Streaming into the Void: An Analysis of Microstreaming Trends and Behaviors Utilizing a Demand Framework

Abstract

Thiswork introduces the concept of 'microstreaming' to describe individuals who livestream their hobbies to small audiences for little to no financial reward. Much research into streaming focuses on revenue and transactional costs from a labor/playbor perspective, but such approaches do not completely capture the largely intrinsic typical of 'microstreamers.' Recent research into microstreamers employing a range of methods across observational and laboratory settings pointed to a range of cognitive, emotional, physical, and social demands reportedsome that detracted from and some that enhanced the experience. These examples suggest that a demand framework is another important model for examining microstreamers, which has implications for understating microstreaming behaviors and experiences across multiple platforms and interactions.

Streaming Small Shared Spaces: Exploring the Connectedness of The Physical Spaces of Microstreamers and Their Audience

“…As a preliminary investigation, we viewed 17 microstreamers that represented a variety of different activities, as microstreaming is not restricted to videogames (Phelps, Consalvo, & Bowman, 2021). Over 20 weeks, we observed these same streamers multiple times per week, and compiled field notes on prominent objects or scenery in the scene, as well as extraneous interactions such as a pets or other people wandering through the environment.…”

Twitch in the time of quarantine: The role of engagement in needs fulfillment.

“…Twitch has historically provided gamers a chance to Daily Twitch Viewership for Early 2020 Note. This chart was populated using SullyGnome (2020) daily Twitch viewership data from January 1 to April 30. destress while streaming gameplay (Phelps et al, 2021). For those seeking to reduce their anxiety through social contact (Rimé, 2009;Schachter, 1959), Twitch provides synchronous chat.…”

Shared Spaces as Authenticity: Exploring the Connectedness of the Physical Environments of Microstreamers and their Audience

“…One such artifact is the physical location of the stream-the space portrayed on camera that the streamer intentionally or unintentionally shares with their audience. Below, we discuss these shared spaces as shared places, and discuss the social demands of sharing one's personal space through streaming [3][4] [6] [7].…”

“…The current study represents a preliminary and exploratory attempt to better understand how microstreamers share their environments as part of their live-streamed activities. One suggestion posited elsewhere [3][22] is that microstreaming behaviors might appear more authentic and intimate, as the spaces that house the streaming are temporarily repurposed from the microstreamer's home environment. Given this framing, the research team was engaged in two primary research questions in examining these phenomena.…”

“…This paper examines shared space in live streaming, defined as streamers either intentionally or unintentionally sharing their physical spaces with an audience. While much of the research on streaming has focused on larger streams with advertising potential and/or connection to esports phenomena [1] [2], there is emerging research on the concept of "microstreaming"-streams whose audiences are often as low as single digits [3]-and their importance as smaller, more intimate spaces. One aspect of these microstreams that is underexplored is the idea of shared space in a physical sense (the invitation of the viewer into the home of the streamer).…”