The Culture and Cultures of Twitch
Chapter
Author(s) / editor(s):
Mark R. Johnson
Year: 2025
Abstract:
This chapter explores the culture and cultures of leading live streaming website Twitch. It describes and critically positions the dominant gaming culture on the site and how integral Twitch has become to gaming culture and sociality, before then addressing a number of counter-cultures which complicate and challenge some of these gaming norms around competition, ‘hardcore’ play, masculinity, and neoliberal aspiration. This includes the parodying and ironic referencing of ‘Gamer’ concepts and ideals, so-called ‘wholesome’ Twitch channels designed to be ‘cozy’ or particularly friendly to their viewers, very politically engaged channels which sit opposed to the apolitical stances of many streamers, and many others. The chapter also explores the role of emojis or ‘emotes’ on Twitch, as well as relating ethnographic data from the site’s annual in-person TwitchCon events, and what those observations can tell us about both the online and offline elements of this emerging digital culture.
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111316857-048
Post created by: interculture.de e.V.