Streamer-Interface-Viewer Entanglement

Abstract

In China, the live-streaming industry has a distinctive model of cultural production: showroom live-streaming. It is often adopted by social media platforms to complement other social networking activities. This study reveals the ways in which social media platforms (specifically, Douyin and Momo) design their showroom livestreaming interfaces and aff ordances to normalise and commodify the aff ective interactions between female streamers and their male viewers and to establish a gendered power relationship. Using the walkthrough method during two stages of the apps (entry to live-streaming chatrooms and the everyday use of live-streaming chatrooms), this study analyses various aff ordances regarding their functional, sensory, and cognitive impacts on users. This research thereby demonstrates that the live-streaming interface design constructs two types of subject positions. The ideal user is constructed as a heterosexual male, who is empowered through the consumption of virtual gifts; in contrast, the interface nudges the female streamers to conduct emotional labour and deliver implicitly sexualised performances to maintain an aff ective relationship with viewers.

The impact of streamer emotions on viewer gifting behavior: evidence from entertainment live streaming

“…Lu et al (2018) compared the content type's choices in North America and China. Ye (2021) analyzed the entertainment live streaming interface design and found it nudges the interaction between heterosexual male and female streamers and benefits streamers to conduct emotional labor and talent performance. Despite these studies, it's important to note that viewers in this area have different focus priorities than in other areas.…”