2022/03/15 by Andrew Young, Grant Wiedenfeld · 1 voice
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports #Impact of Technology on Adolescents #Digital Games and Media
paper · doi:10.1080/08838151.2022.2086549
openalex publication_date 2022/03/15 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2025/11/06
Microstreamers broadcast their video game play and commentary to small audiences on YouTube and Twitch. To draw a holistic picture of their motivations, this study conducted semi-structured interviews employing two complementary frameworks. A Uses and Gratifications approach showed that social integrative needs predominate – even personal integrative and affective need satisfaction depend on audience. In parallel, a Self-Determination Theory approach demonstrated satisfaction of three fundamental needs: the autonomy of an artist–entrepreneur; the relatedness of a community leader; and skill competence displayed to an audience. Microstreamers are driven to “find their people” online, where, through performance, they “find themselves” anew.