Pokimane explains why streaming makes her feel “less lonely”
Twitch superstar Imane ‘Pokimane’ Anys has revealed exactly what she loves so much about streaming to hundreds of thousands of fans every day, and why what she does means so much to her.
According to the celebrity streamer, who boasts more than 3.5 million followers on Twitch and hit 4 million YouTube subscribers earlier this week, streaming culture is all about “looking for a way to feel a little bit less lonely.”
Everyone “in this day and age” is looking for a way to feel like they’re hanging out with other people and having a good time, Anys said, and revealed that was one of her favorite things about being a streamer: that she can brighten people’s days.
Pokimane began streaming in 2012, often playing League of Legends.
“I really like the feeling of being able to impact someone’s day, hopefully positively, and sometimes just noticing someone’s comment and reacting to it, and creating enjoyable and entertaining moments for everyone that’s watching,” she said.
“In this day and age, we’re all just looking for a way to feel a little bit less lonely, and I think livestreaming does that really well. Seriously, that’s how I feel. That’s what I really love about it… that I can make someone’s day better.”
Her chat erupted in agreement with her, which the Twitch star took to mean she was on the right track with her sentiments as well: “You know it’s true when the whole chat starts spamming “True!” when I say that.”
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Pokimane also expressed her love of Twitch’s format, especially the way that chat can interact with the streaming stars, and said just sitting down for hours and talking to her fans is her “favorite thing to do.”
She also added the chance to spam emotes and laugh at inside jokes — basically what Twitch is known for — helped her “be comfortable in front of hundreds of people” because it felt like she was just “hanging and talk to them all at once.”
The streaming star recently hit 4 million subscribers on YouTube.
The Twitch star spends most of her time in the Just Chatting category of the website, while dabbling in popular games like Fortnite and League of Legends. She’s also involved with OfflineTV’s regular podcast, and a handful of IRL streams.
Her love of games, which comes across during her broadcasts, isn’t a facade that she’s put up either. The 23-year-old admitted she often spends “hours and hours” playing games after she switches off the camera, mainly LoL or Minecraft.
“If I want to chill out, I’ll just go back to playing games,” she explained. “Right now I’m really in a mood to play League of Legends, and I was on a Minecraft kick. It’s such a relaxing game to just turn your brain off, and play all night.”
For mobile readers, the related segment begins at 12:52.
While there’s many that adore the Twitch superstar, it seems like Pokimane isn’t unanimously loved by her fellow streamers — the Moroccan online celebrity allegedly got on art streamer 39daph’s bad side following a series of private messages regarding being unfollowed on Twitter.
For the most part, however, Pokimane is a fairly popular figure in the streaming world, regularly receiving gifts from her fans, and even being propositioned by someone wanting to be her ‘sugar daddy’ while at TwitchCon in September.