It’s long been known that there is toxicity in both gaming and streaming communities. However, many are unaware of how deep-rooted it is and just how badly it has affected so many gamers and creators. The long term issue has come to a head recently as dozens of women are speaking out about their experiences of harassment and abuse. Just as the community has been trying to process these stories, we got the news that WoW and Hearthstone legend Reckful has passed away at just 31.
The wider community is starting to call for kindness and popular female streamer Alinity, a Twitch partner frequently vilified for being “immune” to sanctions on the platform, has spoken out about how the hate messages she gets effect her. In a Just Chatting stream, she opened up to her community about the subject.
The effect is so severe that I need to add a warning that the clips below include a discussion about suicidal thoughts.
In this heartbreaking clip, Alinity stressed that what viewers say “really effects people.” As she struggles to get her words out, she speaks directly and with brutal honesty about the facts saying “you guys have no idea how many times I have wanted to kill myself.” She elaborates a little before stressing that sending these messages is “serious” and that people “cannot send hate towards somebody without it having an effect on (that) person.”
The stream comes just days after Alinity faced name-calling and harsh comments – which have since been deleted – from Esports consultant Slasher and fellow Twitch streamer Ninja.
The petty feud began when Twitch streamer DrLupo wanted to clarify that he wasn’t paid for his participation in charity streaming events for St. Jude, after comments made by xQc. When xQc himself suggested the comments were taken out of context, DrLupo apologized for the misunderstanding, simply saying he should have checked.
In comparison, Jessica Blevins jumped straight in to badmouth xQc, closely followed by her husband, Ninja. xQc responded with equal spite and somewhere along the line Alinity ended up in the conversation after trying to make a joke. In the cold light of day, the tweets that sparked a backlash against Alinity were deleted and an apology extended to her. She, in turn, deleted her retaliatory comment about Ninja being toxic.
However, even the apology thread is still full of nasty messages about Alinity, raking up her past over and over again. The sheer volume of spite is no doubt just a glimpse of the level of vitriol that led to her emotional stream.
In the stream, even a donator proved her point when they couldn’t resist adding a comment to a seemingly supportive message, telling her to apologize for her mistakes, something that she has already done.
While some streamers are forgiven for anything, it seems that Alinity is destined to be harassed over and over again for something she has apologized for and cannot take back. It’s no wonder she is struggling when faced with constant abuse over the incident, which usually comes with a side of vicious and unfounded rumors about why Twitch didn’t ban her.
Alinity is calling for kindness and it’s something we need more of, now more than ever. If you’ve ever contemplated sending nasty messages, just look at these clips, and know that this is the effect they have. Stamping out toxicity in gaming requires everyone to play their part, including checking their own behavior.
NEXT: The Gaming Culture Of Making “Jokes” About Abuse Needs To Stop, Now
Source: Dexerto
