People of all ages can access the internet with more ease than ever nowadays, so it's no surprise that major websites like YouTube and Twitch are drawing a lot of young users. Kids love to browse websites like these just as much as adults, but the difference in age comes with plenty of complications. Parents, content creators, and website moderators all have their own concerns about what kids might find on a site like Twitch, as exemplified by Twitch's attempts to rein in content like hot tub streams in recent years. It has also inspired Pokimane to propose a Twitch filter specifically for young Internet users.
During a recent stream, Pokimane chatted with her viewers about young users of Twitch and suggested that the streaming platform should introduce a special content roster similar to YouTube Kids. Parents would certainly appreciate having a clear list of family-friendly channels that their kids can enjoy. If Twitch does create some sort of Twitch Kids subsector of itself, however, viewers won't be the only ones impacted. Streamers, both well-known figures and newcomers from the children's entertainment side of YouTube, might flock toward family-friendly Twitch streaming in the hopes of capturing part of the Twitch Kids audience in a new streaming meta.
Twitch Content for Kids
A Twitch meta focused on catering towards young viewers seems plausible since something similar has already happened on YouTube. Lots of very young children get their entertainment from YouTubers, whether those YouTube channels focus on unboxing toys, animations starring Disney characters, or any other kind of lighthearted content. Quite a few content creators have flocked toward kid-friendly YouTube content because of how faithful the audience is; today, some of YouTube's biggest channels are prime YouTube Kids material like Cocomelon, which has a staggering 128 million subscribers. For these channels, kids' entertainment continues to be lucrative.
That success doesn't necessarily have to be exclusive to YouTube. On the contrary, it seems likely that Twitch streamers could imitate a lot of child-friendly entertainment that makes the rounds on YouTube. Whether arranging live sing-alongs, playing family-friendly video games, or doing live craft activities that kids can imitate from home, Twitch could offer a lot of engagement for young viewers, especially if channels like these belonged to a special Twitch Kids subcategory that was easy for both children and their parents to find. With a little streamlining by Twitch itself, streamers could find success comparable to YouTube Kids' top channels.
A Possible Twitch Meta
While the stars of a theoretical Twitch Kids would probably be newer streamers who cater their content entirely toward younger viewers, more streamers might try to break into the category. Kids love to return to a favorite YouTube channel over and over again, meaning streamers who qualify for a kid-friendly version of Twitch can pick up loyal new viewers by playing Twitch Kids approved games and making slightly tamer content on the whole. Twitch Kids might also prove invaluable in helping small channels become major successes, connecting new Twitch users with channels that cater to their interests, should small channels lean into the Twitch Kids model.
Of course, for the time being, Twitch Kids is just a proposition from Pokimane, and whether Twitch itself is listening or has any established interest in supporting a network of channels for kids remains to be seen. Should Twitch make such an attempt, however, a lot of channels would probably jump on it as an opportunity. Trends on Twitch like the hot tub meta and the TV meta tend to shape the content created by even the biggest streamers. Twitch Kids would inevitably encourage a trend toward content for all ages that some streamer might chase to make their channels grow. It'll be interesting to see if Twitch has anything to say about Pokimane's suggestion.