Self-Isolated but Not Alone: Community Management Work in the Time of a Pandemic

Perks, Matthew E.

doi:10.1080/01490400.2020.1773999

Cited by 11 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Contact restrictions force people to try new ways to stay in touch with their family and friends and spend their leisure time together. For example, Perks (2020) found that the number of people playing online games has increased since COVID-19. In general, media is particularly useful for reinventing leisure activities ( Meisner, 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alone Together: Computer-Mediated Communication in Leisure Time During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021

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In spring 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a global pandemic and several lockdowns were followed in Germany. To weaken the spread of the virus, SARS-CoV-2, people were required to reduce their face-to-face contact with others. Computer-mediated communication (CMC) offers opportunities to stay in touch with important people and still meets social needs. During the first lockdown in spring 2020, we collected data from 679 participants to explore the role of CMC for social interaction in the context of leisure activities and how personal characteristics contribute to such media use. Results showed that people complied with the restriction and shifted their communication to several media, especially instant messengers and video calls. Many leisure activities were performed via CMC, especially low-key activities, such as just talking or simply spending time together. Perceived social closeness to others was positively related to the quality and quantity of CMC. The extent of leisure activities that people experienced with others via communication media was higher among younger individuals, males, and individuals with higher scores on positive state affect, extraversion, openness, and fear of missing out. The preference for solitude showed a negative relation. The motivation to continue using media for communication after the pandemic was strongly related to the quality and quantity of actual use. Low extraversion and high openness were related to higher motivation for future use. Implications such as the importance of providing fast internet and good usability of communication media as well as the relevance of increasing media literacy of people are discussed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alone Together: Computer-Mediated Communication in Leisure Time During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021

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“…By contrast, researchers and players have suggested the pandemic could exacerbate problematic play patterns ( King, Delfabbro, Billieux, & Potenza, 2020 ; Sun et al, 2020 ) or online toxicity ( Emmerich, Krekhov, & Krüger, 2020 ; Orlando, 2020 ; Perks, 2020 ). In an ongoing survey study, Emmerich et al (2020) evaluated player perceptions of toxicity in eight popular games.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The authors attributed these perceived changes to players’ high levels of pandemic-related stress, which potentially increased the likelihood of toxic behavior as well as others’ sensitivity to negativity. Perks (2020) argued that, with many new users joining gaming, Twitch, or esports spaces, “the emotional demand of managing pro-social behavior online is draining for community managers, especially when many are socializing online for potentially the first time” ( Perks, 2020 , p. 178). Mechanics for managing online experiences were not always prepared for the influx of new community participants.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

The COVID Season: U.S. Collegiate Esports Programs’ Material Challenges and Opportunities During the 2020–21 Pandemic

et al. 2022

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, universities were among the first institutions to shift to an online model. As they did so, nascent collegiate esports program lost access to campus spaces and in-person connections, potentially destabilizing this rising industry. Conversely, universities also worked to provide students remote access to resources, and many components of esports already occur online. Therefore, collegiate esports may have adjusted to distancing measures, potentially strengthening their footholds on US campuses. This paper draws on in-depth interviews with collegiate esports players, student employees, program directors, and administrators to address different programs’ reactions to the pandemic, specifically the challenges and opportunities they faced. Overall, interviews reveal how COVID-19 shifted the understandings of and practices around gaming and esports, highlighted the intermittent relationship of online and offline spheres, and presented various possibilities and challenges for different stakeholders during the global pandemic.

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“…Consequently, many newcomers joined the platform, confronting its established users with new challenges. While Perks [31] has addressed the challenges of community managers within online communities such as YouTube and Twitch in times of the pandemic, little is known about the behavioral reactions of established streamers to the pandemic and the pandemic-related social alterations within their communities. Wollborn et al [32] showed that established streamers on Twitch experienced an increase in viewership during the initial stages of the pandemic, which indicates that their communities are growing; however, with increasing viewer numbers, meaningful personal connections and social interactions are rather difficult to establish and/or maintain, as empirical evidence suggests that audience size can affect the form and quality of interactions [30,20].…”

Section: Related Work and Aimmentioning

confidence: 99%

When a Pandemic Enters the Game: The Initial and Prolonged Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Live-Stream Broadcasters on Twitch

Scerbakov¹,

Pirker²,

Kappe³

2022

Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences

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The global COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the popularity of video games and online-gaming platforms. However, little research is devoted to understanding how the pandemic has affected gamers, especially live-stream broadcasters. Therefore, our study aimed to evaluate the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on established streamers on Twitch. By using a longitudinal time-series design and focusing on a large sample (N = 23,019) of broadcasters, we were able to determine the initial as well as prolonged effects of the pandemic on their streaming behavior. Our results suggest that the pandemic was a "game changer" for the target group, especially in regard to their choice of game settings and their focus on non-gaming content. Relating the data obtained from the target group of established streamers to the general platform data, we discuss the pandemic-related platform dynamics.

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Self-Isolated but Not Alone: Community Management Work in the Time of a Pandemic

Cited by 11 publications

References 19 publications

Alone Together: Computer-Mediated Communication in Leisure Time During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

Alone Together: Computer-Mediated Communication in Leisure Time During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID Season: U.S. Collegiate Esports Programs’ Material Challenges and Opportunities During the 2020–21 Pandemic

When a Pandemic Enters the Game: The Initial and Prolonged Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Live-Stream Broadcasters on Twitch

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