The internet has seen many changes in the 21st century. Cable has slowly been phased out, movie theaters continue to decline, and the rise of streaming and social media have forever changed how people view entertainment. Among the greatest of these historic changes is YouTube, which has allowed for everyday people to create their own original content. One man in particular has managed to climb to the top of the YouTube ladder through a combination of extensive research, hard work, and chance, and that’s Mr. Beast.
Mr. Beast is the YouTube name of a 25 year old from North Carolina named Jimmy Donaldson. Donaldson started his YouTube channel a number of years ago, and has managed to become one of the most popular YouTubers alive due to his strategy which focuses on two pillars. The first pillar is sensationalism. Mr. Beast’s videos are over the top, funny, and most importantly, spectacles. He has managed to orchestrate incredible feats within his videos such as creating a real-life squid game to even being buried alive for 50 hours. The purpose of these stunts is to show viewers something that they thought wasn’t possible. Mr. Beast wants to push the limits of what is possible and these larger than life videos are the perfect way to do it. In a world where attention spans are ever decreasing, Mr. Beast manages to capture the attention of many.
The second pillar that Mr. Beast utilizes is charity efforts. In many of his videos, he shows various philanthropic efforts to help others. He has donated millions of dollars to important charities such as Ukraine relief, helping the poor in Africa, and providing meals to underprivileged North Carolina families. However, what really helps Mr. Beast is how he randomly gives massive sums of money to people who engage in his challenges. This creates the “Mr. Beast effect” where people think they can win money and be a part of something.
Overall, Mr. Beast has been a massive influence on the YouTube world. His videos prove that ordinary people can rise to become quite popular and that through a certain uniqueness, any person can do something great.
