1

Video Game Streaming in Young People and Teenagers:

Uptake, User Groups, Dangers, and Opportunities

José Soliván Rivera

Interamerican University Metro Campus

BADM 6230 Investments

Dr. Antonio J. Fernós Sagebién

May 19th, 2022

 2

Introduction

The research questions in this article are well-defined and straightforward. The study

focused on the adoption of live streaming video platforms and address the associated benefits and

drawbacks. It investigates the profiles of the video game's streaming service users under 25 years

(Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021). The article intention is to understand the users’ true motives and

split them into sub-categories based on different characteristics like players' expertise level,

preferred systems to be played, hours spent gaming and studying the games, if the user intent to

develop a potential to transform the time invested into a career path or if the user think that live

streaming channels help them to get information (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021).

 3

Study Importance and Lessons Learnt

The article's authors highlight the importance of investigating these channels'

incorporation, differentiating distinct groups' dispositions, and tackling the affiliated risk and

rewards. The original inspirational research associates this enjoyable activity only to pleasure by

passing the time, with limited but unique obstacles, or transmitting interests (Cabeza-Ramírez et

al., 2021). The principal benefits are related with educational, structural, and social skills. Some

favorable research on live streaming have emerged, referring to the career prospects affiliated with

streaming or the potential learning rewards (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021). However, outside some

healthy applications, most video games can result in loss of control or violent behavior, which can

impact the global audience and influence the lives of the users if the game gains adepts and

command. Some side effects can include unfriendly and antisocial behavior, physical problems

and distress like fatigue or sleeping issues, productivity problems at school or at work, and

addiction (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021). The equivalent subgroups' recognition can support in

users understanding of gaming and to recognize and control conduct changes and trends.

Categorizing subsets can show a full picture of the diversity of the survey demographics (Cabeza-

Ramírez et al., 2021).

The article shows the reader on several things; first for starters, the video games' success

has jumped into other associated activities. Gamers and stream users are growing constantly and

fast, most spend much of their time gaming and using streaming services to enjoy their preferred

streams, contact and connect with other users, and to gain skills and understanding (Johnson et al.,

2019). Second, live game streaming requires key fundamental elements: different reactions and

relationship levels between the users and watchers, and the understanding that the relationships

can coincide outside streaming, and public gameplay before a targeted market (Lin et al., 2019).
 4

Therefore, some researchers are assuming that video game streaming offers essential elements like

studying game strategy and user-engagement connection factors (Johnson et al., 2019).

Third, understanding the users' motive is critical for better understanding their behavior

and identifying different profiles (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021). A motivated user is strongly

influenced and will prefer to keep playing. Some of the motivators that influence the playing a

video game are the need to get the game's information and new detail available, its need for fantasy

and use as fun source, and to develop and maintain new friendships and social networks (Chen &

Lin, 2018). The player type or skill level will dictate the motivation influence, there will be the

achievers who are focused on complete tasks or games, the socializers which are more invested

toward increase their social skills and making contacts, the explorers which are more interested to

understand the details and characteristics displayed in the video game sets out, and the killers

which main core value is to compete (Chen & Lin, 2018).

Motivation is one of the most exciting lines of research into live video game streaming;

while observing others' play is different from gameplay, the two are exchanging details and

concepts because they both need to consume game content (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021). In this

case the UGT or the usage and gratification theory is normally within the media consumption

assessment, is one of the most well-established concepts. As a result, researchers classify

motivation into five categories: cognitive, affective, personal integrative, social integrative, and

tension-release motivation (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021). Researchers also define that the time

users commit is closely related to their demand of information. Also, the researchers understand

that the time spent is related to stress and anxiety release, emotional motive, and social blending,

which is considered the main factor of subscription to these services (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021).

