• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

[BBC] Twitch: Concerns over streamers' mental health

Maiden Voyage

Gold™ Member

Playing video games for a living is a dream job for millions of people.

Streaming on platforms like Twitch has made that a reality for many - with the buzz of interacting live with fans from around the world as you play.
However, for some streamers like Sam, the punishing schedule required to make a living from the site has taken a toll: "I don't like opening my door to anyone anymore, I don't go out, I don't talk to anyone," she explains.
"I don't like talking to people face to face, it's been so long since I've done it."
Sam, known online as Sooshi, quit her job as an office manager two years ago to move house and become a full-time professional streamer - she loves first-person shooters and has built a community of thousands of followers.
She wanted to make a success of that decision which meant spending a lot of time live broadcasting on Twitch: "I decided that I needed to do 10 hours a day everyday, maybe with Sunday off if I was tired.
"Ten hours a day is a lot. You think you'll spend the rest of the time away from the computer and be really productive and energetic - but it's not like that to be honest, you end up obsessing with other social media that you need to keep up with as part of the job."
Sam says the consistent 60+ hours a week of streaming led to anxiety, a loss of confidence and symptoms of agoraphobia.
"Quite early on after going full-time I noticed it having an effect on me," she says. "I wasn't really going out anymore, I don't think I went outside for that first year - maybe to the shop at a push."

Twitch is now being criticised for encouraging streamers, like Sam, to spend an unhealthy amount of time on the platform and then not doing enough to support them.
Labour MP Alex Sobel, who is the chairman of Westminster's All Party Parliamentary Group on Video Gaming and Esports, has called on the site to make changes. "The platform really needs to think about its mechanics and changing the financial model to protect the health of streamers," he told us.
"They're set up to encourage people to be on there as long as possible to keep viewers, if they changed the mechanics, it could create a nudge effect to change how streamers operate to protect their health.
"This isn't a new problem, the platform has had a long time to think about this - surely now is the time for some action, they have a duty of care."
In a statement, Twitch said it provides links to mental health resources on its website and is "developing targeted programming to support Twitch streamers with challenges like burnout, boundary-setting, and other pressures that come with a career in online content creation."

The MP for Leeds North West also wants to see a policy change from Twitch which would reduce the maximum number of hours streamers can be live for in one sitting.
At the moment Twitch sets a limit of 48 hours and Alex Sopel thinks the site "needs to look at that" - he says Twitch should rethink the way the financial incentives work on the platform. The current model he argues encourages long streaming sessions but needs to change in order to "better protect the health of streamers".
Twitch is the leading live streaming platform in the world for gamers. It's owned by Amazon who spent nearly $1bn (£740m) on the website back in 2014.
It is estimated that 30 million people visit the site every day to watch content from their favourite creators.
For Overwatch streamer Sid, the platform's design is leading aspiring professional streamers to spend an unhealthy amounts of time broadcasting on the site.
He tells us: "It's about being online for as long and as often as you can, so the maximum number of people can tune in.
"The longer you're online the higher your viewership can go, which makes it more likely for you to be seen on the browser, because of the way the site works."

'Subathons'​

Marathon streaming sessions where people are live for days or even weeks at a time - subathons - have become increasingly popular on the site in recent months as a tool for streamers to grow their channels.
People circumnavigate the 48-hour rule by briefly turning their streams off and on again. In October 2021 streamer GhostInTheMachine was live continually for 76 days.
Sid enjoys his job as a content creator and loves to stream. "It's incredible when its working properly, there's nothing like it, but it has to come with a healthy balance," he says.
He sets himself strict limits when it comes to how long he's online for - even though he thinks it restricts how much his channel will grow.
Sid argues that streamers themselves need to have more conversations about safe streaming practices: "People are afraid to criticise subathons, because of how successful they are and how much money the can contribute.
"Nobody wants to be the one to stand up and say 'hey guys should we stop doing these?' because we know they're profitable - but deep down we all probably wish we didn't have to do them."
Both Sam and Sid think Twitch should be proactively offering support to streamers.
Sam says: "They should be getting in touch with streamers to check in on them, a lot of young people fantasise about being a full-time streamer and they're impressionable. They could really harm themselves if they try to keep-up.
"There should be warnings or procedures to stop you from streaming 60 hours in a week - it's too much."
Sid doesn't expect Twitch "to hold my hand or have a personal butler for me every time I stream", but adds a public conversation about changing the financial model to reward streamers for adopting healthy practices would be a good starting point.
It's difficult to quantify exactly how many streamers are having mental health issues due to the number of hours they're online for.
For many people, Twitch is an exciting way to make a living that allows people to connect from across the world - it's also been a place where many have shared their stories of mental health difficulties and found comfort in their communities.
It's reported that 7 million content creators were active every month on the platform in 2021.
A desire to stream sustainably is something that enough people within the gaming community are talking about that it came to the attention of mental health charity Mind who have produced healthy streaming guidelines.

