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YouTuber MrBeast Helps 1,000 Blind People See Again by Funding Cataract Surgeries

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Viral YouTuber MrBeast paid for 1,000 people, who were blind or almost blind but could not otherwise afford cataract surgery, to have their vision restored. The 24-year-old is known for his large donations and philanthropic stunts.

MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, runs the fourth-most-subscribed channel on YouTube. Donaldson told viewers in a video posted on Saturday, “We’re curing a thousand people’s blindness.” The video, titled “1,000 Blind People See For The First Time,” showed a montage of before and after footage of patients seeing with clear vision post-surgery.

Donaldson also gifted some patients money up to $50,000 and gave another patient a Tesla.

Dr. Jeff Levenson, an ophthalmologist and surgeon, performed the initial procedures in Jacksonville, Florida. For over 20 years, Dr. Levenson has coordinated the “Gift of Sight” program, which offers uninsured people who are legally blind due to cataracts access to free cataract surgery.

In the video posted on Saturday, Dr. Levenson emphatically stated, “Half of all blindness in the world is people who need a 10-minute surgery.”

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Donaldson’s team reached out to local homeless shelters and free clinics to compile a list of people in the Jacksonville region who required cataract surgery but could not afford the procedure. Forty people made it into the final roster. Dr. Levenson spent 11 consecutive hours performing all their surgeries on the same day.

Dr. Levenson said that the patients were grateful and were in “disbelief that somebody would actually seek them out to rescue them from blindness and then have the kindness and generosity of spirit to offer the surgery.”

After having cataract correction surgery himself, he felt compelled to help others access the same procedure.

“In the days and weeks after my own cataract surgery, I was stunned by how bright and beautiful and vivid the world was. But I was shocked by the idea that there are hundreds of millions, probably 200 million people around the world, who are blind or nearly blind from cataracts and who don’t have access to the surgery.”

Donaldson explained in his video how this procedure could be performed so quickly.

“If you’re wondering how the surgery allows people to see again, it’s because the lens in their eyes got so cloudy that they can’t see through it. So, the surgeon uses a tiny vacuum to suck up the clouded lens and replace it with an artificial one. This surgery is that simple. They can see again.”

When Dr. Levenson initially got a phone call from Donaldson’s team in September, he was hesitant about the initiative.

“I had never heard of MrBeast, so I almost hung up. But I gratefully did not hang up.”

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Dr. Levenson eventually connected Donaldson’s team with SEE International, an organization for which he serves as the chief medical officer.

SEE International works to help patients in need get free eye care around the world. With the organization’s reach, the team could do corrective surgeries on a thousand patients, spanning Jamaica, Honduras, Namibia, Mexico, Indonesia, Brazil, Vietnam and Kenya, in three weeks.

Dr. Levenson said he hopes the video, coupled with Donaldson’s popularity and generosity, will inspire “a concerted effort to end needless blindness.”

“If MrBeast can light a fire, and if we can get governmental and private support behind it, we can end half of all the blindness in the world without all that much cost and with incredible gains in human productivity and human potential.”

Donaldson shared the same sentiment in a tweet posted on Monday.

“I don’t understand why curable blindness is a thing. Why don’t governments step in and help? Even if you’re thinking purely from a financial standpoint it’s hard to see how they don’t roi on taxes from people being able to work again.”

Fashion Designer

Alexa Chung Announces The Closing Of Her Fashion Label Due To ‘Challenging’ Conditions 

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Celebrity TV presenter and influencer Alexa Chung has announced that she is closing her fashion label of the same name after five years. She stated the closing is due to economic pressures caused by the pandemic. 

The label itself was shown twice during London fashion week, and just recently collaborated with the brand Barbour. Chung stated that the label “is not going into administration but is winding down.”

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Items from the recent Barbour collection will still be available on the brand’s official site until the end of the month. 

Chung noted on Instagram that “the decision to stop wasn’t taken lightly, the experience of setting up and being at the helm of my own company has been rewarding and frequently joyful, but the last couple of years have been challenging for small independent businesses and ours is no exception”.

According to Women’s Wear Daily, Chung was reluctant to embrace the e-commerce branch of her label, a move that she claims she would do differently if she were to start over again. 

Chung originally was known as a model and presenter on the UK’s Channel 4 Popworld, making her a major influencer of the new rave scene. She launched her fashion label in 2017. 

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Chung’s first show at London fashion week was deemed a major success, with reports of the designs being “London tomboy meets Parisian chic.” After that the label was really known for its outerwear.

“Fashion in particular unfortunately suffers from a quite high rate of people really struggling. So more than ever it’s important to have people around supporting you.”

