The most popular sites for consuming interesting and funny content have been YouTube, which has dominated the internet for over a decade, and TikTok, which has been amazingly successful since its launch a couple of years ago. However, another site has been steadily growing alongside the two of them: Twitch. Twitch is a streaming site that allows real-time content and interaction between creators and their viewers. It has been used to make content online for years, but recently it has been gaining a considerable amount of mainstream success. Several personalities have emerged from the site in recent years, bringing more and more users to the platform. Some creators from the platform have managed an impressive level of popularity, so much so that even those who aren’t familiar with Twitch recognize their names, such as Adin Ross, XQCOW, and Ninja. Like the rest of the internet world, Twitch hasn’t gone unnoticed by students at North Atlanta, and the talk about Twitch and streamers is rapidly traveling across the school.

There are multiple reasons why students enjoy watching their favorite streamers on Twitch. On one hand, it is easy to relate to the streamers on the platform, as viewers can watch the creator make content from the comfort of their own home in the same way the viewers can themselves. “XQC sits down and plays games for half a day and makes bank from doing it. He’s making money from doing the same thing I do at home every day,” said junior Eugene Smith.

Another reason to love Twitch is being able to watch creators live. Communicating with creators in real-time builds a strong sense of connection and community. Many viewers will watch streamers that aren’t doing anything too interesting because they think the streamers are interesting themselves. “I’ll watch Mizkif sometimes and all he’s doing is talking to his friends. He’s naturally entertaining. I at least like it more than watching the biggest new game out,” said junior Jacob LeRoux.

The platform of Twitch has been able to reach a wider audience as of late, as well. The streamer Adin Ross has attracted a new group of viewers to the platform, as in his growth he has appeared in music videos with Polo G and other famous artists. He has also had several Hip-Hop artists appear on his streams such as Cordae, Ski Mask the Slump God, and NLE Choppa. “It’s a crazy cross between two worlds because you have Twitch, which has always been about gaming, combined with the huge world of rap,” said junior Jalen Jones.

With all of the benefits that come with watching online creators live on stream, it is no wonder that Twitch has been able to grow in the way it has. It only has more room to grow as it becomes more mainstream and new groups of people dive into the platform. With these factors in place, it looks like Twitch will continue to increase in popularity on the internet and within the walls of our very own school.