression of objects into long thin shapes in a very strong, non-homogeneous gravitational field. It is caused by extreme tidal forces and black holes.”

[@sofiachristinaa]

@@ebibubblesart5843 no like actual spaghetti

[@JalizJay]

@@ebibubblesart5843 you waited all this time to use your degree

[@snackyberry]

Same

[@swampfire6600]

​@@ebibubblesart5843 wait so the tides can turn you into spaghetti?

[@NoahClevinger]

I always look forward to your videos on Saturday! You’ve become one of my favorite channels.

[@dreamyjellies]

That's really sweet, thanks! Always nice to see you in the comments :D

[@Ur_mom86]

I do too

[@lenadams854]

@@dreamyjellies 7:56 honestly, I have a hatred for their creator. They... had used "the word" on one of their deviantart works, if I remember correctly.

[@cerealdestroyer1592]

@@lenadams854 wait which word (don't say it just say the first letter)

[@lenadams854]

@@cerealdestroyer1592 r.

[@n0vela884]

I feel like in 2020 we came full circle with the rise of uquiz r, I very much could just be apart of an insane niche that never let go of quiz but from my and my circle's perspective uquiz definitely has become a norm. Very literate quizes that have poetic answers along with character ones that pretty much anyone can make. The Soldier, Poet, King quiz that rolled around Tiktok is a good example. I'm surprised I haven't seen any mention of it

[@ErikaCartet]

yeah, I was curious about the title being the rise and fall of internet quizzes expecting it to really be the rise and fall and rise (again), since uquiz has been super popular and an interesting look in how those quizzes, questions, results reflect the current internet culture contrasted against the age of early internet quizzes

[@heart4uuuuuu]

this video made me do a few quizzes on there 😭 its so fun and i remember using it all the time in 2020-2021

[@MintyMoni]

Yesss thank you Dream Jelly keeping the amazing 2000's internet nostalgia content coming!! I love your videos 💕

[@vaginab0ng]

All we need is an lps vid lol

[@TimoIvvie]

I love your channel! It’s so simple and the use of stock images and music is so good! And it tackles topics nobody ever talks about lol

[@Meiliina]

Quizzilla was so much fun! I had a few good friends there and it helped me learn English, like widen my vocabulary and make me a lot more comfortable using it.

[@GirtheAlienGoldfish]

I miss Quizilla. There were Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic quizzes that were on there that I absolutely loved.

[@guy-sl3kr]

I think sporcle deserves a shoutout for still going strong. Though its quizzes are more about trivia than personality or advice.

[@mooseears9849]

Sporcle is too slow. I prefer Jetpunk even with fewer total quizzes

[@xtremeyoylecake]

@@mooseears9849 Jetpunk is carrying me through middle school rn

[@anjelisabel]

sporcle is legit carrying me through senior year rn lmao i’ve been playing almost every day since sophomore 💀

[@ackton]

i remember when i was younger i would try to quickly beat the impossible quiz. good times

[@catherinesu8145]

Damn I always remember doing those buzzfeed quizzes 😂 Even if they were ridiculous 😅

[@floridaflamingogirl3119]

BuzzFeed quizzes be like "shop at Trader Joe's and we'll tell you your star sign and what Disney princess you are"

[@professorbaxtercarelessdre1075]

same, the funny thing is the more you take them, the more you realize they aren't really trying, which inspired me to write my own at one point, but the whole idea, much like tarot cards etc. is rather silly

[@mayabee955]

I loved Quizilla! I spent so much time on there. First it started off as just quizzes but I quickly discovered the world of Fan-fiction. Good times 😊

[@annas4277]

We used to have our computer in the basement when I was 13, and I remember sitting down there taking suggestive Quizilla quizzes about like "How would your date with Jareth the Goblin King go?" which opened a whole Pandora's box that eventually led to me discovering tumblr and by extension, smut fanfiction. ahh memories

[@schielehands]

Watching your videos gives me the same feeling I got watching things like Zoom when I was a kid. Makes me feel like I'm at Skateland for a birthday party, and the girl next to me is holding cotton candy and excitedly telling me about things she likes. ✨️ And holy crap, the moment you mentioned Quizilla, I was violently assaulted by nostalgia! The hours I wasted on that page! It was ridiculous and I regret nothing. 😎

[@lesliemorganking3283]

I loved the Impossible Quiz. I had a love/hate relationship with it.

