The Twitch streamer Niklas “Niekbeats” Grosse talked in his livestream about obsessive viewers who claimed things about him in comments that were not true. He explained how he thinks this happens and how he wants to deal with such comments in the future.
Which Twitch streamer is being talked about? The Twitch streamer Niekbeats has over 298,000 followers on his eponymous Twitch channel and managed to entertain an average of 833 viewers per stream last year (Source: SullyGnome). In his streams, he plays everything on the colorful gaming palette, from story games like Death Stranding 2 to multiplayer games like Chained Together.
He also repeatedly advocates for feminist issues. A clip circulated on TikTok in which he stated that men are the reason women feel insecure. Comments gathered under the video doubting the credibility of the Twitch streamer’s statements, claiming to know how he really is.
In response to these claims, Niekbeats pointed out a larger problem that, according to him, many Twitch streamers have with their viewers.
“See me as a completely normal person”
What do the comments say? In a stream excerpt that Niekbeats uploaded to YouTube, Niekbeats talks in detail about the comments. The comments claim negative things about him, which Niekbeats denies: “What kind of defamation is this!?” (Source: YouTube).
According to him, these are false claims and the comments provide no solid evidence for their statements.
How does Niekbeats explain such comments? The Twitch streamer sees the explanation in fans idealizing Twitch streamers. If a Twitch streamer’s actions do not fit the ideal image of the viewer, the viewer will completely turn away and vilify him.
Niekbeats says: “You are either perfect or traitorous, false or aloof. There are only these extremes. There is only this black-and-white thinking.” (Source: YouTube).
Additionally, some fans have a sense of ownership. Since they support the content creator, they believe they have the right for this person to behave according to their expectations. If this is not the case, for example if the Twitch streamer addresses other topics, it can be seen as “betrayal,” according to Niekbeats. This can also quickly escalate into hate and stalking, he says.
Finally, Niekbeats says that online comments are often not real criticism, but rather a group dynamic. Niekbeats continues:
I can only keep saying that you should not idealize anyone out there. (…) Your opinions, your statements, they have an impact. You should not always think that your anonymous comments on the internet leave nothing behind, instigate nothing, or incite nothing.
(Source: YouTube)
Niekbeats then appeals to his viewers: “Please see me as a completely normal person. A completely normal person who reads this and thinks ‘How awful is it to read such things about yourself on the internet’.” (Source: YouTube).
In the future, Niekbeats wants to highlight similar comments or is considering displaying the comments he read in his stream.
Other content creators also struggle with intrusive viewers. A former German YouTuber spoke in an interview about his experiences. You can read more about this on MeinMMO: One of the first major German YouTubers was so besieged by his fans that he felt like a Pokémon
