Published on Apr 16, 2025 at 4:40 PM
On Tiktok and Youtube, the videos featuring “good deeds” are multiplying: we film donations to homeless, offered meals, “incredible” transformations … but behind emotion, a well calculated staging.
They hold a bundle of tickets to a homeless person, offer a haircut, meal or a hotel room, while filming each reaction. These videos, which have become viral on Tiktok or Youtube, combine millions of views. And also arouse deep discomfort. This staging of poverty for visibility now has a name: the “Charity Porn”.
An emotion calibrated for algorithms
At first glance, the intention seems laudable. But criticism accumulates. Behind the screen, many Internet users wonder: is it really to help … or to stage?
“It’s performative altruism,” sums up the designer @moissetmariama on Tiktok.
@moicestmariama
The Charity PRN is worrying the ton of video that capitalizes on human misery to have viral videos with 10,000,000 views it is crazy and quite worrying. This is called the charity p*rn. Basically it is altruismperformative. The Charity PRN, you may have heard of it without really knowing what it is. You have surely already seen these videos where creators offer money to homeless, gifts to …
