Being a streamer onTwitchcan be an exciting part of many people’s lives, but it isn’t always the safest thing to do. Twitch streamers face the risks of onslaughts of negativity in the digital space, stream snipers,Swatting, and more.
ForIRL streamers, these risks often become even worse, as being in public opens them up to potential stalking problems, as well as theft. Unfortunately, one IRL streamer recently discovered how much of a risk streaming can come with.
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Russian streamer chaikinna was using their phone to stream from a beach in Russia when the incident took place. The stream is quite casual where the clipped video picks up, with chaikinna enjoying the scenery and talking to her viewers. However, the mood is quickly ruined when a random passerby catches her attention. After a brief glance at the person in question, they grab her phone and take off with it, all while the stream is still running.
The clip cuts out after a few seconds, but it seems that theTwitch thiefwas in no hurry to get away, moving at a rather slow pace, perhaps trying to avoid bringing attention to themselves. At this time, the thief hasn’t been captured, and chaikinna hasn’t recovered her phone. She’s been able to communicate with her fans through other devices and methods of communication, but it must have been quite frightening for both the streamer, and her viewers too, given they didn’t know what had happened to her or what was going on when the stream was live.
Unfortunately, chaikinna isn’t the first streamer to experience this kind of dangerous encounter, and she’s likely to be the last. Other streamers have been actively transmitting during all kinds of dangerous events, fromcar accidentsto theft. While having a digital device transmitting video to others might help to protect some from crime, or help to identify the criminal after the act, it often doesn’t work out that way. Streaming can be enough of a distraction that the streamer forgets their surroundings, turning them into a target.
Thankfully, it doesn’t seem like chaikinna was injured. While nobody wants to go through the experience of losing an expensive device or facing a thief, ultimately the phone can be replaced. This event should serve as a reminder forIRL streamers to remain aware of their surroundingsat all times, even if it means directing their attention away from the viewers from time to time.
