Mr Beast is YouTube’s top earner as young Brits rush to become online stars
A study of 2,000 adults found 29 per cent would give up their current career to become a successful full-time online star like Mr Beast (pictured above) who earned $54 million from YouTube last year.
Of those polled, seven in 10 regularly use social media accounts and spend an average of two hours a day scrolling. But this doubles to four hours a day for 18–24-year-olds.
When it comes to posting, the typical adult does so twice a week on average, with 18–24-year-olds sharing content four times a week.
Top reasons for wanting to give up their job and become an online streamer include being their own boss and controlling their schedule (45 per cent), getting creative (41 per cent) and sharing a passion with others (37 per cent).
And a quarter admit they’d do it to feel famous, while 30 per cent believe it would be stress-free.
A further 27 per cent think their life would be easier if their full-time job entailed creating social media posts.
The research, commissioned by Logitech for Creators, found more than half believe great online content can lead to a successful career, inspired by the likes of Dr Alex George, KSI and PewDiePie, who are among the nation’s favourite creators.
A spokesperson for Logitech for Creators said:
“Social media has allowed millions of people to set up careers virtually – whether creating and sharing videos, images, advice or selling items, it’s an accessible place for anyone anywhere to do what they love.
“Content creators have managed to make a career from their digital talents but there’s a lot of time, effort and high-tech products that go into shooting a video for YouTube or simply posting an image on Instagram.
“It’s important that anyone who wants to make being a content creator a reality – and there are lots of them by the looks of the results – has the right tools to get them started, it will really help them stand out from the crowd if their content is of a high-quality.”
The study also found the barriers that hold people back from having a career in social media include wanting to keep their life private (39 per cent), not knowing where to start with creating content (28 per cent) and not having enough followers currently (22 per cent).
The survey follows the news that Jimmy Donaldson, the 23-year-old American better known as MrBeast, was YouTube’s highest-earning content creator in 2021, according to Forbes.
His elaborate stunts have generated more than 10 billion views on the platform and earned him $54m (£39m). He has overtaken 10-year-old toy reviewer Ryan Kaji, who has topped the annual list for the past two years.
Together, the 10 best-paid YouTubers made a combined $300m (£218m) in 2021, the US magazine estimated. Jake Paul is in second place, his first appearance in the top 10 since 2018, and his brother Logan also returns after being absent since 2017.
For more information on how to apply for Logitech For Creators go to www.logitechforcreators.co.uk.