[@lenadams854]

regarding its creator, as well?

[@lesliemorganking3283]

@@lenadams854 no.

[@lenadams854]

@@lesliemorganking3283 Well, lemme tell you something. Honestly, I have a hatred for their creator. They... had used "the word" on one of their deviantart works, if I remember correctly.

[@lesliemorganking3283]

@@lenadams854 🙀 thanks for telling me. I didn’t know that.

[@tibbyy]

So glad you talked about the Buzzfeed-Tumblr connection. Buzzfeed really did a great job honing in on their market at the time, and their obscure quizzes really found a way into modern culture as a result of the "so random" angle. Their biggest downfall was actually their inability to adapt to more modern topics, there's only so many times you can make a "choose an ice cream and we'll choose your dog breed" quiz. I feel like it's almost too late for them to make a comeback, because I can't think of anyone who wouldn't be embarrassed to admit they go on Buzzfeed. Great vid as always Dream Jelly ♥

[@darkninjafirefox]

I spent hours on quizilla back in the day, what I loved was that I could read the other possible results to the quizzes. Nowadays the stray uquiz will pop up and grab my attention for a few minutes, they're usual fun

[@MaryDan]

As a teen in the mid-to-late 2000s with an internet addiction, I spent a lot of time on Quizilla - I remember the transtion to choose-your-own-adventure quizzes that eventually led to a 'story' category and the amazing trend of "What do [the characters of this tv show/book series/movie franchise/anime/etc.] think of you? (DETAILED ANSWERS, 32 CHARACTERS, PICS)" which has remained a guilty pleasure all these years later - I don't think that trend ever took off outside of Quizilla but if there are any relics out there I'd love to revisit them.

[@reeses_unicorn]

I used to take online quizzes all the time. xD I'm a Quotev veteran (I've been there, since it was still called Quizazz) and it used to be my life.

[@mc.gemstone]

My favourite kind of quizzes are the ones on Uquiz. Any of the most weirder or chaotic ones that are very oddly specific on a certain thing or can be very creative and funny. I like ones that don't have a normal answer to respond to, those tend to be some of my favourites.

[@swantje154]

I really appreciate your choice of music for your videos :) and love the nostalgic themes in general :)

[@maccamachine]

Damn a new video already nice! You always choose some great topics and stuff from our childhood

[@BarrCode674]

Her voice is sooooo soothing.

[@professorbaxtercarelessdre1075]

i used to use quiz sites and take quizzes myself quite alot, there's something about them i always enjoyed, i even wrote quite a few myself, though i never shared them online just with people i was close to irl, i also just find things like meyers/briggs and other such tests fascinating

[@Eurobeat_fan]

I'm guilty of taking the "Which (insert anime) boy would be into you?" type of quizzes 😭

[@BlueishSkys]

Same 😭 I would retake it if I didn't get my crush

[@emo6577]

The Are You Gay quizzes still get recommended to me by Google sometimes 😅 I don’t know how to tell them “I’ve figured it out! I don’t need this quiz anymore!”

[@TintinFanTintinfan234]

My sister and I were obsessed with taking the character quizzes. We had a notebook filled with all of our characters that we got on the quizzes why we cared so much I will never know

[@bigboybeni]

i wish i discovered this channel later so i had something to binge watch :( i’ve been rewatching your videos to reach my dream jelly quota of the day

[@FederalBurroOfInvestigation]

RIP Quotev for not getting into this video. Also, slightly off topic, but does anyone else remember when that site had forum like groups?

[@eclipseissad]

It still does! I'm still active on that site and you can still make groups. They're just not as popular anymore

[@berryjunmill9029]

omg quizilla makes me feel old 😂 i would always do those degrassi quizzes on there. also where I first discovered fanfiction.

[@starsiadraws]

Your slime video got a shout-out on Scott Cramer's newest video! I hope it brings more people here because your videos are top tier. ♡

[@bimmasheen9001]

Couldn’t agree more! I was so happy when he mentioned this channel. 🎉❤

[@PeterGriffin11]

She referenced him in one of her videos and then he referenced her in return it all came full circle.

