Millionaire Youtuber Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, received criticism for his video released on Jan. 28, in which he helped 1,000 people get cataract surgery to help them see, and that is a travesty.
The Youtuber, has been getting mixed reviews from internet users over the video, with some of the negative reviews coming from people who see his video as “performative altruism.”
Jenna Ryu from USA Today wrote, “The video has sparked a conversation about the ethics behind good deeds. Some accused the creator of exploiting participants in the video by funding their surgeries for personal gain and content, rather than genuine altruism.”
Internet users have exposed themselves as being too cynical. Donaldson helped 1,000 people get surgeries they couldn’t otherwise afford and their eyesight improved because of it. There is nothing wrong with helping people with cataracts publicly.
One Twitter user wrote, “There is something so demonic about this and I can’t even articulate what it is.” It is worrisome that people can watch a video of someone helping people get surgery and be so cynical that they see it as “demonic.”
Not all of the criticism was about Donaldson himself. Some critics think that what he did was great, but it exposes a problem with healthcare.
One of these critics is the Twitch streamer Hasan Piker. “I watched the video and I’m filled with rage that we shut off access to a 10-minute procedure because we paywall it and decided that some people just can’t get it. It is so insanely frustrating that it is up to, like, one Youtube guy to decide and make content out of it, that people who are too poor just can’t f***ing see,” Piker said in one of his streams.
While it is terrible that many people cannot afford this surgery, it is a good thing that Donaldson made his video. Donaldson is making the best out of a terrible situation and should not be criticized for helping people. His video brings awareness of cataract surgery to people who were unaware, and now they can make donations to help others.
Maroosha Muzaffar from The Independent wrote, “In the video which has at least 68 million views, Donaldson said he paid for patients to get the eye surgeries and filmed their reactions after the operations. He also interviewed Jeff Levenson, an ophthalmologist, and surgeon he worked with, who said, ‘Half of all the blindness in the world is people who need a 10-minute surgery.’”
Donaldson’s video should be commended, not criticized. Bringing awareness to surgeries that are beneficial to plenty of people who would not be able to afford them is admirable.
The cynicism of people online is deeply concerning. Hopefully, these people can be more trusting of compassion and glorify it.
The videos that Donaldson makes are inspiring and show that there still is kindness in this world. They have the potential to restore faith in humanity and in the world. These videos are needed because other people will be inspired by them and pay the message forward. They are not worthy of criticism.
Nico Brazill can be contacted at
nbrazill@kscequinox.com
