Background and Introduction

As someone with a background in Film and Television studies, video sharing platforms like YouTube and Vimeo are of special interest to me.

Even newer platforms like Twitch are interesting and still have a lot of research to be done on them. 

I presented at last summer's Intersections/Cross-Sections conference in Toronto to discuss the ramification that Twitch has on younger audiences.

The way that developing minds--especially young minds with neurological differences--are shaped by media stimulus is my primary interest of study. That said, a lot of new media takes place on Web 2.0. Articles, Tweets, Snaps, Stories, YouTube Videos, Streams, etc.

To give an example, some children have a neurological disorder called RAD, or Reactive Attachment Disorder. A kid with RAD will tend to attach themselves to authoriry figures extremely quickly. This can make things as simple as saying goodbye to the teacher after school quite difficult. It can also be managed effectively if the teacher (or any authority figure) is able to rationally detach themself from the child. This in mind, some children with RAD have began to reactively attach to content creators, and it makes a lot of sense.

Think about this - if a child has a parasocial relationship with a full-time Twitch streamer, then they may very well look up to the streamer and value their presence. In most cases, this will not severely affect a child with RAD because most people that they would develop a parasocial relationship with are celebrities, and they are largely inaccessible. Twitch streamers, on the other hand, make their living talking at the camera for 8 or more hours a day. It's a perfect storm for a child with RAD. 

Is this even a bad thing, though? It depends on the internet personality. Some people are excellent role models, and some aren't. Regardless, it isn't like Twitch streamers are trained by a PR specialist the same way that most celebrities are.