The German Twitch streamer Kilian “Tanzverbot” Heinrich (26) is now a star on social media. However, the path was not predetermined. In 2012, in the 8th grade, the streamer faced significant issues, was considered “addicted to video games,” and was even committed. Heinrich says he has done something with his life through much luck. But to this day, he suffers from his difficult school years.
This was Tanzverbot’s school time: Last weekend, Tanzverbot talked about his problems with the German school system on Twitter. He says he had to switch to a special school very early on. In this system with “special educational focus,” he remained for the rest of his schooling and lost all interest in school over the years. He apparently played truant:
I simply no longer wanted to go to a school that served the sole purpose of housing students who were given up on by the school system.
Tanzverbot was committed to a psychiatric hospital for 6 weeks
These were the consequences of skipping school for him: At 15, at the beginning of the 8th grade, Tanzverbot decided to drop out of school – but that’s not so easy in Germany. Because there is a compulsory full-time schooling that begins at ages 5-7 and lasts between 9 and 12 years.
Tanzverbot says that to avoid a school attendance notification, he was committed in 2012 by court order due to alleged video game addiction:
Together with those at risk of suicide and drug addicts, I spent 6 weeks in a closed facility and, due to the high “risk situation,” was not allowed to leave the building for four weeks. I was treated like an idiot. When I looked at the computer in the secretary’s office, I was ordered to go away because they assumed that my addiction was overwhelming me and that I had to be at the computer.
Tanzverbot advises followers: Make the best of school – Don’t mess it up like I did
How does Tanzverbot see this today? The now successful Twitch streamer says he didn’t feel like he was suffering from video game addiction. He simply had no joy and didn’t know what to do with his time.
The now 26-year-old feels like he slipped through the system back then. A psychologist couldn’t do anything with him, had him fill out an intelligence test, where Tanzverbot “felt stupid” because he didn’t want to stack stones, and he was certified as “below average intelligent.”
To this day, he feels like something is missing in his life because he didn’t receive a proper education. He struggles with everyday tasks and apparently suffers from how people treat him when they learn about his school journey.
This is what he advises students today: The streamer advises his followers on Twitter:
Never give up on yourselves. School is an important, but also only a small part of your life. So make the best of the time and don’t mess it up like I did. Not everyone has the luck that was given to me with YouTube and Twitch.
This is how people are reacting on Twitter: Tanzverbot is receiving a lot of sympathy for his statements. He is especially congratulated for having made something of his life despite these unfavorable circumstances. People find it impressive that he talks so openly about that time and stands by it:
- One user says: ‘It has somehow shaped you and brought you to where you are now.’
- A second user says he himself almost ended up in a special school. However, his mother was able to prevent it. Now he has graduated with honors.
Especially MMOs and MMORPGs invite players to spend a lot of time in virtual worlds. Quickly, the suspicion arises that a player might be addicted:
