B.C. man's balloon-popping videos earn hundreds of millions of views worldwide
Before David Beck discovered the positive potential of filling a balloon full of water, he was striving to be a full-time travel photographer.
“It was my big dream,” David says. “I was working hard.”
But then the pandemic hit harder. David lost both his photography gigs and the bartending job that was paying the bills.
“I was definitely under a lot of stress,” David says.
He says his mental health started suffering, so he began searching for some way to take his mind off it all.
“Obviously you’re looking for a positive place to put your energy,” David says.
Obviously if you have a lot of time on your hands, with nothing to lose, why not pop a balloon full of water with an axe and capture the action in slow motion on camera.
But far from obvious was what happened after David posted the video on social media.
“In the first 24 hours, I got a million views or something,” David says. “I was freaking out!”
David says the video would eventually reach more than 200 millions views, so he wondered what would happen if he made a couple more.
When you pop balloons on the internet and it goes viral, you keep going.
“I just think, right place at the right time,” David says.
Yet, three and half years later, during this very different time from the pandemic, David’s balloon-busting videos are earning even more viewers.
“Things have skyrocketed,” David says.
Thanks to producing countless thousands of daily balloon-popping videos on YouTube and other social media sites, David’s earned almost 20 million followers. A couple of his videos have earned more than 500 million views each.
David is now a full-time content creator.
“It’s wild.” David says he’s thankful for his global audience. “I’m stoked.”
David says he also couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to focus his seemingly superficial content on more substantial issues, ranging from the war in Ukraine, to videos specifically aimed at calming anxiety or distracting from depression.
“My message is to share gratitude, positivity and love,” David says.
David also shows us how — if we choose to respond creatively — the worst days of our lives can be transformed into our best.
“When life’s calling on you, you gotta respond,” David smiles. “You gotta do what you can to keep going.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump returns to his campaign facing a warning of jail time if he violates a trial gag order
Donald Trump on Wednesday will use a one-day break from his hush money trial to rally voters in the battleground states of Wisconsin and Michigan, a day after he was held in contempt of court and threatened with jail time for violating a gag order.
Ontario woman surprised after 20-year-old fines suddenly tank credit score
An Ontario woman says that she was shocked when fines from 20 years ago suddenly tanked her credit score last week, but the situation may not be as unusual as it seems, according to at least one debt expert.
Anger can harm your blood vessel function, study shows
Stress and anger can have a negative impact on cardiovascular health, studies have shown. New research points to just how the mechanism may work.
Freeland leaves capital gains tax change out of coming budget implementation bill, here's why
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
Swarm of bees delays Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles game in Arizona. An 'MVP' beekeeper came to the rescue
Major League Baseball fans had an unexpected buzz on Tuesday after a swarm of bees delayed the Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers game for around two hours.
Newfoundland fisherman says police broke his leg during protest that delayed budget
Richard Martin is spending this year's fishing season on land after he says a Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer broke his left leg in three places during a protest last month that shut down the provincial legislature.
A 98-year-old in Ukraine walked miles to safety from Russians, with slippers and a cane
A 98-year-old woman in Ukraine who escaped Russian-occupied territory by walking almost 10 kilometres (six miles) alone, wearing a pair of slippers and supported by a cane has been reunited with her family days after they were separated while fleeing to safety.
It's opening day for the $34B Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion
Wednesday marks the official start date of the long-awaited $34-billion Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion project.
Will an 'out of sight, out of mind' cellphone policy make a difference in Ontario schools?
Ontario’s cellphone ban in schools has been met with mixed reaction, with some teachers concerned about constant policing of kids and experts applauding the change as necessary for student learning.