[@lylid3257]

happy to see another video from u! scott cramer mentioned you in a video yesterday(ish) which made me happy lol

[@Ohmygodgetalife]

Your channel is criminally underrated. Your topics are always niche and never stale

[@memahselfni]

I remember taking a quiz to see if I was gay, and being so mad when the results came back that I was, indeed, gay. Turns out that quiz had me beat by 5 or so years because later on I realized it was 100% correct lol

[@nightbliss3384]

Man that Nintendo dogs theme ughhh ❤ the memories

[@Alexissff8]

I remember years ago I took a personality quiz, but I had to put my email to see my result. Turns out they used my email to make me an okcupid account. I wasn’t even old enough to be on a dating site yet!

[@randomtinypotatocried]

Bop was a total bop and I refuse to believe otherwise. Also, it was cool Scott Cramer shout out your KZbin channel since both you make some amazing videos

[@PiedmontPerkYT]

I completely forgot about Quotev!! Great video as always :-)

[@Amity-park]

I miss quizilla a whole lot, tbh. But I’d like to say, in the tumblr rp scene it’s been a popular trend to take quizzes, especially from the site uquiz, as the character you’re role playing for fun. I haven’t really seen many sites that have fun quizzes like those other than that.

[@Ozanthium]

Yet again someone giving me flashbacks to the phase I went through when I was a kid where I would spend all day taking Creepypasta quizzes and reading creepypasta fanfiction on Quotev

[@CloudySkiesDesigns]

I never really comment on videos but I just wanted to let you know that you’ve become my comfort youtuber and I always look forward to your new videos

[@gwyniee]

ur videos are everything i could ever ask for!! i love these deep dives on all the nostalgic things i grew up on in the early 2000s

[@The420033]

I love your perspective!

[@hblackburn5580]

Ahh, the days of Quizilla and using proxies in the computer lab to see which Evanescence song truly represents me. (It was Going Under, btw) This has definitely become one of my favorite channels, cause though my old butt is 33, she has a great knack for reminding me that I went from a whimsical and fun childhood, to adulthood where I'm sometimes feeling like I'm hanging on by a frayed thread, lol.

[@pizzaandpillowforts]

I was super active on Quizazz in the years it had become Quotev, and this video was so much fun to watch!! My best friend and I used to call and do quizzes over the phone, finding ones that sounded fun like "Which Creepypasta are you?" or "Answer Some Questions and Get a Superpower" lol, then we would give each our answers while I clicked :) We started doing it again during our calls for a bit in 2020 when the pandemic started!! One fun thing about Quotev is that several of its insanely old quizzes still circulate, so you can take quizzes like that just as easily over there haha. Awesome video, all your stuff is so silly and nice :)

[@firefox12406]

loved the video you have come so far!

[@thorntails]

Just finished the video! Great stuff as usual. I always like the topics you cover.

[@cheystar]

I don’t know why but these videos are calming to me- Keep it up jelly!

[@AdCamelium]

Love how well researched this video is! Very thorough and entertaining

[@symbioticmango]

"but were for anyone who was looking for entertainment or looking to do almost everyone's favorite thing: talk about themselves" so REAL

[@ohhadivist]

Wow quizillia was my life for a while, this brings me back

[@lhumyaki]

I remember taking quotev quiz, a lot were really cool with their results, being basically mini stories Nowadays I like to do a quizz on uquiz when people share it, they can be pretty creative in their questions (quite annoyed i can't check the other results like on quotev tho)

[@melodieferrin3196]

I’m really enjoying your channel! There are so many topics of things that are nostalgic and interesting to me.

[@TaraSuchitra]

You are by far my favorite channel right now. All of your content is fascinating and carefully researched and I appreciate you!!!

[@kittenacademy6248]

I really like watching your videos because its always a topic I had never really thought of, and made me think about it a different way. Thankyou for making these videos, me and my big sister really like watching them :)

[@sooubic]

I’ve been subscribed and watching for a couple months, when the channel was under 30K in subscribers but I’d like to say this is my favorite “whatever” channel on KZbin and I’m glad I caught it early.

[@geniusonyeo]

You're my favourite KZbin commentary/video essays creator! Thank you for all of the time and efforts you put into making all of your videos! They're incredible.

[@fauxhawklad]

Just found your channel, your videos warm my heart. Keep it up!

[@Nooby.]

Just finished watching. Another great video, Jelly!

[@laneatkinson6441]

THE IMPOSSIBLE QUIZ, YESSSS. My brothers and I had a lot of fun trying to figure out (and then memorize) all the correct answers. :)

[@WinterNix]

Ever since I found your channel I've been on a nostalgia binge watching all your videos thank you

[@chaosdestructionlove]

Quizilla was one of the first websites i frequented as a kid holy moly didn't think I'd see someone mention it in a video ever.

