Hey folks, let's talk about parasocial relationships and "content creators" for a moment, okay?

I'm sure we've all come across statements like "such and such YouTuber is not your friend" or a streamer reminding you that we don't know each other. This is important to remember!

I think sometimes this can come across as blunt, but it's extremely important to understand for engaging with the media you enjoy that's made by individuals. You may feel like you know them, but they *CANNOT* know you.

"We're not friends" isn't a rejection, it's a reminder.

There's a good example to be made here about how Twitter becomes a different experience when you've got like 10K+ followers.

Even for someone like me who is extremely online, you get so many notifications, it can be much harder if not impossible to see even half of them.

But just because we're not friends, doesn't mean I don't care. Because I absolutely do! As a streamer and influencer, I try my best to do right by my audience, hence why I feel so strongly about not promoting games that feature predatory monetisation or gambling mechanics.

It's why I'm so pedantic about disclosures as well, I want to do right by my audience. A lot of people listen to my opinions and trust me, people who I don't know and will never know, so I try my best.

I care, I try to use my platform responsibly, but I don't and can't know you.

I am beyond grateful to have the audience I do, so please don't get me wrong, I appreciate the hell out of you. It makes my day when people tell me how my streams help them relax and wind down, I'm glad to be able to do that, and I'm proud of how friendly my streams are.

And I think "audience" is the optimal word here.

I care about and try to do my best for my audience, but that's the dynamic at play here. I'm a streamer who plays for an audience.

I hope this thread helps folks engage a bit more healthily with content creators whose they enjoy, not just mine.

Lemme entertain you :3 https://www.twitch.tv/caseyexplosion