Stephen Buckley, the Head of Information at Mind, told us: "It's really important to consider the self care routines you can apply.
"Have some boundaries put in place, make sure you schedule in breaks to eat proper meals and stick to your planned finish time. Try to finish streams an hour or so before going to sleep and get outside for some exercise."
Mind is also offering to work with Twitch, Stephen told us: "We'd be very up for working with streaming platforms to come up with more guidance, this is relatively new field and we don't have all the answers yet."
In response to this story a Twitch spokesperson said: "Our Creators are at the core of everything we do at Twitch, and their safety is our top priority.
"We're continuously working hard to make Twitch the best place to be a live streamer and build a supportive, engaged community, mental health support is crucial to that.
"Our Twitch Cares page provides mental health resources for any member of the community, and we're developing targeted programming to support Twitch streamers with challenges like burnout, boundary-setting, and other pressures that come with a career in online content creation."

Streaming is now a core part of the success and popularity of the gaming industry. It keeps fans energised about new releases and engaged with older titles.
The trade body that represents games companies in the UK is also advocating for healthy and safe streaming practices.
Dr Jo Twist OBE, is the CEO of UKIE, and she says that "streamers are a valuable part of the games industry," and need to be looked after.
She told us: "They captivate their audiences by creating engaging content, fostering healthy communities and even doing good for society, such as raising awareness of mental health issues or fundraising for charities.
"It's important that people stream in a sustainable way, to ensure that those benefits remain."
 

Soodanim

Member
You either get a really good following and make a fortune without streaming 24/7 or your grind your fingers to the bone trying to make a living wage from it.

Anyone that isn’t making enough money from it to live on but wants to try and make that work is kidding themselves. The really popular ones aren’t always on.
 
Woody Harrelson Crying GIF
 
It never fails to blow my mind that an entire generation of people have been hoodwinked into believing that watching literal nobodies playing video games on the fucking internet while begging for money under the guise of 'HELP SUPPORT THE CHANNEL' is somehow not the modern equivalent of panhandling. The big difference is that it isn't the homeless and the broken, it's panhandling being done by comfortable, privileged, middle class people.

It's just gross and nauseating, and kind of the ultimate expression of everything wrong with our current moment. Make no mistake about it, whether giggling OMGIMANERD girls with their tits hanging out, or pathetic dimwits like Ninja, these people are fucking whores of the worst kind, and their donators are the worst kind of brain dead vermin.

Frankly, I'm torn between wanting streamers to be starved of their free cash, and wanting to watch the desperate and retarded to throw all of their money at literally nothing in the hope that some twit will 'mention them'. It's a tough one.
 

Coolwhhip

Neophyte
It never fails to blow my mind that an entire generation of people have been hoodwinked into believing that watching literal nobodies playing video games on the fucking internet while begging for money under the guise of 'HELP SUPPORT THE CHANNEL' is somehow not the modern equivalent of panhandling. The big difference is that it isn't the homeless and the broken, it's panhandling being done by comfortable, privileged, middle class people.

It's just gross and nauseating, and kind of the ultimate expression of everything wrong with our current moment. Make no mistake about it, whether giggling OMGIMANERD girls with their tits hanging out, or pathetic dimwits like Ninja, these people are fucking whores of the worst kind, and their donators are the worst kind of brain dead vermin.

Frankly, I'm torn between wanting streamers to be starved of their free cash, and wanting to watch the desperate and retarded to throw all of their money at literally nothing in the hope that some twit will 'mention them'. It's a tough one.

