Streaming Platforms – The Positive And Negative Effects On Children

Streaming platforms have their advantages and specifications. You should decide which platform is better according to your needs. Let’s look at these platforms separately. If you are also interested in how gaming affects your children, take a look at our article on this topic.

Facebook Live Streaming Platform

Facebook is one of the most powerful platforms to attract your audience; many people are using it. Especially the companies that use video marketing.

Benefits of Facebook Live

1. Attract a broad range of audiences: As we all know, despite all the scandals, Facebook is still one of the top social media platforms. Millions of people use it every day. This means that if you live stream on Facebook, you will get a broad audience.
2. Promote your live video like a paid advertisement: If you want to advertise on Facebook, consider video ads-they can easily get people’s attention.
3. Reactions and real-time comments: Viewers will have the opportunity to comment on your live video, share, or at least like it. This is a great way to understand how interesting live video is.

YouTube Live Streaming Platform

Streaming to YouTube usually means having high-quality real-time video. If it’s okay to broadcast poorly on Facebook, it’s not like YouTube. Here, the live broadcast quality is of utmost importance, and you need to make sure you use the right equipment. The benefits of streaming to YouTube are as follows:

1. Your videos last longer: On Facebook, real-time information sources are preferable to evergreen content. Facebook audiences are looking for the latest updates, and YouTube is a video library containing evergreen video content. Even if your live video is over, there may be more people watching it later.
2. Your videos will be easier to find: YouTube is the second largest search engine. If someone is looking for information in your niche, they will find your channel. If you are interested in their content, they will subscribe to your channel and get notified when you start live streaming.
3. Monetization is straightforward: If your channel is optimized and has enough subscribers, you can profit from advertising.

Twitch Live

This platform is trendy among gamers. Twitch is used for streaming, and its newly launched Twitch Studios is easier for beginners. Currently,  Twitch Studio is a free software designed to simplify the required setup process for streaming games and overall streaming management.

Most players rely on third parties to stream content like OBS or Xsplit program streams. It can be a bit of a threshold for those who are just beginning. So, Twitch has designed this specifically for those who think “how to become a streamer or try to think and give up because it is too difficult.”

Twitch Studio is designed for streaming through Twitch; there is a build process that automatically detects the hardware you are using, and then optimizes your streaming settings for your particular connection speed.

Some advantages of streaming to Twitch

1. Watch your favorite game stream
2. Interact with players during the live broadcast
3. Profit from your information flow

Switch? Twist? No, Twitch!

Twitch isn’t for everyone, unlike mass social media. This platform, owned by the giant Amazon since 2014, is a video game streaming service and programs on the subject. It is possible to see people playing their favorite games, whether popular, recent, or not, and that life. Visitors to their channel can then comment on what they see and interact with the player in question. While this may seem trivial or unappealing as a platform, you should know that Twitch has over 100 million monthly active users, according to the latest estimates, and the number is growing steadily, especially among those 25 and under. We, therefore, advise you to take this Amazon property seriously.

In addition to creating live videos and building a community, Twitch allows its creators to be paid. Indeed, a follower can decide to subscribe to a channel starting at the US $ 4.99 per month or can also decide to donate in bits (the virtual currency of Twitch) or cash. While a certain portion of the donations goes to Amazon, it would seem easier to monetize your content with Twitch than with YouTube. However, there are a few conditions that must be met before you can be paid.

Opportunities and Risks of Online Video Game Streaming Platforms

Opportunities

Development of various skills:

Video games stimulate thinking skills, spatial orientation, fine motor skills, teamwork, and creativity.

Playful discovery of the world of digital media

Today, children are confronted with digital media at an earlier age. Educational video games make it easier for them to access this universe and help develop their media skills.

Entertainment and a sense of belonging

Video games are an integral part of youth culture. Whether individually, in pairs, or a group, playing helps overcome boredom, provides topics for conversation, and reinforces a sense of belonging to a community.

Developing Problem Solving Strategies

Games often involve solving complex problems, which require finding creative solutions and exercising strategic thinking.

