Now, some might say because I don’t partake in the Twitch streaming endeavor, I shouldn’t be voicing my opinion on this matter, but I feel like I have to in this case as I’ve seen more and more people risk their health and well-being for a unstable career path that will ultimately lead to pain and suffering. And making it seem like this pain being endured is a good thing, neglecting the ramification to one’s health.
Often times you’ll hear other streamers say that in order to succeed on the platform, you gotta put in the work. As in, stream unholy amount of hours to compete with other people for the audience’s attention. This is a sentiment that is shared among all the streamers, and is one that I can’t co-sign with. I’ve heard streamers explain and complain that streaming is a tough and toxic lifestyle that eats away at their physical and mental health. A typical streamer who takes this hobby seriously will often times stream from anywhere of six to ten hours day to try and “make it”. They rarely take breaks, for taking even 5 mins of break on a stream could result in a huge drop in viewership, meaning that essentially, a streamer is chained to his seat for the duration of the stream. It’s an uphill battle, especially in a time where out attention span has severely diminished.
They can’t even afford to take any days off, due to fear of falling into irrelevancy. Not only that but most have succumbed to performing outrageous tasks or behaviors in order to entertain & maintain their viewers. From their perspective, this is the equivalent of being your own boss. Most would prefer to stream 8 hours a day than to work at a 9-5. However, I feel like a lot of these people don’t seem to realize just how unstable that career path is in reality, especially those who’ve quit their jobs without knowing if they’ll making it or not, making streaming their one and only revenue stream. Of course, some are wise and have translated their fame into multiple sources of income, however this cannot be said for everyone.
The fact that you “feel” like you can’t take a break or rest for a long period of time (aside from sleeping), coupled with the inconsistency of viewership, spells disaster to your mental and physical health in my book. Truth be told, there needs to be a discussion to about this type of work, as more and more people are falling into this trap without realizing what they’re doing to their bodies. Researches has linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns. They include obesity and a cluster of conditions — increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels — that make up metabolic syndrome.
Every time you bring this topic up, people that already invested in this field tend to become defensive, which I can understand to some degree, but it has to be said. Seeing as you’re competing with millions online, why kill yourself for only 20 viewers. I’d say to stream smart and make your time valuable to them. I’m sure two hours a day could yiled the same results, no?
Let me know what you guys think about this.
