Twitch streamer Pokimane chimed in on the ongoing debate over ‘Subathons,’ describing the practice as frequently ‘unhealthy.’
Streaming marathons where new subscriptions tack on extra time, typically requiring streamers to record themselves eating, sleeping, and living their lives away from the computer. There’s currently a discussion going on within the Twitch streaming community about the practice of “subathons.” Pokimane is the most recent high-profile Twitch streamer to make a comment about subathons. Subathons, in Pokimane’s opinion, are “unhealthy” for Twitch streamers to participate in.
Pokimane believes that subathons are unhealthy for humans, citing the fact that streamers are forced to spend so much of their time performing on-stream for the duration of their subathon. She said in one of her Twitch chats that the point is to suffer for their pleasure, to which she admitted that it’s kind of fine, but that there has to be a line drawn somewhere, and that Twitch streamers are currently crossing it.
She clarifies her position on the issue, claiming that viewers, including herself as a Twitch streamer fan, are incentivizing this unhealthy behavior.
She claims that subathons hosted on popular Twitch channels are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, as well as a lot of clouts, followers, attention, and overall success. She calls the audience’s reaction “extreme,” and says these streamers should see a doctor just to make sure they’re still healthy.
It’s difficult to disagree with Pokimane. Ludwig, a Twitch streamer at the time, completed a 31-day subathon from March 14th to April 14th in 2021, during which he kept his stream running 24 hours a day. Ludwig cried not out of gratitude, but out of exhaustion when it was over.
He later stated that he would never participate in another subathon. Twitch streamer Emilycc is currently on day 136 of her subathon, demonstrating how far extreme subathons can go. She’s currently sleeping and broadcasting it.
Pokimane does not approve of subathons for a variety of reasons. Many Twitch streamers and content creators, according to Pokimane, use subathons in a manipulative and “unethical” way. She claims that many subathon streamers simply turn on a camera and go about their daily lives without engaging with their viewers, which she describes as “pretending” to do a subathon.
One thing Pokimane is certain of is that subathons aren’t going away anytime soon. They’re extremely profitable, so content creators will continue to do them. Twitch and YouTube may make a new rule prohibiting subathons for health reasons, but subathons are also extremely profitable for the platforms. On Twitch or elsewhere, it may take a tragedy to bring about change.