Real-world vs. virtual world experience

When playing, children learn to go from real to virtual, and vice versa. Playing different characters is incredibly fun here. The possibilities are endless.

Intercultural experiences

Thanks to the interconnection of the digital world, the player is part of a global community, in which he plays in different languages ​​with internet users living all over the world.

Sense of success and immersion (flow)

The games give a feeling of satisfaction, both to beginners and experienced players. And much more: anyone who has ever experienced an extraordinary game, mastered the game well, and progressed from level to level, knows how immersion feels.

Risks

Excessive use

A person who plays a lot for a given period is not necessarily addicted. However, studies show that online addiction is often expressed in the form of video game addiction. In online role-playing games, players quickly and strongly identify with their character, continuously improving and improving. As many challenges have to be overcome as a group, players feel obligated to be there at all times. In young people, especially those who already have other problems, it can lead to problematic use with negative consequences. 

Unsuitable content

Children and adolescents can quickly come across game content of a violent, sexual, discriminatory, or other nature, which is not suitable for their age. It is easy to bypass age limits or click on links that lead to content unsuitable for young people in online games.

In-game purchases, loot boxes, and other cost traps

In-app purchases allow content, features, or improvements to unlock with payment. So even initially, free games can end up straining the budget. Another phenomenon is what is called loot boxes; they are treasure chests or virtual goody bags. They contain accessories, such as clothes or pieces of equipment, which are not essential for the game’s continuation. Depending on the game, these objects open when a particular objective is reached or for a payment. Finally, in games operating on the pay-to-win model, some progress can only be made through additional payments. Usually, additional purchases are made hastily, when the credit card number or bank details are saved in the App Store and do not require a password to be entered. Almost all video games also have an online variant, sometimes based on a subscription system, which incurs regular costs.

Other players

Some internet users may behave inappropriately. E.g., Insult, tyrannize, manipulate, deceive the players, or be aggressive. Also, it is not always clear who is hiding under a profile. Due to the relationships they build throughout the play; Children may be tricked into revealing personal information or meeting strangers in real life.

Escape from Everyday Life

The fascinating world of video games and the possibility of playing different characters can inspire children and adolescents to take refuge in the virtual universe to escape problems that arise in real life.

The positive and negative effects of streaming platforms on children

In recent years, with the rapid development of Internet technology and the continuous innovation of new media technology, streaming has become a new type of network activity. This convenient and low-access live broadcast method provides everyone with an opportunity to express them. Under this situation, its audience is becoming wider and wider, and the majority of young people have become the main force of the online live streaming audience. They have grown up in information and technology. In the new era, it is the easiest to try and accept new things, and it is also easy to be negatively affected by streaming. Please pay attention to the impact of streaming platforms on young people, especially the impact of their outlook on life.

Features of Streaming

　　Streaming is a new type of network activity that is rapidly emerging under the impetus of the new media technology revolution. Compared with the previous network communication mode, it has the following characteristics:

“Free” live broadcast

　　There is plenty of flexibility in this type of broadcast. From the host’s perspective, as long as the live broadcast is fully equipped and the host is willing, the live broadcast can be carried out anytime and anywhere. From the perspective of live broadcast audiences, there are no specific arrangements and requirements for live streaming programs, and viewers can flexibly choose the time to watch the program. With the continuous technological innovation of communication tools and equipment, audiences’ channels to watch online live streaming are becoming more diversified. The audience can open live streaming software to watch the program at any time, and the place to watch the live streaming is not restricted so that the general audience can completely get rid of Space constraints and time constraints.

　　On the other hand, it is manifested in the freedom of choice of live content. The choice of live streaming content depends entirely on the anchor’s preferences. Yesterday it was rock music, today it is Chinese style, and tomorrow it may be American country music. For the audience, it is even free. They can freely choose live programs according to their preferences, whether it is a food program, or a music program, either a talk show or a live game streaming.