Personally I don't hate the players. If you can do something you enjoy like streaming video games and make a living with it, good for you. The people watching them -all day- and throwing money at their screen because they are desperate for their attention... That made me stop watching Twitch like 2 years ago. I just can't handle witnessing that desperation.
 

cormack12

Gold Member
That's the cost of choosing to pursue a career in streaming. You're competing against others who will do this.

Now imagine these people acrually setting up a business that produced something and the pressures/stresses that come with that as well as the upfront personal finance gamble.

Streaming is just a hustle and to get to the top demands you live like that in the pursuit of easy money in the short term. You want a happy work/life balance then choose a 9-5 career that gives you that. If you want top streamer money don't cry about the demands.
 

WitchHunter

Member
It never fails to blow my mind that an entire generation of people have been hoodwinked into believing that watching literal nobodies playing video games on the fucking internet while begging for money under the guise of 'HELP SUPPORT THE CHANNEL' is somehow not the modern equivalent of panhandling. The big difference is that it isn't the homeless and the broken, it's panhandling being done by comfortable, privileged, middle class people.

It's just gross and nauseating, and kind of the ultimate expression of everything wrong with our current moment. Make no mistake about it, whether giggling OMGIMANERD girls with their tits hanging out, or pathetic dimwits like Ninja, these people are fucking whores of the worst kind, and their donators are the worst kind of brain dead vermin.

Frankly, I'm torn between wanting streamers to be starved of their free cash, and wanting to watch the desperate and retarded to throw all of their money at literally nothing in the hope that some twit will 'mention them'. It's a tough one.
What do the psychologists/psychiatrists say about this phenomenon?
 

Portugeezer

Member
It never fails to blow my mind that an entire generation of people have been hoodwinked into believing that watching literal nobodies playing video games on the fucking internet while begging for money under the guise of 'HELP SUPPORT THE CHANNEL' is somehow not the modern equivalent of panhandling. The big difference is that it isn't the homeless and the broken, it's panhandling being done by comfortable, privileged, middle class people.

It's just gross and nauseating, and kind of the ultimate expression of everything wrong with our current moment. Make no mistake about it, whether giggling OMGIMANERD girls with their tits hanging out, or pathetic dimwits like Ninja, these people are fucking whores of the worst kind, and their donators are the worst kind of brain dead vermin.

Frankly, I'm torn between wanting streamers to be starved of their free cash, and wanting to watch the desperate and retarded to throw all of their money at literally nothing in the hope that some twit will 'mention them'. It's a tough one.
I don't think the main point is to directly support the ""streamer", it's more of a community thing. Certain streams do build up a community and some viewers like to support that as they feel like they're part of it, and it also gains then some status in that community.

Edit: I feel the need to say that I have never subbed to any stream.
 
Last edited:

Life

Member
I've got lots of ideas about creating a Youtube channel that could potentially blow up eventually. But that's what scares me, if it does - I'll be under enormous pressure to keep creating stuff week in week out...what happens when you don't have any ideas? Ironically, a lot of popular content is of poor quality, AMAs, React Videos etc....or just chit chat/voicing your opinion (that everyone has) about XYZ. Waste of time.
 

Swift_Star

Banned
It never fails to blow my mind that an entire generation of people have been hoodwinked into believing that watching literal nobodies playing video games on the fucking internet while begging for money under the guise of 'HELP SUPPORT THE CHANNEL' is somehow not the modern equivalent of panhandling. The big difference is that it isn't the homeless and the broken, it's panhandling being done by comfortable, privileged, middle class people.

It's just gross and nauseating, and kind of the ultimate expression of everything wrong with our current moment. Make no mistake about it, whether giggling OMGIMANERD girls with their tits hanging out, or pathetic dimwits like Ninja, these people are fucking whores of the worst kind, and their donators are the worst kind of brain dead vermin.

Frankly, I'm torn between wanting streamers to be starved of their free cash, and wanting to watch the desperate and retarded to throw all of their money at literally nothing in the hope that some twit will 'mention them'. It's a tough one.
Why are you overreacting like this? Calm down.
 

