why are we attracted to movies where random people win large

Yesterday, thousands of Sydneysiders flocked to the Opera House to watch the world’s most popular YouTuber, Mr.Beastgive away ten cars, mostly luxury ones.

In addition to those who could drive, there were also a lot of children in the crowd who decided to sit in the sun for hours so they could watch others Win prizes.

These fans knew what to expect. MrBeast, whose real name is James “Jimmy” Donaldson, built his brand on massive giveaways and contests that award ordinary people great riches. 290 million His videos have a enormous YouTube subscriber base, and their views quickly climb to 100-200 million, generating income from advertising, sponsorships, and merchandise sales.

MrBeast videos often take on unique challenges to win prizes. Other times they do nothing: charity films – or recording yourself donating huge sums of money to the homeless – this is a huge trend on the Internet (and it has rightly raised eyebrows) ethical worries).

The question is Why Do so many of us love watching this content when we don’t get much out of it ourselves… or do we?

Watching victories gives you a sense of victory

When people around us are content, it spreads. Scientists call it emotional contagion. This idea suggests that people tend to “catch” other people’s emotions and replicate them.

And as you may have noticed, people who receive huge gifts are usually very content. Watching the participants laugh with joy after winning so much money because they can transfer naturally curled the lips of most viewers.

Another reason MrBeast’s content is so popular is that it gives us something to talk about. Studies show that most of our conversations are about our experiences and personal relationshipsWe apply our memorable experiences to fuel quality conversations that then deliver social capital.

Who can forget the times that MrBeast recreated Squid game in real life? And who could resist telling others about it? There’s a reason this video has had over 600 million views.

In another video, MrBeast challenged 100 people aged between 1 and 100 to democratically eliminate each other over several days until a winner emerged. The production used 300 cameras and a huge team of crew and editors to cut it down to a 40-minute extravaganza.

Most of MrBeast’s videos are very extravagant – costing millions – and completely fresh. They arouse surprise and admiration, which helps explain why they are so popular to watch and widely available.

Want a Lamborghini? You better be working

Although some of MrBeast’s videos show him just giving away money According to people, his latest videos often require participants to take on various challenges.

Yesterday’s competition at the Opera consisted of playing a game cornhole (in which participants aim objects—usually bean bags—at holes cut in a tilted board.) Eventually, a man named Sergio walked away from desirable Lamborghini for 450,000 Australian dollars.

In one recent video, a participant named Alex was offered $10,000 USD (about $15,000 AUD) for every day he survived alone abandoned grocery storeUltimately, he lasted 45 days and walked away with $450,000 ($675,000 AUD)

There are several reasons why people enjoy watching others “work” for a reward. Most people, for example, have mighty sense of justice and they want to believe that people get what they deserve. They believe in “a fair world”.

When we see someone win something by overcoming a challenge, it feels more deserved and fair, which makes watching them win more satisfying. For example, on day 13 of being stuck in the grocery store, Alex managed to create a working shower out of raw grocery store parts. Who could argue with that kind of creativity?

People are also drawn to the tension and narrative arcs that naturally emerge from overcoming such challenges. Scientists call this narrative transport – the idea that people mentally enter the world that a given story evokes.

As the contestants strive to win, we learn about their lives and values, which keeps us engaged and involved as we await the solution. For example, on Day 30, we meet Alex’s wife and two youthful children and discover his true motivation for continuing the challenge.

A win-win solution?

While there is little direct research on the effects of this type of content on us individually, these films raise some intriguing issues.

For example, could watching too much of this content give you unrealistic expectations about reality or even make you frustrated with your own situation?

The allure of MrBeast content is its life-changing potential, but that’s far from the reality for most people. Studies have shown that focusing on wealth and costly things can lead to negative effects on mood, motivation, and general well-being. And teenagers are with increased risk.

At first glance, MrBeast’s videos might suggest that you or I can get opulent quick. In reality, however, MrBeast started his YouTube channel when he was 13 years venerable – and has been working more or less tirelessly ever since.

Its success reminds us that we create our own experiences of the extraordinary.