(Turn the sound on.)
Live-streaming video games to sites like Twitch and YouTube has become very popular these days, for good reason: There's an audience for it, and the technology that makes it possible is highly accessible.
But while many people think streaming is an easy way to make money, most streamers would argue that it's incredibly taxing both physically and emotionally. Many streamers will sit in front of their computers or game consoles for the whole day, every day of the week, which they say takes a toll on their personal lives. So yes, streaming is often about entertainment, but it's still all too easy to forget that these streamers are people, too.
The video above is a heartwarming example of this: On Monday morning, Twitch streamers Ninja, DrLupo, and TimTheTatman were playing "Fortnite" together when DrLupo's wife and young son came into the shot — DrLupo's young son was sick, and he wanted to see his dad. So DrLupo put his son on his lap, and let him play "Fortnite" a bit. After that led to a quick death, DrLupo put his headphones over his son's head and let him talk to the other two streamers.
Of course, the chatrooms in all three Twitch channels were lit up with mentions of DrLupo's young son.
The takeaway: It's common to dismiss people who play video games for a living, but seeing them interact with their families — while at work, in such a highly visible way — demonstrates how streaming for a living can be a difficult balancing act.
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