[@lauramater4098]

I had totally pushed the Impossible Quiz out of my brain and just got some FLASHBACKS. Impossible meat is such a trend-can we revive Impossible quiz??

[@HarryHarshman]

These videos are always so good, Saturdays get better with these videos

[@visogero3123]

magazine quizzes was such a throwback, me and my friends would bring a bunch of teen magazines and sit in a circle and talk about which option we would take. It’s so nostalgic.

[@psyducklover37]

hi dream jelly, I’ve been watching since I found ur channel in early February (around the time where u just posted the spies video) and ever since then I’ve always been repeatedly watching ur vids

[@mo940]

I love finding channels that abt everything I think abt thank you for your videos

[@HBomb1919]

I love your videos so much! They really itch my brain when I'm trying to play pokemon and need noise to block out any other thoughts :D

[@MelsCakes]

Never going to give you up 😎

[@liamvautier944]

Loved the video hun, keep 'em going!!

[@thefool7621]

i cannot express how enjoyable these videos are :)

[@sageisnotaplant99]

You’re becoming one of my favorite KZbin channels ❤️

[@maimtubeTV]

can't believe you made a video about online quizzes without mentioning uquiz!

[@gaiaowu9862]

this isn’t me trying to throw shade or anything but im kind of curious as to why you didn’t talk about quotev? i really liked how you talk about the technicality behind online quiz places like buzzfeed and facebook but do you think that quotev being a (at least i assume) website where only users make quizzes has something to do with it? i know it’s notoriously known for it’s crazy quizzes and even the occasional fanfic lol. and this convo is open to anyone else who has an input!

[@Allie-theclown]

So glad for another post!

[@henry-sh1zj]

You came back with a banger! ❤ we heart u :))

[@joelstoecklin2418]

Really great video! Thanks Dream Jelly (:

[@mollyt3772]

currently doing a deep dive of ur channel and slightly obsessed… ALSO pls do a deep dive into Nintendo dogs!!! literally my childhood (had to bring it up because of the music!) 💕💕

[@greyyyyyyyyyy]

When I was really young I used to love those magazine quizzes and get upset when I didn’t get what I want. Then at like 10 I used quotev a lot for KZbin quizzes (and fanfics). And when my friends and I were like 11-12 we would always do quizzes for the characters of what shows we liked and then truly believed that we were like those characters. I’ll be honest when I’m really bored I do uquiz and buzz feed ones

[@CelestiasCorner]

@dreamyjellies You playing the Nintendogs, shopping music really gave me a nostalgia. I forgot I had. Thank you. It’s time to get out my DS and check on lucky. Hope he is not dead.

[@BubbleDraws211]

Can you please make a video on Kandi and the nostalgia of the community? I think it would be a really cool and interesting video idea!

[@jeffreyprater]

Your videos are making me feel old. 😢 So much nostalgia from when I was younger.

[@haandotexe]

LONDONS SUITE STYLER YESSSSS- man, i remember playing that game before i could really read all the answers- so i would just figure out which ones got me the cutest outfit

[@ami4705]

I love how in that Harry Potter quiz, it asks you your house but doesn't even have Ravenclaw. Like the person who made the quiz just forgot to write it down

[@heyimsasa]

i had journals dedicated to creating quizilla quizzes. if you looked at it, it was like the "pepe sylvia" meme and people looking at it had no idea how to decipher it 😂😂 i was trying to perfectly curate every question and answer to personalities that my 13-year-old self felt qualified enough to make answers for.

[@risaswonderland1751]

I usually like what character you are or fashion style quiz. I used to take them a lot when I was younger and I still take them once in a while.

[@Alexis.Angelics]

I love your videos. Keep it up! :,)

[@smiley1722]

I love your videos dream jelly! The nintendogs music too!

[@KatIoannou]

That’s where I heard that from! I couldn’t place it. Thank you 😁 I loved Nintendogs!

[@Rivers_TG]

I remember taking quizzes on UQuiz during my 3rd semester of senior year simply because there was nothing else to do💀 I took the "which character from this series are you" quiz, and I still take them sometimes just for fun. Like, just recently my hyperfixation has been Hazbin Hotel, and I've gotten either Angel Dust or Husker as an answer lmao.