The Twitch Viewer Hierarchy of Needs
by S4B0T4G3FIRE | January 22nd, 2021, 8:00 AM EST
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs may be true in the real world, but how about in the social media world?
Abstract:
In school, you may have learned that humans have three (3) basic needs for survival: food, water, and shelter. While this is technically true for most living things, it was later determined that these three things are only enough to support humans’ basic needs, such as hydration, temperature regulation, and safety from the outside elements. In 1943, Abraham Maslow proposed a theory that humans have more complex mental needs as well, including the need for love, belonging, and purpose. In this article, I will use the well-known streaming platform, Twitch, to propose the idea that the order by which humans meet their needs is totally mixed up or even flipped upside-down now that times have changed to incorporate the virtual world of social media.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:
First, let us consider the original hierarchy:
At the base tiers of the pyramid can be found the three (3) basic needs (food, water, and shelter) as well as a couple of others such as sleep and safety. Instinctually, humans try to meet these needs first to support the health and protection they require to be able to perform daily work and other activities.
Once meals have been eaten and water has been drunk, humans are well-equipped to nurture relationships and explore their interests to seek out what their specific purpose is in life. Once their purpose has been fulfilled, they may be motivated to fulfill new purposes, but the three basic human needs will always be their first priority… or will they?
Twitch Viewer Hierarchy of Needs:
While the above may be true in reality, it does not exactly hold true now that virtual existence has become such a major part of people’s lives. Humans no longer have only their physiological beings to look after; they also have virtual beings that need constant tending to as well. Consider this updated hierarchy as it pertains to viewers of the popular live-streaming platform, Twitch:
**Note: The following has been created specifically for Twitch, but it can easily be adjusted to suit just about any other social media platform on the Internet**
Immediately, you may notice that a couple of tiers from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs are in different locations on this hierarchy. Based on a recent phenomenon among younger generations, this new hierarchy is becoming accurate for many social media goers. In the context of Twitch, this is how the hierarchy works:
- Love and Belonging: Similarly to how a large portion of the real-world, working-class citizens survive paycheck-to-paycheck, Twitch viewers rely on acknowledgments to “survive” on Twitch. They need to be noticed, embraced, and accepted every single time they visit a channel. If even one broadcast goes by where they feel like their presence in chat did not gain any traction, doubt and frustration will immediately sink in. This reaction is hardwired into humans and will reveal itself whenever they fail to fit in with surroundings, situations, and other people.
- Safety: The concept of “relevance” is very delicate on the Internet. It is like a plant that requires daily care and attention. Twitch viewers feel most secure when it is obvious that they are receiving the most attention from, and devoting the most time and/or money to, the streamer. In other words, they strive to be the “life of the party.” If another viewer starts to steal the show, jealousy and even more frustration will sink in until relevance is restored (made “safe” again).
- Physiological: Although Twitch viewers oftentimes get lost behind their usernames (neglecting their real-world identities and responsibilities), they are still bound by reality. Once they feel loved and welcomed, and their relevance is tended to for the day, they face real life. “I gifted that many subscriptions?” “I got zero homework done?” “Did I even eat or drink yet today?” They quickly come to terms with how much time and money they invest in social media, and then they apply what little energy and motivation they have left to finish any lingering tasks (tasks that are likely far more important than anything Twitch-related).
- Self-Actualization: With both their virtual lives (first priority) and their real lives (second priority) taken care of, Twitch viewers can be satisfied that they and their reputations have survived (metaphorically) another day. Then, the process starts anew the following day.
Conclusion:
Ultimately, the priorities of Twitch viewers (and all social media users, for that matter) are mostly virtual, yet the consequences they face are all real-life. Did you stay up late making your presence known in someone’s Twitch chat so you are not forgotten about? Then, you will get fewer hours of sleep before work in the morning, which will affect your overall mood and productivity throughout the day. Maybe it will not necessarily affect your productivity, but it is still important to acknowledge this universal priority shift. Humans’ physiological needs will never go away, so whether or not this shift is for better or for worse is yet to be decided…
Thank you for reading this article! I think this generational shift in priorities is important to take note of. Virtual life is becoming much more of a priority for people (which has its pros and cons, but that is an entirely different subject), and we should be aware of it so it does not affect us in a negative/harmful way, physiologically. If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to comment below or on my social media at Twitch, Twitter, and Reddit.
Like this article? If so, I encourage you to check out some of my other articles here!