MikeM

Member
I've got lots of ideas about creating a Youtube channel that could potentially blow up eventually. But that's what scares me, if it does - I'll be under enormous pressure to keep creating stuff week in week out...what happens when you don't have any ideas? Ironically, a lot of popular content is of poor quality, AMAs, React Videos etc....or just chit chat/voicing your opinion (that everyone has) about XYZ. Waste of time.
Its different if you enjoy it and don’t do it as your career choice (i.e. part time). The only pressure is going to be whatever you put on yourself.
 

Trimesh

Banned
Streamers can, in general, be summed up in one line:

ICD-10-CM Code F60.81 - Narcissistic personality disorder​

 

jason10mm

Gold Member
What's next? A surprise blistering expose that "just having sex all day" aka the pron industry IS'NT super awesome and healthy?

Hey guys, wanna go deep into the earth and mine coal? It's all exercise and staying away from that hot sun!
 

BigBooper

Member
Lol those MPs have no clue.

Most of the streamers are going to be playing a lot anyways and if they do not then they will take a lot longer to build an audience. I'm sure their answer involves a genius solution involving paying low viewer count streamers more.
 

BigBooper

Member
I've got lots of ideas about creating a Youtube channel that could potentially blow up eventually. But that's what scares me, if it does - I'll be under enormous pressure to keep creating stuff week in week out...what happens when you don't have any ideas? Ironically, a lot of popular content is of poor quality, AMAs, React Videos etc....or just chit chat/voicing your opinion (that everyone has) about XYZ. Waste of time.
I believe in you.
 

Danknugz

Member
It never fails to blow my mind that an entire generation of people have been hoodwinked into believing that watching literal nobodies playing video games on the fucking internet while begging for money under the guise of 'HELP SUPPORT THE CHANNEL' is somehow not the modern equivalent of panhandling. The big difference is that it isn't the homeless and the broken, it's panhandling being done by comfortable, privileged, middle class people.

It's just gross and nauseating, and kind of the ultimate expression of everything wrong with our current moment. Make no mistake about it, whether giggling OMGIMANERD girls with their tits hanging out, or pathetic dimwits like Ninja, these people are fucking whores of the worst kind, and their donators are the worst kind of brain dead vermin.

Frankly, I'm torn between wanting streamers to be starved of their free cash, and wanting to watch the desperate and retarded to throw all of their money at literally nothing in the hope that some twit will 'mention them'. It's a tough one.
and then when the hollow nature and shallowness of this "artform" rears it's head in the form of depression and suicidal ideation, they whine and cry and try to blame it on twitch for enabling them, somehow forgetting that making money sometimes requires you to do this thing called "work".
 

Arcadialane

Member
I think the mental health issues where there long before they started streaming on twitch after having seen the types of people there,
 
Last edited:

Heimdall_Xtreme

Jim Ryan Fanclub's #1 Member
And it took quite a few years later to realize a fairly obvious situation.

The fact of earning a living by doing nothing and being like a bum doing the "streaming job" is pathological
 

wolffy71

Banned
It never fails to blow my mind that an entire generation of people have been hoodwinked into believing that watching literal nobodies playing video games on the fucking internet while begging for money under the guise of 'HELP SUPPORT THE CHANNEL' is somehow not the modern equivalent of panhandling. The big difference is that it isn't the homeless and the broken, it's panhandling being done by comfortable, privileged, middle class people.

It's just gross and nauseating, and kind of the ultimate expression of everything wrong with our current moment. Make no mistake about it, whether giggling OMGIMANERD girls with their tits hanging out, or pathetic dimwits like Ninja, these people are fucking whores of the worst kind, and their donators are the worst kind of brain dead vermin.

Frankly, I'm torn between wanting streamers to be starved of their free cash, and wanting to watch the desperate and retarded to throw all of their money at literally nothing in the hope that some twit will 'mention them'. It's a tough one.

You sound like an ass who thinks they have the right to tell other people what is enjoyable and worth their time.

News flash people have different opinions and interests. Who are you to determine them for everyone? Nobody.
 

daffyduck

Member
That's the cost of choosing to pursue a career in streaming. You're competing against others who will do this.

Now imagine these people actually setting up a business that produced something and the pressures/stresses that come with that as well as the upfront personal finance gamble.

