#ADayOffTwitch is Twitch's day of reckoning

#ADayOffTwitch is Twitch's day of reckoning

This story about taking action, boiled down, in 1:14 minutes.

What's the fuss?

Twitch streamers and users alike are taking a day off Twitch to protest the company's inability to take action against harassment that has plagued the platform. It's working.

The situation

At its core, the video live streaming service Twitch is a magical place where users can directly connect with their favourite content creators in real-time as they are performing. 

  • At its worst, Twitch can be a toxic place when some viewers decide to overtly be hateful against marginalized streamers.
  • Among the most disgusting behaviour on the platform are what are called "hate raids" - when a streamer is flooded with hateful messages, usually from bot accounts.

In response to Twitch's inaction against these raids and other harassment issues going unaddressed, Twitch streamers staged a virtual walkout to bring attention to the ongoing hate being experienced on the platform. 

  • For one day, both streamers and spectators alike have abstained from using the platform as well as using the #ADayOffTwitch hashtag to express solidarity.
  • Twitch has overall been supportive of the walkout and have promised that fixes are on the way, but that remains to be seen.

Boiling it down

The gaming community is in large a safe and welcoming place, however toxicity does exist in certain pockets of the space. 

  • In a world where users don't necessarily need to show their face and can hide behind a game avatar when interacting with others, hateful people use this as an excuse to say whatever they want to others.
  • The pervasiveness of the issue has led to numerous initiatives from gaming companies, developers, and the community alike to make gaming as inclusive as possible.

Although Twitch is still relatively active, the #ADayOffTwitch initiative is certainly putting a dent in Twitch's viewership. 

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