Secularization of live content

　　Because of its convenience, the number of streaming platforms has risen sharply. As a result, the number of streaming audiences has also soared. The live broadcaster is no longer a dedicated anchor practitioner, but as long as there is a live streaming platform, everyone can be a streamer. Because of this, live broadcast content is more secular. There are streams about eating meals, play games, talk about gossip, and even live sleep broadcast. Due to the increasingly fierce competition of online live broadcasts, many streamers have no moral and legal bottom lines for eyeballs and become shallower. Offensive content is on the live streaming platform, and people’s moral bottom line is continuously taking a hit, and some live broadcast rooms even broadcast offensive and inferior content.

The popularization of live streaming subjects and objects

　　On the one hand, the requirements for streamers to apply for live streaming are very low. If you want to stream live, applicants only need to provide a photo of the front and back of their ID card, as well as a half-length photo holding the ID card. After the live broadcast platform verifies successfully, the applicant can start the live broadcast. The network anchor group composition is very complicated, and there are no restrictions on political outlook, education, age, nationality, etc. After successful identity verification, the streamer can start streaming anytime and anywhere directly through the mobile APP or PC platform.

　　On the other hand, the audience requirements for watching live streaming are straightforward. Just download the live streaming software or go to the streaming platform website. After a simple registration, you can directly enter the live streaming platform and choose the live streams. This also causes the number of web live broadcast objects to increase unabated main reason.

The negative impact of streaming on young people’s outlook on life

　　The outlook on life is people’s general views and opinions on issues, such as life purpose, life attitude, and life values. The main content of the outlook on life includes the purpose of life, the attitude to life, and the value of life. The purpose of life answers why people live, the attitude of life answers how people should live, and the value of life answers what life is worth. The negative effects of streaming platforms on young people’s outlook on life are as follows:

Form the wrong bitter optimism

　　In the eyes of many teenagers, the monthly income of live streamers is very high. These streamers sit in the house, chat with their fans, sing, and play games. Some dancing streamers are not professional dancers, but scratch their heads and make poses. It seems that they don’t need to work hard. Work and hard work can easily make a fortune. If this concept takes the mainstream, young people will develop the concept of good leisure and evil work, thinking that the greatest pursuit of life is to enjoy in time, but will not understand that a happy life is based on hard work. The idea of ​​getting something for nothing will be deeply ingrained. If this is the case for a long time, they will become sluggish and degraded generation.

Form a wrong view of life and death

　　At present, the competition of streaming is becoming increasingly fierce. To gain attention, the live content of some streaming platforms has repeatedly broken the bottom line. These live streamers will not allow young people to understand the lofty views of life and death, such as “killing one’s body and becoming benevolent,” “giving up one’s life for righteousness,” and “death for what is right.” If they lack a correct view of life and death, it will bring a lot of confusion and harm to their healthy growth and may lead them to the path of crime.

The formation of wrong views of beauty and ugliness

　　Many live streams continue to challenge traditional morality, aesthetics, and cultural bottom lines to increase popularity and gain people’s attention, so that aesthetics has quietly become an “appreciation of ugliness.” Many streamers pretend to be crazy and silly, and they even ridicule the wonderful traditional cultural treasures, unscrupulously spoof historical greats, edit classic poems, and mock disadvantaged groups. During the “creation” process of some Internet celebrity streamer, the content is vulgar and has no cultural value or real aesthetic value. It is easy for most young people to have a vague understanding of beauty and ugliness, and the distinction between beauty and ugliness is not clear. If “appreciation of ugliness” becomes the cultural life habit of young people, then the future generation won’t be exciting.

Form the wrong view of right and wrong

　　The streaming lacks adequate supervision, and the quality of the streamer varies from good to bad. Most of the attitudes toward society, life, and feelings that it spreads are harmful and wrong. Teenagers usually have poor judgment. They think that what their favorite streamers are doing is right, and even if these streamers break the law. For example: taking drugs and drunk driving, they will find various reasons to justify them. If young people lack fundamental right and wrong concepts, then personal morality, social morality, laws, and regulations will be significantly subverted.

