The first thing I see when walking into my local corner shop is a cardboard cutout ofMr Beastand a display featuring all of his Feastable chocolate bars. They’re an excessive £3 and it feels like we’re crossing a bizarre internet threshold as the world’s biggest YouTuber appears in cardboard form before me, ready to flog some mediocre confectionery. Jimmy Donaldson earned his spot as the world’s biggest YouTuber and is now likely one of the richest people in the world, all because he gamed the algorithm and threw so much at the wall until something finally stuck.
From there, it was off to the races, whether he was recreatingNetflix’sSquid Gamewith almost zero irony or healing the hearing of thousands in the name of views, everything he does is made to attract the most attention in the smallest amount of time possible. He’s admitted that himself in several videos, talking about how even his thumbnails and intros are made to prioritise immediate attention over entertainment. It isn’t about creating good content anymore. It’s instead cold, calculated, and cynical.
Related:Being Encumbered In Starfield Nearly Ruins The Entire Game
You can’t argue with the man’s work ethic, and he’s raised millions for worthwhile causes thanks to his constant philanthropy and willingness to put money back into making videos and the world in which he resides when governments and systems refuse to stand up and help. It shouldn’t be up to a YouTuber in his twenties with more money than sense to heal the world’s problems, but here we are. I don’t think this would be a problem if Donaldson hadn’t made clear his ambitions are to keep making great videos no matter the cost, effort, or form they inevitably end up having. To him, it’s a business, a competition, and a rapidly growing empire that could go anywhere.
When YouTube was founded almost two decades ago, the platform wasn’t intended to be anything close to what it has devolved into. Those who garnered success in its early days did so by being themselves. Larger than life let’s players like PewDiePie and JackSepticEye grew from timid gamer boys to individuals millions would come to look up to because they gained confidence and came to recognise their own charisma. This inevitably resulted in merchandise and business deals, but it still felt like the profits were second fiddle to the content being created ; the honesty required to maintain an audience without flying too close to the sun. We know what happened to PewDiePie, but JackSepticEye remains a beloved voice in the space who still plays games and interacts with fans to this day. All while flogging his coffee too.
JackSepticEye came under fire by Mr Beast earlier this weekafter saying during a lie detector test that he believes Mr Beast ruined YouTube. He admitted to not liking him and that the corner of YouTube he has carved out has done massive damage to the platform by making it all about money. As a consequence, influencing millions of young viewers that this is what you should strive to become. It wasn’t long until Donaldson hit back and claimed he would roll with the punches and be a bigger man by not acknowledging such an outburst of beef, despite doing exactly that on his Twitter timeline.
Both creators are splintered by a generational divide that couldn’t be more stark, and Jack’s view on Mr Beast is more than justified when you consider how all of his content not only revolves around money, but trivialises its existence and teaches people to put that above all else. The act of giving away thousands and healing medical conditions is wholesome on the surface, but daring to dig even the slightest bit deeper reveals an incentive to do it all for the content, as heartfelt reactions are used to attract views and only build this empire into something more and more overwhelming. The end goal is money and success, which some people want in life, but when YouTube can be used for anything, it’s disheartening to see that its biggest player is all about getting rich.
Economic stunts and emotional cheap shots like this are favoured by algorithms and push Mr Beast to the top of everyone’s feeds, to the point where a once humble YouTuber has become a thriving icon for brand deals, potential imitators, and those who are trying to predict where the online world will go next in the wake of his success. It breaks my heart to learn that the next generation of YouTubers will follow in his footsteps and likely already believe that making money is the reason to chase a career or dream like this, and not to capitalise on your own inherent creativity and desire to build a community. I am not Mr Beast, so I can’t speak to his overall intentions, but it’s hard not to view his desire for money as a hollow motivator for a channel that is bleeding life out of the internet despite its many victories.
JackSepticEye was onto something, because YouTube sure isn’t the same now Mr Beast rules the roost. If anything, it points towards an uncertain future where a once freeform platform bows to the rules of capitalism.
Next:It Turns Out Disneyland Is The Perfect Place To Sell A Trading Card Game