Chung isn’t the only celebrity with a fashion brand that has seen better days in the past. Rihanna closed her ready-to-wear branch of her Fenty line last year while Victoria Beckham has also been financially struggling to upkeep her brand. 

While other celebrities have found major commercial success with their fashion lines, Kim Kardashian with Skims or Kanye West with Yeezy, the pandemic has made retail an incredibly difficult field to be successful in, especially as an entrepreneur. 

Living Room Decor

Marie Kondo Launches New Online Home Deco Store

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With December only a few days away, the holiday season is clearly already here making now the perfect time to clear out your old clutter to make room for new goodies. Right? But what should you keep and what should you throw away?

Many Americans have this dilemma and have turned to professional advice on how to decide what stays and what goes. It may seem slightly odd to ask a stranger how you feel about your own belongings but there is a highly profitable market for advice on de-cluttering.

In 2015 Japanese cleaning guru Marie Kondo felt her first brush with fame. The release of her book ‘The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up’ soon became a favorite in many homes across the country, making it a hit on the best-selling lists. Full of advice on how to clear out your spare room, closet, basement or garage, Kondo inspired readers everywhere to clear out their trash.

This was followed up in 2019 with ‘Tidying Up With Marie Kondo’ airing on Netflix and again showed homeowners how they could streamline their homes using the ‘KonMari’ method.

This month Kondo announced her latest venture. But if you were imagining more details on whether an item brings you joy, or how to achieve the domestic bliss you have been craving you will be sadly disappointed.

Finally content that she has emptied the nation’s closets Kondo wants to fill them back up!

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Although you have been able to buy storage boxes since 2018 you can now buy more items thanks to her new online store. However you do not have to worry that her items will make your home feel cluttered again, as Kondo’s design has opted for a minimalist look, with many items in neutral shades as well as a calming dove-gray.

But however arrogant it may seem to spend years encouraging Americans to get rid of their belongings followed by a blatant attempt to capitalize on filling the empty spaces, Kondo is merely jumping onto her celebrity status, and in America being a celebrity means making money.

Look at any celebrity in recent times and you will see that they have more than one string to their bow. There was a time when starring in movies and being interviewed or photographed was a full time position, yet there are few celebrities who stay in their ‘genre’ any more.

Actors are always appearing in advertisements for some sort of beauty or fragrance products while many others are creating their own companies.

Think of Gwyneth Paltrow. Not content with being a hugely successful actor in her own right, Paltrow went on to create Goop which is promoted as a ‘modern lifestyle brand’, promoting everything and anything they believe can make your life better.

The Kardashian/Jenner family is another example of curating multiple professions. Playing off the back of a sex-tape scandal, Kim Kardashian managed to create one of the most successful reality shows of all time, paving the way for not only herself but her entire family to create careers for themselves. Alongside Kim’s growing empire her siblings have also created businesses with half-sister Kylie Jenner recently selling 51% of her makeup empire for $600 million, making her one of the youngest self-made billionaires at only 22.

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It is not only the female stars that are branching into other sectors either. Whilst lifestyle products predominantly target women, men are also being targeted with Kanye West, Will & Jaden Smith, and even Paul Newman finding considerable success via their own brands.

Paul Newman’s salad dressings were created as a Paul Newman ‘brand’ rather than an endorsement and was one of the first success stories. Since then we have had singer P.Diddy’s ‘Sean John’ clothing line as well as Ryan Reynolds’ Aviation Gin, a product he not only owns but cleverly promotes via a ‘war’ with Hugh Jackman, resulting in great sales for both his gin and Jackman’s Laughing Man Coffee.

One of the biggest success stories however is that of Jessica Simpson. Back in 2005 Simpson used her public image to attract customers to her new shoe business. Becoming one of the very first social media ‘influencers’ Simpson found herself in a position where she could utilize her image to a greater goal. Through promoting herself and her lifestyle through her social media pages, Simpson has created a business attracting an annual revenue of $1 billion.

With social media continuing to grow more social media stars emerged and many have ‘YouTuber’ listed as their occupation. Many of the younger generation have turned their backs on mainstream television, getting their entertainment from such channels, ensuring social media stars’ bank balances are growing each day thanks to a line of ‘merch’ that compliment their channel.

Kondo’s latest venture’s success will surely depend on how well she can convince people that there really is not any irony in telling people to clear their homes then fill it with her items, in fact she was recently quoted as saying ‘my tidying method isn’t about getting rid of things – it’s about heightening your sensitivity to what brings you joy’.

Selfie

Vienna Opens “Made For Instagram” Selfie Museum

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Museums have been a hub of culture ever since world history originated. They give us a special insight into certain aspects of the past, humanity, and events that shape different areas of the world. The MET in New York City is the home to thousands of years worth of art and architecture from all across the globe, while the more specific Museum of Modern Art showcases one era of artistic expression and its evolution throughout time. 

