Narrative Logic and Communication Effects of MrBeast's YouTube Videos: A Case Study of Long-Form Videos and Shorts

Short-video platforms shape how stories are told and how far they travel. This working paper studies the narrative logic of MrBeast's YouTube videos, both long-form videos and Shorts, and asks how that logic may relate to reach and interaction. Using a qualitative case study based on published research and documented public cases, it identifies a stable narrative pattern: a clear challenge and prize at the opening, rising stakes in the middle, and an explicit reveal at the end. Long-form videos build this pattern through several stages, while Shorts compress it into a single peak. The analysis links the pattern to the attention logic of the platform and to research on high-arousal emotion and sharing, and it points to weaknesses of the model, including templated stories, thin portrayal of participants, and light interaction. From this analysis the paper derives three propositions, and it sets out a coding scheme and an analysis plan for testing them on a sampling frame of 240 videos published between January 2023 and August 2026. The paper does not report statistical tests, and its claims should be read as propositions rather than confirmed effects. It also discusses cross-cultural reception and the role of AIGC, and it argues that AIGC can raise production efficiency but cannot replace real content and audience trust.