The rise of online philanthropy

While content featuring acts of kindness is hugely popular, some question the motivation behind posting about good deeds online.

- Jessica Novia

Wearing a body cam, a man approaches a street artist painting on a pavement. "Excuse me sir, I'm really hungry. Do you have any food, by chance, or a dollar?"

Without hesitation, the painter reaches into his pocket and passes the man a dollar—his last one, as it turns out.

Moments later, the man surprises him: "Jerry, since you were kind to me, I've got $1,000 cash for you."

Overwhelmed, the painter gratefully accepts the money and lets on that he is homeless. The 1 min 35 sec video ends with the caption: "CrowdFund link in bio."

It is typical of the feel-good content that has made Canadian content creator Zachery Dereniowski—better known by his handle mdmotivator—a viral sensation on social media. In his videos, he often approaches strangers with a simple request, such as a meal or a small sum of money. When they accede to his plea, he flips the script and reveals that he is not actually in need. Instead, he rewards their kindness with a substantial cash gift, typically ranging from US$1,000 (S$1,274) to US$20,000.

More often than not, the strangers are usually going through a difficult time. Some are facing eviction, others are battling serious illnesses like cancer.

Since 2020, Mr Dereniowski has given out hundreds of thousands of dollars to—among others—small business owners, single mothers and an orphan who lost his entire family in an explosion. With over 19 million followers on TikTok and several million more on other platforms, the 31-year-old is one of the world's biggest "kindness content" creators, raising money through online donations from the public.

KIND AND WHOLESOME CONTENT

Although the internet is often associated with trolls, toxicity and hateful comments, people are turning to social media for something entirely different. Enter "kindness content"—featuring creators performing spontaneous acts of generosity in public.