Platforms want you to live-stream. Here's why you shouldn't.

What do all "lolcows" have in common? They began daily live-streaming.

Today’s trend report is going to be about an internet trend I personally have a fear about. Despite this fear and personal repulsion to it, I can understand that this train is leaving the station whether I am on it or not. And I am okay with that.

It is up to you decide if you want to get on this train or not. I am going to tell you the pro’s and the cons. And the train I am referring to is live-streaming.

While live-streaming can lead to immense virality and an active, but not loyal, following (I will get to my theories on why live-streamers have such an odd relationship with their viewers later), it seems to come at the biggest cost in the game that is being a creator.

Live-streamers pay to play in the game of social media through the currency of humiliation. The more they are willing to humiliate themselves or others around them, the more they grow.

Earlier this year, I had a meeting with a big platform and they recommend I live-stream for at least 90-minutes a session for at least 3 times a week. If that is what it took to grow on their platform, I was okay with staying where I was at.

I am going to get into the odd relationship that creators who live-stream have with their audience and why I believe platforms want more and more people to live-stream, despite there being a clear pattern of this leading to humiliation and harassment.

Before I get into the pattern of LIVE creators who end up being the subject of self-humiliation then eventual mass, public harassment; let’s be fair and talk about some of the “wins” in the live-stream space.

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THE WINS:

1. Kai Cenat

Kai Cenat became the most-subscribed to Twitch streamer in early 2023. He has featured the likes of Kevin Hart, 21 Savage and Nicki Minaj on his live-streams. His cheetah print bedroom has become a set for some of the most viral moments with the music industry’s A-list stars. He recently finished a 30-day stream which he promoted alongside Kim Kardashian.

In August of 2023, he was arrested by NYPD for causing a riot after attempting a giveaway in Union Square. The charges were dropped once he paid $55,000 in restitution.

I do not believe this was a malicious event. I believe it was an example of someone who did not realize the power of his audience and the specific nature of someone who religiously watches a live-streamer.

I believe active viewers of live-streams often have three traits:

1. Early Adopters of Technology

2. Lonely

3. Lots of Free Time

To learn how to navigate an interface as confusing as Twitch or the TikTok LIVE page, you have to be somewhat good at navigating newer and often confusing technology. These apps are not intuitive. They will be one day but they are not yet.

Someone who watches live-streams is most likely lonely. This is not a bad thing, just an observation.

If you are watching something as mundane as a 24-hour long livestream, you are not doing it for entertainment but for companionship.

Oftentimes, they will have a live-stream on while playing games or doing something else. They want the feeling of being in the room with someone else.

When Kai Cenat made an announcement on social media to meet him in a NYC park for a giveaway, he most likely did not expect thousands of teenagers to show up. Compound this with the fact that it was summer break for most kids and pandemonium broke out.

Lonely teens + extra free time + an advanced understanding of technology = Chaos for a live-streamer hosting a meet up

2. Canvas Beauty’s Million-Dollar TikTok LIVE:

Another example of a live-streamer who recently found success would be when Canvas Girl Beauty became the first TikTok LIVE to reach $1,000,000 in sales during a singular live-stream.

According to Marketplace Pulse, Canvas Beauty set the record on June 6th, 2024 when their stream reached $1,000,000 in sales.

Shopping while watching a live-stream has become a huge commerce trend in China, especially with ByteDance-owned Douyin. TikTok has been attempting to recreate this commercial success.

While I do see it as smart, I believe TikTok Shop is a hot mess and actually lessens the value of an American brand if they appear on there. I have talked about this in a previous trend report here.

While success can happen for live-streamers, I believe that it often leads to mass harassment and self-humiliation. So be aware of the cost before you buy into the game.

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