There are secondary and supplementary motives found by researchers for live streaming, like
 5

entertainment and missing external support in real life. Also, besides UGT, there are other reasons

like fanbase of specific streamers, and curiosity within games or categories (Cabeza-Ramírez et

al., 2021). Researchers used the same model to stream e-sports (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021) and

the frequency of people watching video games or streams is influenced by factors like imagination

and fantasizing, the experience of being viewed and followed in social media, the essence and

particularities of the video game, and overall confidence on e-sports behavior.

Fourth, video game benefits show immense potential. There is a connection between

structure, region, education, and social knowledge, increase on senses combination such sight,

attention, touch, creative thinking and potential, and better perception or cognitive capacity

(Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021). Engagement and spectator involvement in video games support

effective learning, which is being explored as an instrumentalizing learning technique (Cabeza-

Ramírez et al., 2021). These benefits also apply to live video platforms; tough, approaching the

benefits requires more investigation. The service's social element qualifies it as a new player social

channel type (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021). On the other hand, there are others that highlight the

media piece and the need to consider it. There are channels (e. Twitch) that focus on an increasing

channel proportion assembled into groups that connect to video games plus include different

sections of other subjects like the ones with major extraordinary events, talk shows, podcasts,

performing arts, chats, music, and others (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021).

Using dual versatility these streaming sites, can also focus on the professional potential,

where gaming transforms from a fun activity to a vocation or educational business (Chen & Lin,

2018). Twitch is a top innovator on learning channels that enables professor, tutors, or streamers

to educate other users in real-time, which enables instructor–learner and learner-learner

 6

engagement. Moreover, educational video use and cooperation impact digital game-based

educational performance (Chen & Lin, 2018).

Fifth, there are some negative consequences associated with extreme or abnormal conduct,

offensive or inappropriate content dissemination, and harassment (Fineberg et al., 2018).

Problematic gaming concerns are out of control, among young people, teenagers, and young adults

(Fineberg et al., 2018). Despite the studies on their impact on the younger generation elevating,

the excessive live streaming services application has received little focus (Fineberg et al., 2018).

There is no clinical agreement on the definition of video game addiction; anyway, harmful tools

use is still under development, controlled by the World Health Organization's recent Gaming

Disorder inclusion as a behavioral addiction (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021). Men are primarily

affected with this addiction mostly due broken psychosocial problems. Finally, researchers

recognize the uncontrolled internet use, including unstructured online conduct (Fineberg et al.,

2018), can develop productivity decline, bad mood, and anxiety, among others.

Topic Placement

The topics are well placed within the literature. The article begins with an abstract that

provides a high-level summary of the research. Next, the article presents the topic, describes the

study’s objectives, and provides a detailed literature review of existing research on live streaming

videos (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021). The study then explains the methods and materials used to

present the findings. The next section, the study examines the analysis and results. Then, the article

adds a section and discuss the main findings. which includes limitations and future directions. In

the final part, the article wrap-up with the conclusion. The article organization is a well presented,

ideal structure for professional research articles.

 7

Article Distinctiveness

Different from previous studies on live video streaming, this study has determined user

clusters or variations in their views (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021).

Strategies and Materials

The authors methodology for this article is based on data collected primary from an online

survey collects. The study population consists of 14- to 24-year-old Spanish video gamers and live

streaming video game's services users (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021). The study used a sampling

design to get a diverse group. The study's authors consulted several academic and university

facilities, to offer a link to access the survey questionnaire, the process was optional and voluntary,

and that data processing was only authorized for research purposes (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021).

The study also shared the questionnaire through video game forums, Spanish streamers' Twitch

streams, and social networks. The study considered the ethical guidelines that previous research in

the same sector made and the Helsinki Declaration's fundamentals and guidelines (Cabeza-

Ramírez et al., 2021).