Throughout the past decade museums have seen a decline in foot traffic. This is partially due to the fact that the “museum experience” has turned into more of a social affair than a cultural one. Most people go to museums just to say that they did and so they can post pictures of themselves next to trendy or interesting artifacts/art. In a study done by Artsy Online Magazine, it was found that 37% of individuals who go to museums don’t view it as a “cultural experience”. Younger generations have redefined their meaning of culture to become a part of everyday life. Street and performance art, food and drink experiences, any going out activity that humans take part in, that’s what is becoming the growing definition of modern culture. Although culture as a word is getting a bit of a face-lift, it doesn’t discount the years and years of valuable pieces that are displayed in the museums of the world and their impact on history. 

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This new market for culture has sparked a new type of museum experience to grow throughout the world. Today, it’s all about impact, and the best way to make an impact is to go viral online, so more museums that contain trendy, modern, and visually stimulating exhibits are beginning to appear. The Museum of Sex in New York City has hundreds of displays of Victorian sex toys, interactive sensory experiences, and even a bouncy house room full of inflatable breasts that you and a friend can bounce on and post online. The Museum of Ice Cream originated in San Francisco and is known for its vastly colorful and interactive exhibits, all topped off with a pool of sprinkles. Are you sensing a pattern? The main idea behind museums such as these is to be the most social media friendly. What’s more Instagram worthy than a picture of you in your sweetest outfit (pun intended) chilling in a pool full of rainbow sprinkles? 

These museums appeal to a younger audience, and therefore become trends on social media, and the business just booms. The Museum of Ice Cream as a business is now worth over $200 million, according to The Wall Street Journal. Vienna has taken all of this into account and has opened a new museum that was created with the sole purpose of being Instagrammed. So much so that the name of the museum is the “nofilter_museum”, meant to resemble an Instagram username. 

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According to BBC News, the museum is built with 24 interactive rooms all equipped with multiple backgrounds and exhibits perfect for anyone’s Instagram feed. The official website adds that “there are also ball pits, floral walls and glitter confetti, designed for creative selfies. There is even a room filled with fake food such as cupcakes and macaroons.” The museum has already sparked the interests of many online influencers who want to go to the museum for their next viral post. A museum built around the idea that it’s basically just one giant backdrop for photographs, is the new wave of business geared towards an influencer market. BBC projects the museum will get anywhere from 300-500 visitors a day. 

“I think it’s the future of museums, the main point is that it’s not only about selfies, but also about having a good time, being able to interact while experiencing art. I do think that people spend a lot of time on their phones and that’s why we try to combine that with something real and something fun. But I don’t think it is our responsibility to educate them,” says Petra Scharinger, co-creator of nofilter_museum to BBC.

Targeting that specific market is one of the smartest business decisions any company can make in 2019. Influencers get business based on the fact that their social media accounts have hundreds of thousands of followers. Those followers are basically an audience and their posts act as the entertainment, advertisements included. Companies contact these individuals to show off their product on their feed to reach that large following. Museums have seen this and want the same level of advertising. Thus, the Instagram museum was born.

On phone

New App, “Inspo Network,” Aims to be the Netflix of Lifestyle Brands

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So much of how we see our lives these days is through the lens of our smartphones and the Internet. Social media has revolutionized how we conduct our relationships, and entertainment is forever changed by the advent of streaming media platforms like Youtube and Netflix. And when it comes to shopping, you can find nearly anything on Amazon, and as its supply and delivery network expands, the platform will continue to replace major retail locations as primary shopping destinations. Certainly, the tech industry provides ample opportunities for start-ups who are looking to introduce convenience and efficiency into the way we live our lives. Inspo Network, a Seattle start-up, intends to do just that.

The Inspo Network App, which gets its name from the slang term for an inspirational piece of clothing or other object, is an app available for iOS that partners with brands and content creators to sell clothing, beauty products, fitness products, and more. As the company’s primary revenue stream is in sales, the app essentially functions as a platform for advertising merchandise and streamlining the consumer purchasing experience. The app also allows users to save content for later, and even offers personalized recommendations based on the user’s browsing experience. Currently, the app has an average rating of 4.9/5 stars on the App Store, and user reviews applaud the app for being easy to use and visually appealing.

