By Kevin Chen
“WHAT’S UP, YOUTUBE?! TODAY WE ARE GOING TO BE GIVING MONEY TO HOMELESS PEOPLE. BE SURE TO LIKE, SHARE, AND SUBSCRIBE!”
Charitable acts have become an increasingly popular form of content on media platforms like YouTube and TikTok. Content creators leverage their platforms to make a meaningful impact for people in need. Philanthropy is something that should be celebrated, but there is something about this phenomenon that just rubs many people the wrong way.
Understanding the basics
Effective altruism is inherently utilitarian in character. The theory of utilitarianism seeks to create the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people. If someone has an excess of something, then it would provide more overall happiness if it were distributed to those in need.
In the case of the charity content creators, they are distributing an excess of wealth to those who are less fortunate. However, this is not a strictly one-sided relationship: those behind the camera also have things to gain from sharing their actions online. In most cases, the amount of money content creators give away is only a fraction of what they make from the video. Some creators also make these videos solely for the sake of exposure.
Per the online science magazine Greater Good, we can define altruism as "when we act to promote someone else’s welfare, even at a risk or cost to ourselves.“ If we go strictly by this definition, then charity content wouldn’t be altruism in its purest form.
But does it have to be?
Our society seems to have the idea that charitable acts ought to be kept private. I believe that this notion originates from the teachings of virtue ethics. Virtue ethics—originating in the West with Aristotle—deems an action virtuous if we are acting for the sake of that virtue and not for some other reason, such as satisfying a desire. To be clear, not all content creators film charitable acts for the sake of personal gain; some do it to inspire a community.
However, we do need to come to terms with reality and accept that not all content creators are as virtuous as others. But does that really mean that we should be unhappy when someone helps others for their own personal gain?
Understanding the criticisms
One of the main criticisms of publicizing acts of charity is that the recipient is being used as a prop to make the donor look good. The recipient often isn’t in a position to refuse help and would have no option other than to receive help.
However, I believe that this criticism is a result of imposing our own ideas on others. If we put ourselves into the recipient’s shoes, life-changing assistance could be invaluable and outweigh any amount of embarrassment.
A famous YouTuber, MrBeast, caught some flak for a video entitled, “1,000 Blind People See For The First Time,” in which he pays for the surgeries of these people and films their reactions. Many people feel uncomfortable watching him publicize people’s reactions in their most vulnerable moments. However, I would counter that it would only be concerning if they showed signs of discomfort. It’s easy to pass judgement on the actions of others, but are we actually prioritizing the well-being of the recipient by criticizing the process? If we truly want to empathize with people, we need to, first and foremost, understand their perspective.
Another criticism of charity content is that "photogenic" good deeds aren’t the same as efficient good deeds. Giving $100 to the homeless would make for better content then donating $100 to a food bank, but a food bank can provide more support and we can be assured that the money is being used for the correct purposes. We all know the saying “If you give a man a fish,” right?
This criticism is absolutely valid: there are indeed better ways to help in many of these situations—but should that detract from the help that is being given? Helping someone in need is nonetheless a good deed, and it is often better helping than not.
Conclusion
It is easy to raise a pitchfork and be enraged about things that are happening online. The anonymity of the Internet has enabled many of us to voice our opinions without consequences. When we make an opinion about something, I beg that we think for ourselves instead of voicing what we believe the mob would say.
The current situation around charity videos is clearly imperfect. Instead of getting angry about petty issues, we should appreciate the good that is being done.
Kevin Chen is a sophomore at CT State Tunxis.
Vector art by J.I. Abbot based on a photo of MrBeast by Steven Khan. Original photo approved for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
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