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<p id="WlWR32"><a href="https://www.polygon.com/2018/7/13/17566068/banned-twitch-streamers-youtube-slurs-language">Twitch</a> is introducing a new series called Twitch Creator Camp, as part of a mission to help streamers know when to step away from the computer. </p>
<p id="HhbjyF">Creator Camp is a series of livestreams and videos created in collaboration with top-partnered streamers that Twitch hopes will help its users build an audience. The company described Creator Camp as  &#8220;an array of insights from successful creators including videos with a focus on the most frequent topics surfaced by Twitch&#8217;s creator community,&#8221; in a press release, adding that streamers can participate in &#8220;weekly live video sessions where successful creators present best practices and interact with viewers in real-time.&#8221; </p>
<p id="OYZDB6">Part of the camp&#8217;s initiative will focus on an important, and growing concern in the Twitch community: <a href="https://www.polygon.com/2018/1/18/16899532/youtube-twitch-burnout-h3h3-pewdiepie-lirik">burnout and mental health</a>. Both YouTube and Twitch creators have announced in recent months extended breaks from the platforms so they can tend to mental health issues. </p>
<p id="LKfZYx">Jessica Messinger, Twitch&#8217;s creator marketing manager, told Polygon burnout and other mental health concerns that affect Twitch&#8217;s community are important, and that Creator Camp was designed with that in mind. </p>
<p id="aPvmTR">&#8220;In addition to a full suite of <a href="https://help.twitch.tv/customer/en/portal/articles/2904486-twitch-cares-mental-health-support-information">resources</a> in our Help center, Twitch Creator Camp has a section called &#8216;Mix it up,&#8217; which talks about the importance of taking a break when you need it,&#8221; Messinger said.  </p>
<p id="2mjqCE">In January, Lirik, a popular Twitch streamer, <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/DatGuyLirik/comments/7pd3kt/hello/">posted a lengthy statement on his subreddit</a> about his mental health and fear of burnout.</p>
<p id="CCnKxY">&#8220;It burnt me the fuck out,&#8221; Lirik said. &#8220;I have gone from chilling and kicking the shit with you guys to being self-conscious of myself not being entertaining or up to the standards of other communities. Almost like I needed to constantly defend what I built. It made me sour. It also made me realize that I needed a break and more focus on my life. As much as I like streaming, it is all I do. Before you say you only stream 6-7 hours a day &#8230; streaming isn&#8217;t just an on-air job. Like, be realistic here people. It is lirikFR lirik here, not fucking <em>Game of Thrones</em> HBO production staff.&#8221;</p>
<p id="mVt6wJ">Enabling better mental health practices on Twitch doesn&#8217;t start and end with streamers self-preservation. The mental health of viewers, and their relationships with streamers, is equally important. </p>
<p id="nnlztX">Recently, streamers like Dr. Lupo and Ninja have spoken directly to viewers about their depression. In May, after <a href="https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/popular-streamer-drlupo-urges-viewers-to-always-seek-help-after-distressing-donation">receiving a donation from a suicidal fan</a>, Dr. Lupo reached out directly to the viewer, before tweeting about the incident and urging his followers to seek help when needed.</p>
<p id="ygmf58">&#8220;Ended stream with a not-so-happy tip from a viewer,&#8221; Dr. Lupo <a href="https://twitter.com/DrLupoOnTwitch/status/1000961739209535488">tweeted</a>. &#8220;If you are considering options to escape your pain, I guarantee you talking to someone and having a good cry is a better option than every alternative.&#8221;</p>
<p id="tUtILe">Ninja commented on the situation, addressing how it affected Dr. Lupo, a close friend of his, and exploring the serious issue affecting many prominent Twitch streamers.</p>
<p id="FuSvFe">&#8220;You are not alone, there are millions of people that go through it every single day, and do not donate to a streamer and tell them that you&#8217;re about to kill yourself,&#8221; he said on a recent stream. &#8220;Like, you can just say that you&#8217;re not in a good place and you want some advice, I don&#8217;t know&#8230; and the advice will be what I just told you &#8212; to go and seek help! Putting that pressure on a streamer is, it&#8217;s not very humane. </p>
<p id="XsalPF">&#8220;It literally crushed Ben tonight. It&#8217;s the internet too, so it&#8217;s like who do you even trust?&#8221;</p>
<p id="qS85TQ">A Twitch <a href="https://kotaku.com/suicide-threats-are-a-big-problem-on-twitch-1821235980">representative told Kotaku last year</a> that the platform works to &#8220;stop promotion of content that can lead to suicide or self harm, which includes mitigating the risk of an individual being exposed to negative encouragement,&#8221; adding the company is &#8220;constantly evaluating&#8221; its policies.</p>
<p id="t8MId0">Twitch is now trying to help streamers learn to navigate that territory. The aforementioned &#8220;Mix it up&#8221; section will go over some of these issues.</p>
<p id="OQRtfO">&#8220;That section also highlights [Twitch] partners discussing how to engage with a community offline and the importance of life balance,&#8221; Messinger said.</p>
<p id="1Cd36P">The Camp is designed to help streamers learn about the tools available to them to deal with all types of situations, from helping fans to dealing with aggressive viewers. Streamers&#8217; safety, Messinger said, is crucial to Twitch. </p>
<p id="Yapy32">&#8220;We take harassment very seriously and understand how important this topic is for the entire Twitch community,&#8221; Messinger said. &#8220;Twitch Creator Camp provides streamers with information about tools and features to address these types of situations which includes a dedicated section about our community guidelines and a section about moderation and safety. Everyone deserves to feel confident that when they stream on Twitch.&#8221;</p>
<p id="TCYizM">More information about Twitch Creator Camp, including a calendar of events, can be found at <a href="http://twitch.tv/creatorcamp.">twitch.tv/creatorcamp.</a> The first broadcast will happen at 2 p.m. PT on July 31. </p>
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<p><em>Source: <a style="text-decoration:none;" href="https://www.polygon.com/2018/7/24/17607426/twitch-creator-camp-burnout-mental-health-dr-lupo-ninja">Polygon &#8211;  Full</a></em></div>
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