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The design of the app draws heavily from competing platforms like Instagram and Twitter, and presents users with a row of tabs at the bottom of the screen, offering features like viewing favorited images and discovering new channels. The app groups content into particular subcategories like clean beauty, makeup, and skincare, and is advertised as offering an alternative to “social media clutter” for browsing lifestyle-oriented products. As these products are often associated with celebrities or popular figures on social media, the shopping experience on Inspo Network is tightly integrated with these individuals, who can make money from the app by selling items featured in their content. Because the app functions as a platform for creators to showcase a premium line of products, the quality of the content posted via the app is fairly high across the board, differentiating the app from platforms where just anyone can share pictures and videos.

Though the app is relatively new, it faces fierce competition in the form of Instagram, which has recently rolled out a feature allowing high-profile members to sell products in a similar way. Amazon, too, has competed in this space with the Instagram-like Spark, which presented users with a feed populated with so-called “shoppable images.” What Inspo Network has going for it, then, is its focus on the shopping experience and the elimination of distractions normally associated with social media use, coupled with many of the same popular influencers who can be found on a multitude of platforms. Recently, Inspo Network has raised $3 million from venture capital firm Graycroft, which is on top of the $5.5 million the company raised from PSL ventures when it was founded.

Travel Influencer

What it’s Like to be a Travel Influencer

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Most anyone with an Instagram account is familiar with the countless number of so-called “influencers” who populate the platform, who seem to make a living posing for the camera in exchange for likes and comments. The owners of these accounts travel the world all throughout the year, visiting unique locales and staying at expensive-looking resorts. The sheer volume of these accounts leaves one wondering exactly how much money influencers make on the platform, and what else the job entails beyond posting extravagant photos and raking in the cash. While the job description certainly seems like a dream come true — who wouldn’t want to be paid to travel the world? — the reality is that, for most, the life of a would-be influencer is full of frustration, hard work, and rejection.

Travel influencers depend upon engaging with their audiences to support their lifestyle. Bloggers and Instagram users build audiences by perfecting their photography skills and learning how to maximize their use of social media platforms to cast a wide net. A big part of the job involves reaching out to tourist organizations, like hotels, to ask for a free stay in exchange for exposure. Additionally, influencers partner with brands, incorporating their products into their social media presence, for ad revenue.

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Though the job of travel influencer is a relatively new occupation, the sheer volume of people competing to work in the field means that a sophisticated business model, on both the side of the traveler and the tourist attractions they visit, has emerged. In response to an increase in the number of people looking to exploit vacation spots for social media, the travel industry has had to adapt by learning how to vet requests for free vacations. Looking at the number of followers a particular account has is not sufficient, as measuring engagement, or the frequency with which followers interact with the accounts in question, is the key to determining whether an opportunity to collaborate with an influencer will be profitable. The Japan National Tourism Organization, for instance, considers someone with greater than a 3.5% engagement rate to be influential. In fact, hosting travel accounts with as few as 40,000 followers – so-called “micro-influencers” – can be worth the expenses for a travel organization looking to spread the word about travel opportunities for niche markets with specialized interests.

In addition to being subjected to a high level of scrutiny when pairing up with tourism boards, Instagram influencers face other challenges. A negative stereotype of influencers as being entitled, spoiled, and disrespectful has emerged as a result of incidents in which influencers ignored the sensibilities of the local culture in pursuit of a picture. One couple, for instance, drew criticism for splashing holy water in an Indonesian temple, and more than a few business owners have taken to social media to complain about Instagrammers looking for hand-outs. While the Internet can provide a legion of dedicated admirers, it can also manifest an angry mob when influencers are perceived to misbehave, potentially ending careers. As such, the most successful influencers are careful to ensure that they portray the communities they visit in a respectful and positive light.

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It’s important to note that while audiences see only the end product of an influencer’s work – the photo that gets posted to social media, and the pithy caption beneath it — a substantial amount of work goes on behind the scenes. Influencers work hard to build and maintain relationships with partnering organizations, and sometimes hire staff to focus on growing and expanding their audience by engaging with a plethora of social media outlets. And influencers are sometimes lumped together with travel journalists, who are hosted in a particular location in order to cover a developing story, leading to inconveniences on the part of the influencer. There’s a substantial upfront cost to becoming a travel influencer, of course, as early trips before an audience is established will have to be self-funded. And, unfortunately, there seems to be some merit to the stereotype of the Instagram influencer as entitled, as several businesses have reported being on the receiving end of temper tantrums when things don’t go the influencer’s way, making the industry more difficult for its more well-intentioned members.

However, given the continuing growth in popularity of social media sites, especially Instagram, the career of influencer doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. Nowadays, an increasing number of people look to social media to plan their vacations, as influencers can turn people on to travel destinations that would otherwise be overlooked. As such, the job of the travel influencer is healthy for the travel industry as a whole, as it expands the number of destinations that travelers are interested in visiting.