Popular streamer LIRIK revealed earlier today why he’s chosen to avoid using a face camera during his livestreams.
“You know, one of the reasons why I never used the cam to begin with, and if I did, probably because I was—I am brown,” LIRIK said during a Just Chatting portion of his livestream today. “I don’t think I would be as popular as I was.”
LIRIK is an American streamer on Twitch with over two million followers. He plays a variety of games, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Sea of Thieves, Quantum League, and Phantasy Star Online.
LIRIK said that after 9/11, it was weird “being perceived online” and mentioned that you never know what people are thinking.
“Being without a cam kinda did help out because people don’t then just have preconceived notions or whatever,” LIRIK said. “You know, people don’t have filters online. They just see you and they’ll just judge you straight up.”
LIRIK said he didn’t want to get into specific examples but stands for “peace and equality.”
LIRIK’s experience highlights a problem in every community. Biased viewers will avoid, at best, streamers that they’re against. In this case, LIRIK felt his race would prevent him from success if it was known. His conversation comes at a time where race issues are highlighted through global protests.
First impressions can lead to lasting opinions. A person’s skin color can impact these opinions through conscious and subconscious associations. Recent protests brought these issues to light once again, leading LIRIK to discuss how it’s personally impacted him and the choices he’s made in his streaming career.
