Last year, celebrities like MrBeast, Kelly Clarkson, and Guy Fieri were paid by the US Department of Defence to help influence Gen Z to join the military, as recruitment levels were low. The Pentagon approved funding for various TV shows like America’s Got Talent and The Kelly Clarkson Show, as well as YouTuber MrBeast. While efforts were made to engage with young people through social media, the military is prohibited from using TikTok due to its Chinese links.
A Government Accountability Office report highlighted that only 35% of Gen Z has a favorable view of the military, with growing mistrust towards large institutions being a key factor in low recruitment rates. To address this issue, the Department of Defence spent $1.9 billion on traditional and digital recruitment and advertising efforts from July 2023 to June 2024.
The funding agreements between the military and entertainment industry have been in place for some time. While MrBeast was supposed to lead a humanitarian effort in Puerto Rico, which fell through, the overall aim is to use popular figures and media platforms to reach young people and inform them about military career paths. This highlights the ongoing challenge in recruiting new members to the military in the face of changing attitudes among younger generations.
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