[wpietri]

A while back I had the chance to watch user research interviews of streamers. People clearly loved doing it, but also struggled to find a healthy balance. Being on camera that much, especially with the expectation of continuous engagement with lots of followers, is an extraordinarily intense situation.

Long ago I was an exchange student in Ecuador, where some workers would still chew coca as they worked, basically the same way people consume coffee. It was normal and boring for locals. Refine that same leaf, though, to cocaine and crack, and you get something so compelling that it becomes dangerous.

I sort of think of streaming as a similar thing: it takes normal human sociality and refines is to a degree previously never seen. I'm sure some people will find healthy ways to deal with it, but I'm not shocked at all that it breaks people.

[rasz]

The problem I keep hearing from gamer streamers is searching for your niche, and stumbling into something you dont enjoy, but suddenly you start making real $$. Jump from streaming for 20-50 people to 2000-3000 does things to you.