Together with
The Future. MrBeast’s videos increasingly involve competitions that reward people with cash for surviving difficult experiences. While the winners receive life-changing amounts of money, the rising popularity of this entertainment suggests that many Americans may see no other way out of crippling debt.
Squid reality
MrBeast’s recent content entertains by providing individual solutions to a larger problem.
- The YouTuber’s most recent video awarded two strangers $185,000 each for spending 100 days trapped in a room together.
- He’s also given people cash for surviving in a grocery store or fighting each other. He even did his own (non-lethal) version of Squid Game.
- Demand for MrBeast’s money and content is only rising. US student debt has tripled since 2008, surpassing $1.77 trillion, and over 100 million Americans struggle with heavy medical debt.
Life or debt
MrBeast isn’t doing anything wrong — he’s helping people. But if unpleasant contests thrown by the rich are Americans’ best shot at a debt-free life, systemic solutions aren’t working. Improving them might be more productive than supporting the contests.
Wouldn’t it be nice to get health care without having to suffer for it?
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