Twitch and YouTube streamer safety tips

How hard is it for an aspiring streamer to succeed in today’s world? The Washington Post reports that only 7.500 of the nine million Twitch members earn more than the U.S. Minimum Wage. Many streamers who make it might earn between $20 and $30,000. Many streamers stream full time and work 40-hour days. They eat pizza delivery as their main food. That’s not to say millionaire streamers don’t exist, of course. But in a field this competitive, one thing is clear — if you’re tempted to start streaming for fame and fortune, you’re doing it wrong.

Game streamers who are serious must be passionate about their craft. It’s a labor of love, one that is carefully nurtured and shared with the world and the communities they forge. Recent conversation with Zelda Universe streamer AmandaMiss Click is a Nintendo Brand Ambassador and can offer advice to budding streamers.

Streaming: An act of love

Miss Click may be a rising star in the video game scene, but she hasn’t forgotten her humble roots. “Personally it’s hard for me to consider myself a pro streamer,” she says. “I started this venture as a hobby to share what I love with others, and it’s certainly been a crazy journey since then.” The Nintendo hobbyist is now an official Nintendo Brand Ambassador, well known for streaming game playthroughs and live Direct show reactions. “The amount of individuals you meet from all over the world is incredible,” she says. “Video games and social media have impacted us all so differently, and it’s been my absolute favorite thing to create a community where we can all have different opinions or memories about games and be able to share it all with each other.”

Amanda, of Zelda Universe, says she’s been playing video games most of her life. “I was always that kid who wanted someone to watch me play, and I could talk someone’s ear off about the game I was playing. Growing up I would always hear, ‘Amanda, no one wants to just sit there and watch you play video games.’”

Amanda is now able to live her dream and stream Zelda games around the world thanks to her determination. Her streams have been instrumental in promoting remarkable non-profit campaigns. Her co-hosting of the Zelda Eternity last event raised over $10,000 to Doctors Without Borders. “The fact that now people voluntarily take time out of their day to watch me play is just unreal,” Amanda says. “I truly enjoy just sharing my love of video games with others.”

How to create a safe stream environment

While many steps have been taken to improve the safety of online activities since the internet’s inception, the web is still very much in a Wild West state. The internet is no stranger to flame wars and ugly trolling. Unchecked stream sessions can quickly turn into a disaster for viewers as well as streamers. Even worse, it can become dangerous.

Prevention is sometimes the best treatment. A few rules and guidelines can help you create a friendly, safe environment that will make it easier to solve online problems. “With the live chat, I always try to make sure to say ‘Hi’ to everyone, ask how they’re doing, and just in general talk with everyone,” says Amanda. “It’s really important to me for everyone to feel welcome when they come to my streams. […] One of my biggest rules is no political discussion.”

Safety is not simply a community asset — it’s an essential culture. Pros say streamers need to take control of their streams to make sure safety is maintained. “As a streamer, you ultimately have control over what vibes your community portrays,” says Miss Click. “Using tools such as bots and hand-selecting people you trust as mods really help the chat experience flourish for everyone involved.”

Mods and bots have become a vital part of keeping chats in order. But if mods become scarce, what’s a streamer to do?

“I often will select community members who have been active, kind, and responsible in my chat for a while, as well as set up an application period where many can apply,” says Miss Click. “Your moderation standards are essentially a reflection back on you, so it’s important to know what you want to accept/deny so new viewers can understand your boundaries.”

Streamer quality of life

It is possible to reap the rewards of being a streamer. It can, however, be exhausting. The exhaustion and loneliness that can result from hours of working in front of a computer screen, combined with burnout or isolation, are problems streamers all too well. “It can really take a toll on your mental health, because you’re putting yourself out there, leaving yourself open to criticism and [feeling] incredibly vulnerable,” says Amanda. “So it’s important to know you have value that has zero to do with your viewer count.”

It is possible to address these problems and improve your quality of life. Support systems at home are especially important. For Amanda, it’s her husband who cheers her on. Do you stream regularly? Experts like Amanda recommend that you find time for other activities, such as hiking or baking. “It really helps you avoid burnout,” she says, “because look at it this way: Tacos are great, but if you eat nothing but tacos every day, you’ll get sick of them. Sometimes you need to throw some fried chicken into the mix.”

Online leaks:

With recent platform hacks like the infamous Twitch leak in October, one can’t help but wonder where the future security of streamers goes from here. “It’s definitely concerning knowing that my information is just floating around on the internet,” says Amanda. “It may very well be that they’ve been stopping info leaks left and right, and this was just the one that got through. That’s my hope, at least.”

Amanda is like so many streamers and thinks that Twitch, as well as other companies handling stored information leaves much to be desired. “I hear all the time about accounts being banned due to something petty like dress code violations,” she says. “Maybe if Twitch worried more about keeping private information safe rather than what streamers are wearing, then these leaks wouldn’t be a problem.”

Miss Click also has concerns about the subject. “Obviously getting information leaked is a terrifying thought, and I wish I knew enough technically to say what could be done for a site as big as Twitch.”

Fortunately streamers can be of assistance. Miss Click stresses the importance of being meticulous in setting up security measures like authenticator apps and two-factor authentication to prevent privacy breaches and hacks. “What I do know is that you should always do your best to not ever give too much information out about yourself more than required. You should also be aware of what information is shown while you’re streaming, and be double sure you don’t click any links or articles that are not officially released by any company or brand you may be working with.” Chances are, if you don’t open suspicious links or attachments in your emails, then you shouldn’t do it in your stream, either.

The next generation of streamers: Inspiring

All of these things in mind, how can streamers start out on their own? Miss Click summarizes the situation in two words.

“First of all, have fun! Don’t ever feel like there is a pressure to have to perform to a certain standard,” she says. “I always say that this is the best hobby to have, but if you look at it as a job first it loses its magic.” Dedication is vital to a successful streaming career, though, which doesn’t always go hand in hand with it being fun. “Be practical that great things take time, and a lot of the bigger names have put many years into their craft,” she says. “Build up the empire you want to represent, and the people who love what you stand for will flock to you.”

“Secondly, don’t ever allow others’ success to intimidate you,” she continues. “It’s better to be inspired over being intimidated. If they can do it, so can you!” She recommends new streamers experiment with finding their own brand. “Instead of trying to feel like you’re copying someone, add your spin to it and make it your own,” she says. “When you have fun, it’s absolutely infectious!”

New streamers face a challenging task with uncertainty and unpredictable outcomes. Like any passion profession, you can achieve success if one works hard and stays dedicated to the craft. “I seriously wish all the new streamers the best of luck,” says Miss Click. “It’s such a fun journey and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.”