Streaming is just a hustle and to get to the top demands you live like that in the pursuit of easy money in the short term. You want a happy work/life balance then choose a 9-5 career that gives you that. If you want top streamer money don't cry about the demands.
Agreed. And they'd probably just have similar complaints, except maybe for face to face interaction. (The gamble would be gaining enough of a following to make a living, and not end up on the street.)

Besides, if they want to play games anyway, and people want to watch them rather than play themselves, it can't be *that* bad for them. Lower expenses, commuting etc.
 

Trimesh

Banned
I have to admit that I really don't understand the motivation behind even watching game streamers, far less giving money to them. I will admit to a weakness for watching narrated speedruns that break the game horribly, though.
 

Outlier

Member
If you find financial success doing a hobby you generally enjoy, then :lollipop_raising_hand:

If you are forcing yourself to do something you don't really care for, in hopes of finding fortune, then :lollipop_unamused:


Seriously. Chasing what's popular will always lead to a portion of people getting themselves trapped.
 

STARSBarry

Gold Member
There's an easy way to figure out if someone's mental health has started to degrade and they might be in need of assistance.

The individual will have a section on their profile that says.

"Pronouns: They/Them"

If you see this you should immediately report them to be checked up on by medical services, as their losing grip on reality
 
Last edited:

Vaelka

Member
There's Twitch streamers I like I am not a boomer who's opposed to streaming.
HOWEVER, so many of the big streamers and Twitch culture is some of the most toxic and deranged shit I've seen in my life.
It's pretty clear that a lot of them have genuine mental health problems and actually need help ( especially anger issues that don't seem to be '' it's just a joke bro '', I question why ppl think it's so funny too ).
And a lot of them also never grew up they got famous on Twitch as kids and they just never actually grew up and interacted with other people and the real world they still have the mentality of a 15 year old.
Like you've got people who are in their late twenties to thirties who are significantly less mature than I and my friends were when we were 15 with enormous audiences.

That's not even getting into the politics side which tends to be dominated by armchair tankies and insane alt-right conspiracy theorists, everything on Twitch is so extreme it sorta mirrors American reality television where it's always about the drama and people being angry and loud.
Twitch chat ain't much better it's alwalys dominated by spergs.

There definitely are streamers who aren't like this particularly the older crowd who became streamers as adults but the site is definitely dominated by spergs and people with actual mental health problems who should be in theraphy and/ or on medication.
I also think this is why it affects them so much because they still have the mentality of a teenager where teenage drama and peoples opinions on you are the most important thing on the planet.
To some extent I sympathize with them because I do think they need help and that they have very real problems and kinda need to touch grass and grow up, being so online isn't normal the same goes for people who sit around on forums and social media 8+ hours a day it's not normal or healthy.
It stunts your growth and makes you hyper aware and obsessive of things that aren't actually important.
 
Last edited:
So is the lesson that sitting around playing video games doesn't prepare you for a real job?

What the quit streamer wrote down in one of the replies:



I dropped out of university when I was 20, however I've been going to language schools almost my entire life so I'm fluent in 4 languages, so it wasn't all a waste of time.

Basically, here's all I got going for me:



-Multiple languages (this is actually useless as fuck except for translation gigs)

-Editing skills (editor)

-Pretty outgoing personality (sales)

-Good physical shape (manual laborer/fitness shit)

-Creative thinker for making/writing content or comedy (writer/marketer)

I truly thought at least one of those things was going to get me hired some way, some where; because I've seen the type of idiots who sometimes get hired at large U.S. corporations for high salaries and thought "Yea, I can easily compete with that"

Turns out, I can't lmao.

Some sales jobs I can get hired in as far as I know, but many of them are quite scummy and essentially require you to scam old/dumb people to the best of your ability and I truly don't feel like fucking with that yet
 

lukilladog

Member
Nope clueless journalists that don´t play games, it´s not a form of torture for streamers, in general they actually enjoy it... except the VR streamers, they are all gone.
 

Fare thee well

Neophyte
I don't care if I made a mill per year. You wouldn't catch me dead spending my chosen time on the planet like a streamer. I wouldn't recommend it unless it never feels like a job to you; doesn't socially and mentally drain you. But those people are not common. I've worked hard to maximize my free time so gaming feels like an ultimate pleasure when I can get to it.
 
Top Bottom