Countermeasures and feasibility suggestions

The streaming platform must establish a good sense of social responsibility

　　First of all, to supervise live streaming content, the live streaming platform should take primary responsibility. Some unsuitable content will have a certain impact on the outlook of the majority of young people. The web live broadcast platform cannot ignore the responsibility of the media. It must strictly control the live content and eliminate the vulgarity. Simultaneously, the live broadcast platform must arrange for special supervisors to supervise the live broadcast from time to time. As long as there are violations, they must not be soft and deal with them in a timely and serious manner.

Secondly, strengthen the literacy training of network streamers. Although the current access requirements for streaming are not high, it does not mean that there are no high requirements for the quality of streamers themselves. As the host of the live streaming, the streaming platform must comply with ethics and laws as the criteria and prerequisites to provide relevant training to the majority of streamers to improve their quality.

Active guidance from family and school

　　From the family perspective, a happy and harmonious family atmosphere is vital. It can help young people to form a sound personality, develop a good moral character, and lay a solid foundation for them to form a correct outlook on life. In a harmonious family, when they encounter difficulties and problems, they will seek help from family members as soon as possible to solve problems, rather than relying too much on the internet.

　　From the schools’ perspective, the education and training of online quality for young people is inseparable from schools and teachers. The correct understanding of students’ online live streaming platform requires teachers’ correct guidance, and the self-control and discrimination of students require continuous regulation by the school. And guidelines, it is necessary to scientifically and reasonably promote the positive effects of using live streaming platforms, so that students can develop the quality of consciously resisting harmful live streaming content. Because young people are at a certain age, their curiosity drives them to try various new things. In an era when live streams flood wrong information, school guidance and education can continuously improve their self-control and discrimination.

Teenagers should strengthen their sense of self-discipline

　　In today’s society, where live streams are rampant, we have to solve problems from the source. Self-education is a subjective factor. Only when teenagers’ self-judgment ability continues to improve and develop good behavior habits can they gradually eliminate the influence of streaming platforms on their correct outlook on life’s Negative impact. 

First of all, they must have the correct self-awareness. Teenagers must conduct a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of their situation, deeply understand their characteristics and personalities, and not blindly follow others, so that they will not lose themselves.

The second is to have a scientific and reasonable life plan. After the teenagers have the correct self-awareness, they must make self-planning. They must know what path to take in the future, and they must have lofty ideals and lofty life pursuits. Once again, we must continue to conduct self-education, improve young people’s education in humanities, science, morality, and accurately make correct judgments when faced with false information. So, their growth can proceed smoothly on the right track as planned.

Finally, there is self-regulation. Self-regulation should be base on self-knowledge, self-design, self-education, and the ability to judge nonfactual information will be enhanced. They will be alert to the invasion of harmful thoughts, without any external constraints. You can also consciously abide by the moral code in your heart.

References on Streaming Platforms

1. Hu, M., Zhang, M., & Wang, Y. (2017). Why do audiences choose to keep watching on live video streaming platforms? An explanation of dual identification framework. Computers in Human Behavior, 75, 594-606.
2. Fietkiewicz, K. J., & Scheibe, K. (2017, August). Good morning… Good afternoon, good evening and good night: Adoption, usage and impact of the social live streaming platform YouNow. In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Library and Information Science (pp. 92-115).
3. Salandria, R. G. (2020). Digital Streaming and Its Impact on the Viewing Habits of People (Doctoral dissertation, Drexel University).
4. Griffiths, M. D. (2017). The psychosocial impact of professional gambling, professional video gaming & eSports. Casino & Gaming International, 28, 59-63.
5. Friedlander, M. B. (2017). Streamer motives and user-generated content on social live-streaming services.
6. Gros, D., Wanner, B., Hackenholt, A., Zawadzki, P., & Knautz, K. (2017, July). World of streaming. Motivation and gratification on Twitch. In International Conference on Social Computing and Social Media (pp. 44-57). Springer, Cham.