Big challenges, big prizes, can promote materialism.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Products & Purchases
a lot
Videos consistently include sponsorships and product placements, which are usually disclosed at the beginning or end of the video. Although he gives away money and prizes, which may seem generous, there's also a very heavy emphasis on materialism and money. As is commonplace with the YouTube platform, the channel's videos are regularly interrupted by ads during playback which don't account for age-appropriateness. MrBeast also has many products, like chocolate bars and toys, he promotes on his channel as well.
Violence & Scariness
some
The channel mostly avoids explicit violence. MrBeast and his friends sometimes engage in dangerous stunts and activities, such as the destruction of property with fireworks and flamethrowers. The channel's challenges and contests include being buried alive, swimming with sharks, stealing money from a stranger, and staying in a maximum security prison. All these activities are actively encouraged by the participants, many of whom win prizes for engaging in such behaviors.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Themes of generosity and teamwork are present in the intention behind many of MrBeast's videos, but these themes can sometimes get lost in the over-the-top antics. Many of his videos center around giving back to community through gestures like large donations, surprising strangers with gifts, or funding charitable projects. Some of the philanthropy and generosity is taken away by the fact that it's all being filmed, which makes it seem performative. This may inspire viewers to think about the impact of their actions and the importance of helping those in need, but it's clear that MrBeast has the money to do all of this, so it's not attainable for everyone. A lot of the stunts promote the idea that going to extremes is necessary to get attention.
Positive Role Models
some
MrBeast, aka Jimmy Donaldson, is seemingly committed to charitable giving, as many of his videos center on giveaways and charitable donations. He often involves his friends and team members in his videos, showing their camaraderie and teamwork. His intention may feel questionable since everything he does is filmed and is part of his brand. There's also a high priority put on extreme stunts and materialism.
Diverse Representations
very little
MrBeast is a White man. Some of his guests are women, people of color, and people of different gender identities and sexualities. There's not a high priority placed on showcasing diversity in a significant or impactful way. A lot of his philanthropy content and many of his videos highlight the idea that you need to be rich to make a difference or give back to community. A lot of emphasis is put on money and could push viewers into valuing money over anything else.
Parents need to know that MrBeast is a YouTube channel featuring exciting challenges, fun stunts and huge giveaways. It's widely popular channel, especially with kids and teens and MrBeast (aka Jimmy Donaldson) has expanded his brand outside of YouTube into toys, candy bars and more. The channel promotes positive messages such as generosity and kindness through showing MrBeast's philanthropic work. Most of the featured videos involve giving away large sums of money or expensive items, which can teach the importance of helping others. But parents should be aware that there's a high level of materialism and ad placement in the videos as well. All of the generous giveaways are on camera, which can make them feel performative. There are usually sponsors for these giveaways as well, so there's product placement all over the place, including MrBeast selling his own products. Most of the content is family-friendly, but some challenges and stunts involve risky situations that younger viewers -- or even teens -- could be influenced by. Overall, MrBeast offers fun and generous content that can inspire positive values, but parents should be mindful of the materialistic themes and the potential for risky scenarios.
Jimmy's videos are always so interesting. I never get bored. There's zero language, and the videos are so well made it could be considered TV. He invests thousands into his videos sometimes millions to make a good video, 14+ and above is insane, I would say 9+ is good.
This channel flipping (sorry Jesus) s*cks and is not for not children. The channel contains too many p*d*p*i*l*s and lots of bad language that is not good for our society and our children. Even though I might be going to he-double hockey sticks for my language in this post, I believe that Jesus will forgive my sins for spreading the word.
What’s It About?
MRBEAST is a YouTube channel focusing on giveaways, contests, and challenges. Jimmy Donaldson aka MrBeast offers subscribers the chance to win thousands of dollars in elaborate challenges that test their moral or psychological fortitude. In addition, many videos see MrBeast putting himself in risky situations, such as getting buried alive and being hunted by a bounty hunter. These scenarios are played for laughs, with music, sounds, and on-screen captions to complement these stunts. The videos are known for their high production value, exciting premises, and engaging storytelling.
MrBeast has been and continues to be a fan favorite on YouTube and beyond. From his animated video thumbnails, to his extravagant stunts and challenges, Jimmy Donaldson knows how to draw his audience in and keep them, and most of this audience are kids and teens. On the surface, this channel is great, it combines the fast pace kids and teens love, with the messages of generosity, giving back to community, and teamwork that parents and caregivers would want them to learn. Unfortunately, those messages can be heavily buried underneath the overwhelming amount of materialism, product placement and advertisements flooding the videos. This channel is better than a lot of what's out there on YouTube and overall the content is family-friendly, so if your teens are watching MrBeast, you may just want to check in on their awareness of advertising and making sure they're not copying any of the more risky stunts.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way MrBeast gives away money and prizes. All of his efforts seem kind and generous, but does filming them take away from that? Often times someone presents themself one way on their channel, but can be different in real life. Can you find examples of how MrBeast does good in the world when the camera's are down?
MrBeast likely taps into the same fan base who enjoyed the TV show Jackass and the movies that have followed. Why is stunt-heavy content featuring outrageous behavior so popular? How do you know if something is safe to try at home or not?
Talk about how giving back and helping others is a positive message. What ways can you and your family help others in your community.
Why do you think MrBeast includes sponsorships and advertisements in his videos? What do you think about the impact of advertising and how it influences what we watch and buy? How can we push against this or think critically about advertising when you see it.
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Robert Yaniz Jr.
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
