Some Twitch and YouTube viewers prefer when the content creators they follow remain small, because the community can feel more like a family. User names are easily recognized, viewers get to know one another and even sometimes get together for gaming sessions. As a channel grows, while it might be a positive thing for the content creator, that sense of intimacy gets diluted and viewers can begin to feel lost in the crowd.
Likewise, when a regular viewer disappears for a while, their absence is more likely to be noticed on smaller channels, particularly if they were a mainstay when the channel was in its fledgling stage. Usually these absences are due to mundane reasons like a busy work schedule, fluctuating interests, or family obligations. But there are times when community members disappear for more serious reasons, and so it’s easy to become concerned and wonder what happened.
Content creator Third_Artifact, whose real name is Kenny, often hosts “just chatting” streams on Twitch or plays MMOs like Final Fantasy 14. While her channel is by no means small, with over 25,000 followers, Kenny’s chat is still intimate enough that the streamer can notice and respond to most messages. So when a viewer named Cheddar commented in chat, Kenny’s reaction was immediate and she burst into tears. It turns out that Cheddar had been a regular viewer since Kenny’s first stream, but had disappeared two years ago to take care of their mental health.
In tears, Kenny apologizes for her emotional response, saying, “I haven’t seen you in two years… I’ve always wondered if you were okay. I’m sorry. I just got really overwhelmed. I’ve thought about you and I’ve wondered how you were doing. And just know that, like, while you’ve been gone I’ve been thinking about you.” Although the Twitch chat isn’t visible and so viewers can’t see what the elusive Cheddar said, Kenny’s wholesome response was clipped and shared on TikTok, where it quickly went viral. The video currently has nearly 400,000 likes.
The clip of Third_Artifact’s reaction drives home how important viewers can be to new and growing channels on Twitch or YouTube. It can be daunting to start from zero on social media, and it can sometimes feel like nobody’s interested or ever will be. So those first few followers who show up regularly to provide welcome company and encouragement can be very valuable.
Similarly, when Twitch streamer Nick “NickCKelly” Kelly started his first stream, he was by himself for 48 minutes and “it was starting to look a little bleak.” Then somebody showed up to watch the stream and NickCKelly thanked his first viewer profusely. “I’m so glad to have you here. I think I’m going to cry, man.” While the clip of NickCKelly’s reaction ended up on the Reddit channel Livestream Fails, others considered it a heartwarming moment, and NickCKelly now has nearly 27,000 followers on Twitch.
Source: Twitch Clips