The questionnaire was derived from past research articles to gain a better platform and to

check for improvements and disadvantages. The survey was divided into five sections. The first is

the social demographic. The second section included recommended gaming/viewing channels,

talent level self-perception, users’ weekly hours, and gamer qualities (Cabeza-Ramírez et al.,

2021). The third section included incentives for gaming or viewing material. The fourth section

was the prospect of harm, and the fifth and last section discussed potential benefits. The
 8

sociodemographic segment for participants to choose from included closed-ended concerns with

numerous answer choices (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021). Sociodemographic variables include

gender, job status, educational attainment, and age. The questions in the following segments were

reviewed on a 5-point Likert scale. Leading up to the final survey, a control group (n = 12)

performed a pre-test to rectify any wording or discrepancies (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021). To

acquire usage patterns uniqueness, the survey respondents' selection criteria were not stringent;

the study included all respondents who admitted experiencing used live streaming services in the

preceding six months, leading to a high unpredictability degree (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021). A

total of 580 questionnaires accepted from the 609 finished. The authors selected parameters

concentrating on player qualities, including favored gaming platforms, talent level self-perception,

and weekly time spent gaming/viewing (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021).

The motivation parameters were divided into four parts based on suggested classification

from Sjoblom and Hamari (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021). It includes data-seeking incentives with

3 components: to pursue contests or occasions, to gain knowledge of gaming techniques, and to

stay abreast of video games, the next part was the recreational incentives, with 2 components for

entertainment and for social networks' supplement, and social incentives, with 3 components to

engage with chat room participants and to stay abreast on video games (Cabeza-Ramírez et al.,

2021). This section's scales originated from Knautz, Gros, Zawadzki, Gandolfi, Wander, and

Hackenholt's questionnaires. Two items are useful to demonstrate the probable live streaming

platforms' benefits, two items are useful to assist in academic goals and to meet new friends

(Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021). The third item considered was the possibility of hobby

professionalizing. Finally, Kuss, Andreassen, Mazzoni, Griffiths, Demetrovics, and Billieux's

scale was altered to include 4 items to examine potential harmful impacts: I commonly neglect
 9

important activities to play or observe others play, I am spending a lot of hours gaming or watching

others play, I develop bad feelings when I couldn't play or watch, and I play or observe others to

pass the time and forget my life challenges. In addition, the study added three specific items

regarding these services' potential aggressive use: on channels, I have made harmful comments,

received harmful comments, and trolled other users (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021).

The authors managed a reliability analysis using Cronbach's Alpha to evaluate the

reactions' validity and the measurement scale following data tabulation (Cabeza-Ramírez et al.,

2021). Given the variables proportion, the authors managed an explorative factor analysis using

the Varimax orthogonal rotation technique (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021). From the original

nineteen factors analyzed only four factors were accepted, after excluding non-significant

parameters. The authors understood the analysis relied on these factors to concluded on trends that

would help to team survey applicants. The study used non-hierarchical clustering techniques to

recognize user subgroups (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021). In consequence, the study applied cluster

analysis to see if any defining features could help identify their conduct. The study applied the

MANOVA (Multivariate analysis of variance) analysis to examine the importance of belonging to

a particular cluster of people, as noted by the variables' assessment (Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021).

The study used Tukey's post hoc test because the analysis cannot establish the major mean

variations. For the statistical tests, the study used the IBM SPSS Statistics 25.

Article Thoroughness

Is the Evidence Supported?

The evidence supports the article and to back up the results and conclusions, the authors used

statistical analysis tools and used other evidence-based materials and studies to support it.
 10

Are the Conclusions Valid?

The conclusions are legitimate because the statistical tools used, and the other literature

materials with the evidence-based studies, were reliable sources of data analysis. According to the

findings, as the usage degree elevates for video games and streaming channels, the extreme

negative behavior and self-reported viewpoints of the assumed benefits possibilities elevate too

(Cabeza-Ramírez et al., 2021). In addition, females and the elderly are overrepresented in the social

and causal clusters. In contrast, the study findings indicate that male and young populations are

overrepresented in extreme-negative or hobby clusters. These populations spend more time

playing or observing. These findings are consistent with those that the research obtained into the

addictive social networks and video games usage (Hasan et al., 2018). It represents an initial

initiative to review the potentially harmful and beneficial effects, thereby adding to the limited

research up to date on these challenges and it causes. Finally, motivations associated with

entertainment and knowledge of new tactics or gaming methods receive the top scores.

