Imane “Pokimane” Anys (26) is the streamer with the most followers on Twitch. Navigating a male-dominated environment as a woman is not always easy. In an interview with the New York Times, she spoke about her experiences as a woman in the gaming world.
Why is Pokimane the Queen of Twitch? Pokimane is the only woman among the top 10 Twitch streamers with the most followers worldwide. Her cheerful demeanor and family-friendly content make her an ideal representative for the platform. She exudes a relatable “girl-next-door” charm.
Her equally successful colleague Amouranth is often assigned the role of the stepsister from a Disney film: Despite her popularity, the streamer has no exclusive contract.
Nevertheless, Pokimane also faces problems on the sunny side of Twitch, ranging from malicious comments to hate raids to fake pornographic images of her and her colleagues. In an interview with the New York Times, she discussed the attitude toward women online.
Pokimane was surprised by the level of misogyny
What is Pokimane’s take on misogyny online? The streamer describes her first experiences with misogyny in the gaming world as “confusing and surprising.” She wondered if boys have always been this way.
Within the streaming industry, there is not only support: Many people in gaming do not find misogyny to be reprehensible. Pokimane says: For many, it’s not a big deal. However, misogyny is harmful to mental health.
How does Pokimane deal with misogyny? For the 26-year-old, her streaming colleagues are invaluable: They understand what she has gone through and can validate her feelings.
If you have someone who says to you: “No, it’s not okay,” it can greatly help you not to go crazy and think that what you feel is somehow wrong.
Do nice guys turn into mean trolls during puberty?
Why do some viewers behave this way? Pokimane has thought about this and shares her observations in the interview. She believes that the accessibility and anonymity of the internet encourage negative behavior.
Regarding the so-called unban requests, where banned viewers can ask for re-entry, she also noticed something:
There are so many boys who say something at age X, and three years later, it’s: “I’m so sorry, I have no idea why I said that, and I have changed a lot.” Then you wonder: Was it puberty? What happened? It feels like they are trying things out. Like, “I’m going to say the craziest, weirdest stuff and see what happens.”
The streamer therefore thinks it’s important to teach young kids how to interact online with others. This is all still uncharted territory. She believes that more such reconciliation stories are possible when people realize that the things they say are not okay.
Pokimane has over 23 million followers across her various social media accounts. Along with the support of her fans, a lot of unpleasantness comes together. However, the streamer has a system on how to easily navigate around the negativity of social networks:
