Twitch

Twitch is the go-to streaming platform for gamers and streamers. It was founded by Web Developer Justin Kan in 2011 (Martin, 2023). This now Amazon-owned platform is where millions gather for live interactive entertainment. The app and website allow creators to stream various content to diverse audiences. 

Some key aspects of Twitch: 

• Liveliness 

• Diversity in content 

• Blurred lines between journalism, activism, and politics (professional identity/boundaries) 

• Engagement between streamer and viewer/audience (Price, 2024)

Twitch is a platform where people can be creative and build communities. This platform constantly allows for streamer-to-viewer connection and is an environment that is continually expanding. With the help of Twitch and other social media platforms, people who may not have had a sound community before can feel like they are a part of something. Twitch was designed to promote social interaction, encouraging discussion between strangers. One of the great aspects of Twitch is that it's there for people who deal with difficult situations in their lives (Scott, 2022). 

One of the most interesting parts about Twitch is that you can watch pretty much anything in real time. There's always someone who's streaming content on there, from gaming to gaming tutorials and e-sporting events. 

Like all social media platforms, Twitch is subject to the negative aspects of social media, from the debate about whether it makes us less social or intelligent to cyberbullying, mental health issues, inappropriate content, influencers portraying themselves in an unauthentic way, and even dangerous situations. But when it comes down to anyone portraying themselves online to mass audiences or viewers, are they portraying their true selves? And if they are, how are they portraying themselves? In Monica T. Whitty's Revealing the "Real" Me, she shares some of Erving Goffman's thoughts about how one presents themselves daily in everyday encounters. He says the ‘self-as-performer’ is not merely a social product but has an essential motivational core.

Meanwhile, the ‘self-as-character’ represents one's unique humanity. It is this part of the self which is a social product that's performed outwardly in social life. The ‘self-as-character’ is one’s inner self. He believed that people must present themselves so that others will accept them (Whitty, 2007). In today's world, many people of various ages use social media. How one portrays oneself can be problematic, especially when some influencers or streamers have younger audiences. Sometimes, unrealistic expectations painted by influential people can affect how a person in the general public will view themselves.