Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, is a 24-year-old YouTube phenomenon with six different YouTube channels and around 103 million subscribers across them – 63 million of those are on his main channel, which is where he reaches the most people.

His journey to YouTube stardom is littered with examples of his generosity and philanthropy. In 2022 alone, it’s estimated that he gave away around $3.2 million to subscribers and members of the public featured in his videos, as well as a $2.5 million jet and a private island.

He's also started initiatives to plant 20 million trees around the world, clear up 30 million pounds of trash from the ocean, and gave away around $1.3 million worth of chocolate from his brand Feastables in just ten minutes.

Basically, he's known as a good guy on the internet. He’s someone who’s intent on funnelling much of the money that he makes from his fame back into his videos, to his fans, and to the planet – that is until he cured 1,000 people of their sight problems.

Suddenly MrBeast's content wasn't about giving people the chance to win $500,000 by being the last to leave a circle or giving 456 subscribers a chance to take part in a non-lethal, real-life version of Squid Game to win $456,000. It was about people's health, and their ability to afford to maintain it.

The video – which amassed 56 million views in just two days – showed 1,000 people being given access to $3,500 cataract-removal surgery, gifting them their vision back in as quickly as 15 minutes. Receivers of the surgery were paraded on the video, showing them seeing their families for the first time in years, given whole college funds, and of course MrBeast’s trademark Tesla giveaway.

But the whole thing felt out of touch with viewers, many of whom called out the videos' insensitive nature. The healthcare system in the US is unaffordable for many – in fact, 112 million people in the US have trouble paying for healthcare – and the backlash to the video shows that audiences are increasingly likely to question the motives, morals, and the monetisation status of online content – especially when the subject matter is so delicate.

While distrust in traditional sources of authority is well documented, the wariness around performative altruism online is a symptom of a world in which people are quick to call out insensitive acts. And as scientists speculate that altruism is an essential part of people's social instincts, clickbaity content created for clout is being put under the microscope.

The line between genuine generosity and performative online altruism is becoming blurred. People are increasingly aware that the swathes of feel-good online content flooding their feeds are more algorithmic than authentically altruistic, and there's a growing concern about the murky side of aggressively charitable content.

TikTok is flooded with videos of content creators gifting strangers presents, paying for their groceries, or straight asking to borrow money only to give the lender significantly more in return. While on the surface these videos might seem like charitable acts, the clout and exposure that their creators receive online are monetised – for every charitable clip that goes viral someone is profiting from it.

People featured in viral clips are speaking out about their distaste at being used as veritable clickbait for someone else's gain. Much of the backlash directed at MrBeast was accusations that the YouTuber was exploiting those that did not have access to, or simply could not afford, the surgery and healthcare services that he provided.

In stepping away from his usual silver-briefcases full of cash and Tesla giveaways and veering clumsily into the world of people’s health, MrBeast found himself at the centre of the debate around the dangers and true intentions of online altruism. As people question his ethics and reasoning, society is waking up to the downsides of supposed charitable giving.