When major events and tragedies like the mass shooting in Las Vegas occur, streamers find themselves in the awkward position of being a leader of a community. On today's episode we discuss how streamers should respond and prepare for scenario's like the on that happened earlier this week. 

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Rough Transcript:

What’s up gamers, welcome back to TheDecidedGamer podcast, my name is Justin White. On today’s episode we will be talking about the intersection between life, politics, and gaming. It is my opinion that content creators have a responsibility that is greater than the average citizen. With the recent tragedies like the mass shooting in Las Vegas and the hurricanes impacting Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico,  it is important for those who hold influence, whether that be on YouTube, Twitch, or any other medium, to have a message ready for their audience.

Alright gamers, as usual, let’s talk about gaming…. And some other stuff.

Politics is a part of life whether we want to acknowledge it or not. I have been an avid sports fan for my entire life. Mainly baseball, basketball, and football… but I can get into any sport really. I’ve woken up at 3 in the morning to watch grand slam tennis, watched intently during The Masters, and follow most events during the Olympics. However, no matter how hard fans try to keep it away, politics leaks into sports. The most recent example is the protests currently happening in the NFL, started by Colin Kaepernick. When people who cover sports in the media begin discussing social issues they are berated by fans screaming “stick to sports!” The issue of course, is politics and sports overlap. The same occurs in gaming, specifically with those who stream.

When a major event such as the Las Vegas shooting happens, streamers are inundated with comments from viewers responding to the crisis. Some are trying to be the first to talk about the subject, while others are attempting to deal with a tragedy with other like-minded people. There are countless reasons why people want to discuss tragedies like this, but streamers can be caught off guard. This is mainly due to streaming being such a new medium. Athletes, movie stars, and generally famous individuals are used to being asked their opinions on major tragedies. With fame comes the expectation of those who have acquired it to have knowledgeable opinions on major events. This expectation has leaked into streaming, and streamers should have a message prepared.

I understand that this is a responsibility that is being thrust upon them. They did not ask to be a leader, but though their fame is much more concentrated than say Lebron James, it still exists. This is not to say that streamers need to be political activists, but with fame comes new obligations. Gaming has traditionally been an escape from reality. We play games that offer alternative worlds that are fun and intriguing. But live-streaming has brought real life and these alternative realities into one living thing. Sticking to gaming is not possible for streamers, and they should not want it to be.

By having fans and influence, streamers have become de facto leaders. This means that viewers will look to streamers to have opinions on major events. With this newfound responsibility, streamers should at the very least be knowledgeable about the most major of events. That doesn’t mean that they must discuss the topic every hour of the stream. But they should prepare at the minimum a 30 second clip with a command for the in channel bot to give viewers who join the channel and want to know the streamers opinion. This is what a leader is: being there for others, and understanding the responsibility that comes with it. This means that streamers need to research topics and have well thought out opinions. Not because they need to impress viewers, but in order to be a good citizen, nationally or globally, as well as helping themselves. If streamers ignore tragedies, or get upset at viewers asking their opinion, it will only fan the flame of viewers wanting to know their favorite streamers opinions. If instead streamers address topics candidly and knowledgably they will be able to demonstrate leadership and steer their stream back to fun and games.

My advice has been directed mainly at those who stream. For the rest of us: don’t deify celebrities, politicians, athletes, stars, or streamers. They are going to struggle to develop opinions on complicated issues, and will undoubtedly let you down. However, please do hold them to a good standard. We can only improve as a nation and a world if we become good citizens. That means holding yourself responsible for learning about important issues. With the Las Vegas shooting it might be about gun control, laws that impact guns both federally and in this case in Nevada. For the recent hurricane related tragedies, maybe learning about climate change, the governments responsibilities during these crises, and how to help. Whether they want it or not, streamers have a version of fame and must become adept at handling it. Becoming knowledgeable and comfortable about talking about major events is a good first step at being the leader that fame has brought you.

Alrighty gamers, thanks for listening. What do you guys think about this? Should streamers have the responsibility of talking to their viewers during times of tragedy? How would you like to see your favorite streamers handle these situations? Let me know. You can find me by looking for TheDecidedGamer on Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and [email protected]. You can of course leave a comment on thedecidedvoter.com where I post all of my content. Please subscribe to the podcast on Itunes or wherever you download your podcasts. I’ll talk to you guys next week. Peace.