Title: Behind the billions: how Taylor Swift and MrBeast can be used to teach economics

Authors: Kelsey Halfen Dahlberg; Signè DeWind; Wayne Geerling; G. Dirk Mateer

Addresses: Dulles High School, Fort Bend ISD, 16431 Lexington Boulevard, Sugar Land, Texas, USA ' Department of Economics, Francisco Marroquín University, 6A Calle Final, Cdad. de Guatemala 01010, Guatemala ' Department of Economics, University of Texas at Austin, Room 2.102 B, 2515 Speedway, Austin, TX 78712, USA ' Department of Economics, University of Texas at Austin, Room 2.102 B, 2515 Speedway, Austin, TX 78712, USA

Abstract: Taylor Swift is the most popular music artist in the world, and her current Eras Tour is the highest grossing of all time. MrBeast is a self-made billionaire. His viral videos are known for expensive challenges and are incredibly popular among Gen Z students. This paper builds on work done by Milovanska-Farrington et al. (2023) which looked at female influencers popular among Gen Z students; and Geerling et al. (2023a) who developed lesson plans based on three viral videos from MrBeast's YouTube channel; and Geerling et al. (2023b) who used viral videos to teach foundation economics. Taylor Swift and MrBeast are incredibly successful entrepreneurs. Incorporating their backstories and business acumen into the curriculum creates an opportunity to generate interest, improve engagement, and ultimately help students comprehend economic concepts through stories that resonate with their generation.

Keywords: comparative advantage; creative destruction; economic growth; entrepreneurship; gains from trade; MrBeast; oligopoly; product differentiation; specialisation; Swiftonomics; Taylor Swift; economics; economics pedagogy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPEE.2024.141777

International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education, 2024 Vol.15 No.1, pp.69 - 89

Received: 14 Jan 2024
Accepted: 13 May 2024
Published online: 01 Oct 2024 *

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