Pokimane admits she feels “guilty” about her life as a Twitch star

Twitch star Pokimane has claimed she feels “guilty” for being an influencer, saying her career is sometimes at odds with her values around social media and its negative effects on people who use it.

Imane ‘Pokimane’ Anys is one of Twitch’s most-followed streamers and the platform’s most-followed female broadcaster, overall.

That’s not all; Poki also boasts a massive following on sites like Instagram and TikTok, where she’s garnered over 12 million followers, combined.

As such, it’s clear that Pokimane is a veritable internet icon — but she recently revealed that her career as an influencer has left her feeling “guilty” at times.

Pokimane feels “guilty” about being an influencer

Pokimane opened up about her feelings regarding her profession in an Instagram Stories post on May 29, saying the negative impact that social media can have on people sometimes makes her feel “guilty” about her job.

“Every now and then I become really reflective (and lowkey feel guilty) about being a content creator / profiting from social media because it’s so addicting and can be so harmful, especially to young minds,” she wrote via the Notes app.

“I especially find myself feeling this way when I realize how much social media impacts my personality, life, opinions, and desires. I cope by trying to be a positive influence on others, or hope that I can use social media as a tool to take care of themselves, spend time outdoors, and create healthy boundaries with all the apps we use.”

Pokimane ended her statement by reminding readers that the digital space is just that — “virtual, made up, and fake, so don’t lose yourself in it and compare yourself to it.”

Studies have shown that social media can have both a positive a negative impact on people who use it regularly. Research led by Prof Yvonne Kelly, from University College London, discovered a link between depression in girls and the time they spent on social media, for instance.

This is just the latest in a string of moments lately where Pokimane has opened up about her feelings on her career. The streamer recently stepped back from being a member of OfflineTV, and in 2022, she made the decision to switch her focus from daily streams to creating other content like vlogs and TikToks.

It seems that Pokimane is practicing what she preaches by “creating healthy boundaries” with social media — something she brought up in a video this April, saying that apps can create a “toxic” obsession with image for regular users.