Quality

The article is well-written. The format and positioning are flawless. There are no errors on

grammatic, structure or cohesion. The article is easy to read and to understand, with all sections

well connected. The article supported its claims with evidence-based research and statistical

analysis tools. The study's limitations were disclosed, making it valid and reliable.

Differences or Similarities in Publication

The publications were all recent, published within the last five years. The publications

differ in different processes reviewed and emphasized them differently.

 11

Personal Reflection

I agree with the study's claims. My experience is like the article’s findings, and I agree that

its conclusions are appropriate. An example is the mention from Hassan et al. indicating that heavy

Internet use can get users to lose the control over the Internet use and continue to use it excessively

despite having problems like family conflicts or problems with their career instructors (2018).

Over the last 20 years, researchers have focused on the contributory factors to humans'

heavy Internet use, and two major predictor classifications have been investigated (Hassan et al.,

2018). First, researchers found that psychological risks like perceived control, self-esteem,

sensation seeking, and other individual qualities influence individuals' heavy Internet use (Hassan

et al., 2018). Second, employing motivations to use internet, can trigger an excessive Internet use.

It has been discovered that people's entertainment incentives are associated with reality fleeing,

the most strenuous heavy Internet use element (Hassan et al., 2018). The article also show the

value of assess heavy Internet use when adding psychological and incentives variables. These

mental risks and media use incentives are subjective contributory factors to people's heavy Internet

use (Hassan et al., 2018).

Also, according to Fineberg et al, the Internet is ubiquitous globally (2018). While the

Internet has many beneficial uses mostly quick information access and rapid news dissemination,

many people develop problematic internet use, an inclusive term for various recurring impairing

behaviors (Fineberg et al., 2018). Internet can be the link for dysfunctional behaviors, like

obsessive gaming, streaming, purchasing, sexual conduct and gambling. There are widespread

problems with the extensive societal and medical problematic internet use costs (Fineberg et al.,

2018). All these study articles with evidence content, supports the article details and claims, which

also shape and influence my decision.

 12

References

Cabeza-Ramírez, L. J., Muñoz-Fernández, G. A., & Santos-Roldán, L. (2021, February). Video

Game Streaming in Young People and Teenagers: Uptake, User Groups, Dangers, and

Opportunities. In Healthcare (Vol. 9, No. 2, p. 192). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing

Institute.https://www.mdpi.com/993684

Chen, C. C., & Lin, Y. C. (2018). What drives live-stream usage intention? The perspectives of

flow, entertainment, social interaction, and endorsement. Telematics and Informatics,

35(1), 293-303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2017.12.003

Fineberg, N. A., Demetrovics, Z., Stein, D. J., Ioannidis, K., Potenza, M. N., Grünblatt, E., … &

Chamberlain, S. R. (2018). Manifesto for a European research network into Problematic

Usage of the Internet. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 28(11), 1232-1246.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2018.08.004

Hasan, M. R., Jha, A. K., & Liu, Y. (2018). Excessive use of online video streaming services:

Impact of recommender system use, psychological factors, and motives. Computers in

Human Behavior, 80, 220-228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.11.020

Johnson, M. R., Carrigan, M., & Brock, T. (2019). The imperative to be seen: The moral

economy of celebrity video game streaming on Twitch. tv. First Monday, 24(8).

https://journals.uic.edu/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/8279

Lin, J. H. T., Bowman, N., Lin, S. F., & Chen, Y. S. (2019). Setting the digital stage: Defining

game streaming as an entertainment experience. Entertainment Computing, 31, 100309.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.entcom.2019.100309