From when I've used them in the past, the issue is the difference between looking in the general direction of something and using your eye like a joystick that jumps around if you happen to glance a little to the left or right.
Just now I moved the mouse to hover over "Reply" while I was still reading the comment. It was close enough to where my eyes were focusing that I could put the pointer over it, but I never looked at it directly. I've noticed this kind of cueing behavior in screen recordings many, many times over the years. I'm sure most people do it without thinking.
