Why a lot of streamers are not getting attention

I see many streamers online that struggle to get enough people to care about their stream. Typically their viewers consist of friends and family, or none at all. They put in the hours, they have all the latest effects and features you can expect of a streamer, they have all the social media, discord, etc. But still nobody watches.

Why?

I think many creative streamers seem to misunderstand what “entertainment” really is. People are attracted to streamers who make them feel good about themselves. It’s not to worship the performer, or simply because they are impressed you did a thing. If you make them feel good, they will associate you with good feelings, and that is the basis of attraction. That’s when you get fans and begin to build a community. Focus on your people, learn about them, their lives. Make them the center of everything you do. Be magnetic.

If what you’re making, and your brand sense-tone don’t make people feel cool, or feel good about their own life, then that’s on you. It would be like having sex and completely focusing on getting yourself off, then being surprised the other person wasn’t super into it.

I think for real, most people’s streams as they develop their craft doesn’t even make them feel good. The thing that makes them feel good about it is that they established something and worked out technical details. They bought some new fancy equipment that makes them feel more like a streamer. Get over yourself, get out of your own head. It is not all about you. The opposite is true. You are putting on a show for other people, so they can gasp and applaud and be shocked and teased and rewarded. Whether you like it or not you are trying to be a successful entertainer: priority number one is make the audience feel something good, they will like you for it.

What’s With the Rise of Streamers?

• Chanel Thorpe
• Oct 10, 2025
• 2 min read

Is streaming becoming a new norm?

By Chanel Thorpe

A “streamer” is defined as “a person who broadcasts video or audio footage of themselves live over the internet, typically while playing a game or engaging in everyday activities, and interacting with followers at the same time.” This concept has long been popular, but it has primarily appealed to a specific demographic: boys and young men. According to Streamscheme, about 80% of Twitch users are male, and about 20% are female as of July 2023. Back in 2017, the percentage of male users was 83.5%. Twitch streaming has always been a world primarily dominated by boys and young men watching other men play games on their gaming setups, interacting with them and being able to support their favorite Twitch streamers in real time. 

Streaming has become a lot more mainstream as another way for individuals to both promote themselves and have steady, more frequent contact with their fans (and even earn more money). Growing Twitch streamers like Vanillamace and Katie B have grown their platforms tremendously through Twitch streaming. Vanillamace started her journey on YouTube first, but quickly switched to  streaming on Twitch because it directly helped her achieve her goals within the realm of social media. Katie simultaneously started on Twitch and YouTube  — YouTube specifically for collaborating with others, vlogging, doing challenges and posting some of her streaming content on there for viewers who missed out. 

The rise of Twitch streaming and TikTok content demonstrates that the attention span of Gen-Z’ers is getting shorter. The ability to “clip” different parts of a stream and then post it on TikTok to attract more attention to their stream is not only smart, but incredibly easy to do. With TikTok being one of the leading social media platforms for Gen-Z, it makes sense to have one platform in which you can do long-winded content for hours that is highly interactive, and have a second platform where you can post the funniest, short “clippable” content that can go viral.

It makes sense why streamers are at an all-time high and why they are still growing today. It’s fun, collaborative and easy to garner attention from how much content it brings. Compared to shorter, high-effort YouTube videos, streaming encompasses all of that and more.

Binge-Watching and Your Health

Three Ways Long-Term TV Viewing Affects You

Updated August 2024

Streaming platforms are changing the way we watch television. With access to thousands of TV shows, movies and documentaries, we can watch just about anything we want, mostly commercial-free, at any time, day or night.

In the United States, people watch an average of 21 hours of streamed digital media each week, and 99% of all households subscribe to at least one streaming service.

Watching anywhere between two and six episodes of a TV series in one sitting is a behavior called binge-watching, and it can have a negative impact on your health. Before you curl up for your next binge, here are three health considerations you should know.

Binge-Watching Is Like a Drug

 Marathon viewing can adversely affect your relationships, goals and commitments. 

— Danesh A. Alam, MD

Did you know binge-watching your favorite series could produce a “high?” It’s true.

When you’re engaged in an activity you enjoy, your brain produces dopamine — a chemical that promotes feelings of pleasure, excitement and happiness. The release of dopamine helps us feel good, and it results in a “high” similar to that induced by drugs and other substances with addictive qualities. Your brain craves more and more, and as long as you continue to binge, your brain produces dopamine.

No wonder 73% of people surveyed by Netflix reported having positive feelings when they binge-watch.

“Our behaviors and thoughts, when repeated over time, can become actual neural patterns and habits that are hard to break or change,” says Northwestern Medicine Psychiatrist Danesh A. Alam, MD.

As a result, binge-watching can adversely affect your relationships, goals and commitments. You may struggle to manage how much time you spend watching TV, or you may find that you need to continually increase the time you spend watching TV to experience the same degree of satisfaction. You may become defensive, irritable or unreasonable when asked to stop, and you may even start lying to cover up your binge-watching.

Binge-Watching Can Make You Feel Isolated

Watching TV has traditionally been a way to wind down. It can bring temporary relief from the daily stress of work, school and parenting. With multiple streaming platforms and multiple ways to view a show, it’s easy to zone out for hours at a time.

However, binge-watching makes it easy to disconnect from other people. In fact, there is a strong link between the use of digital technologies and an increase in loneliness among individuals. People may often feel a sense of melancholy or feelings of frustration and emptiness after watching multiple episodes of a TV show in a row.

Binge-Watching Impacts Your Sleep  

Staying up late to keep up with cliffhangers can have real-world consequences. Research shows that staying up late may make you feel frustrated at losing out on sleep. This frustration can interfere with your ability to sleep, leaving you feeling tired and drained the next day.

There are other negative health effects, including:

• Depression and anxiety. Research has found a strong link between binge-watching and mental health problems such as depression, insomnia, anxiety, stress, and loneliness.
• Back problems. Posture is an important part of spine health. Poor posture while watching TV can cause your spine to be curved or weak, leading to back pain and musculoskeletal issues.
• Lack of physical activity. If you’re spending more time on the couch and less time exercising, your risk for heart disease, including stroke, is higher. 

Tips for Managing Binge-Watching

• Limit yourself to a certain (small) number of episodes, like two or three at a time. When you’ve reached your limit, turn off the TV and move on to something else.
• Set a time limit by deciding the amount of time you watch TV per night. Use a timer for accountability.
• Balance TV viewing with other activities, such as physical exercise, seeing friends and reading.
• Keep lights turned on in the viewing area and your home so you don’t lose sense of time.
• Make it a social thing and invite friends or family members to watch TV with you. Chat with fellow fans about characters, plots and cliffhangers.

You may start out planning to just watch one episode, but if you burn through an entire season in one sitting, it may be time to reassess.

Learn more about addiction.