Stream…err?
“Once a new technology rolls over you if you are not part of the steamroller, you are part of the road,” a quotation by Stewart Brand.
Indeed, it is astonishing how this pandemic greatly impacted the lifestyle of people. It brought significant changes in the way we live; we do and perceive things. If life before is a jungle that one must survive, now, it has become more like an Amazon Forest that even the riskiest trick is now being used just for survival.
Survival for the fittest it is. Moreover, that is how the streaming community works. Whoever has more entertainment to offer have the highest possible survival rate.
In addition, due to boredom and staying at home without anything to do, everyone has been exploring the World Wide Web. People have been looking for something to do and also to make money out of it because almost everyone has to stop their livelihood and jobs for their safety in the midst of COVID-19.
Before the pandemic happens, there were already numerous streamers of different online games or sports, but when quarantine started, it came to the rise of video game streaming all over the country.
A video game live streamer is someone who takes a recording of themselves and allows themselves to be viewed by an audience live. Everyone can be a game streamer, but not everyone can earn a profit from it.
A streamer should have a certain number of followers or subscribers as well as the number of views of the live stream or video in order for them to earn profit from it. They should also have great content, wherein it can attract the interest of their target viewers.
Countless game streamers have been dominating different social media platforms, especially Facebook and YouTube. There is no age limit to be a game streamer; there are kids around the age of 13, such as Larion TV, who have 770k followers on Facebook.
Edgar Dumali, who is widely known for his channel called Choox TV, was able to earn money to have his dream house build. He has a 7.5M follower on Facebook and was also featured in Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho last July 2020. There is also a 46 years old woman named Alma Enario, a.k.a Nanay Gaming, who has a 663k follower on Facebook.
Aside from those mentioned above, there are more unknown game streamers making their efforts to be recognized. As the quotation stated, everyone is trying to be part of the steamroll because they don’t want to be just a part of the road.
However, the rise of gaming streamers has greatly brought in toxicity in the community. While some are doing it to earn a profit, some are just really out of it. No one starts from the top; they all crawl from the bottom. Then, why some rising stars who used to be so accommodating and loved by many turned into someone fans do not know anymore.
Indeed, this platform has its survival for the fittest theme. It is pretty normal that they would really rip each other apart but not to the extent they’d actually brawl against each other just to retain their social status.
Moreover, no one in the right mind who’d actually use his or her platform to humiliate or publicly call out someone when their ego has been bruised. Negative feedbacks are normal, it may be pretty hurtful on someone’s side, but it should be used as a motivation to do better. Although some are really out of line, it is beyond our control. However, these negative comments should be ignored instead of using the platform or having the fans gang up against the person who commented such. First, the stream is publicly open for all. Expect that diverse people who have seen the live/stream will not really support the streamer. Some may, well, express their support, and some will do otherwise.
One thing that is somehow off the beat on the rise of streamers are these people who blatantly use their beauty, physical appearance rather to fish viewers or supporters but lacks skills. No hate as anyone could be a streamer. However, those who deserve to be appreciated have their spotlight stolen by someone who casually flexes their body. It is a culture that someone should not practice, as viewers vary from youngsters, teenagers to young adults, and so on. Such content is not suitable for younger viewers.
One streaming community culture that should not be practiced is when people openly talk rated-18 topics during live streams. That is the downside of the streaming community; it is beyond human control. Hence, one should be accountable for their actions. However, some get away from it quickly by having the sympathy of the fans.
Sometimes, the platform is being used as clout to rise from fame. It should be a fun environment; however, people who are overly competitive ruins it.
Either way, the rise of the streaming community somehow blessed the quarantine life of the people. People who stream for fun brought a good laugh and entertainment to people who are somehow losing hope due to the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The streaming community is just like nerium oleander in the Mediterranean. It is exotic as only a few earns profit from it despite the fact that anyone can be a streamer, but the fame or recognition it gives can be poisonous.
Such field is not stable as other careers that even professional players could not settle well after rising from fame. The more you flap your wings hard in this field, the harder and painful it will be when you fall on the ground.
There will be other people who will steal the spotlight that a certain individual enjoying today. The bottom line here is that the more creative and entertaining the offer, the more the viewers get enticed to patronize the streamer.
