The practice of eagerly doling out advice to others despite not being a part of the game refers to the term Backseating on Twitch. Unfortunately, such attitudes can breed toxicity within the community because no one likes to take driving lessons from someone sitting behind while driving on a highway.
In this article, we shall take a look at all the aspects of backseating, why does it happen? Do people enjoy pressurizing others? And how we can avoid getting tilted by such behaviors. So, without waiting anymore. Let’s dig into it.
What is Backseating on Twitch
Twitch has earned its reputation as a go-to platform for streaming and sharing gaming escapades through comments, questions, and interactions with streamers. Amidst this digital world of connecting, there lies a negative side of it which is backseating on Twitch.
There could be many reasons behind someone backseating. The major and foremost one is arrogance. They think that they are better than the one who is in control. They expect others to drive the situation as they would have if they were in charge.
Continuous backseating on Twitch streams could tilt the streamers and promote toxicity within the community. Therefore, it is advised to be respectful to others and try not to discourage other players even if you are right. You could always choose better ways to help others but backseating is not the right one.
Why Backseating on Twitch is Discouraged?
Demotivation for Streaming
Streamers with a very little fan following on Twitch look forward to every single opinion of their viewers. Be it about their stream quality, their content, or their play style. If a group of keyboard warriors chooses to shit-talk them about their playstyle consistently, that would demotivate them from streaming and would have negative impacts on their mental health as well.
Promotion of Negativity
Who enjoys constantly getting called out for doing wrong? It triggers them which ultimately leads to the negativity on the stream. That negativity affects other viewers enjoying the stream too. Therefore, we advise you to share your opinions with streamers by direct messaging them or look out for their Ask Questions sessions on their social media platforms. Always choose an optimistic tone if you really think you should share your opinions with them.
How Streamers Can Avoid Backseating on Their Streams
The first and foremost thing every streamer can do to avoid backseat gaming is to set clear rules and regulations regarding the matter. They must include the type of interaction allowed on their stream and anyone spreading negativity would be punished. This would help them maintain positive vibes on their streams.
To implement this, they must address their mods to punish via kicking or giving chat bans to users who violate their rules which means, anyone doing backseating gaming on their streams would be given a timeout or ban from their stream, and as a result, he/she won’t be able to share his opinion anymore.
Lastly, streamers are advised to openly communicate with their viewers that they should respect the guidelines of the stream. If they really feel like sharing their opinion then they should ask for permission and cut out all the negativity from their tone. Instead, promote healthy and learning behavior for everyone watching the stream.
How to Tell if You Are a Backseat Gamer?
The major symptom of a backseat gamer is; they start telling others what to do and if they fail to do so, they get tilted and start bad-mouthing others. If you have found yourself getting titled on someone not following your instructions then I’m sorry to say, yes you are one of them.
When you are watching someone’s stream on Twitch, always know that you are not the one driving the stream. It is their stream, their game, you are not related to it in any aspect. So, why would you get mad at them? Live and let live.
Conclusion
We know that sometimes it gets irritating watching someone getting failed at a basic checkpoint but that does not mean you start pressurizing them and hurt them by any means. After all, they are trying to have a good time with other community members.
Respect their efforts, and choose optimistic ways to help them get better at the game. Backseat gaming often results in confusion and disruption, as it has the potential to negatively impact the emotions of other individuals involved.
We hope this guide cleared all your concerns related to backseat gaming and helped you become a better viewer on Twitch. Happy gaming!