April 10, 2015: Recently, Periscope and Meerkat have become the hot new apps for live streaming, but online broadcasting is not a new idea. Twitch, UStream, Livestream, and YouNow are just a few of many networks that let average Joes and Janes broadcast their day-to-day lives. The widespread use of smartphones has allowed wider access and deeper interest in live stream feeds, but sadly has caused a serious decline in the quality of what’s out there.
Now that anyone can do it, we’d rather them not. Here are a few things we’re (already) sick of on live streams.
1. Total Silence: They say a picture is worth 1000 words, but your stream without any sort of context or conversation is going to bore me to tears. Part of what makes watching streams so much fun is the added POV of the broadcaster.
2. Boring, boring, boring content: If you’re streaming just to stream, please don’t bother. Try to have a topic/theme/adventure ready for your viewers. No more fridge tours! How about tours of places, or a livestream of a concert? (I might be in the minority on that fridge tour comment).
Gif from giphy.com.
3. Testing testing 123”: There are too many people “testing” the app. I’m never going to click on your feed, FYI…unless you’re Ryan Gosling.
4. MIA Broadcasters: This is less possible for the new live stream apps, but on traditional Ustreams and desktop live streams I feel like broadcasters disappear for hours at a time. If watching an empty chair floats your boat, don’t let me rain on your parade.
Gif from giphy.com.
5. Couple Broadcasts: The “couple challenges” can be okay sometimes, as can couple Twitch accounts, but way too many people are trying to hop on the “watch my girlfriend do this!” train. (This critique excludes “boyfriends doing makeup,” though. I could watch those forever.)
6. Background Characters: Okay, this one isn’t exactly a sin. I love it when pets, moms, etc. make cameos unannounced on feeds. It can be extremely funny. If you want to be taken seriously, however, this won’t help, because those background distractions can become the star of the show.
Gif from giphy.com.
7. “Live Stream Loop”: This is the feedback when you play your stream while you’re still live, creating a terrible noise, delaying your responses, and generally ruining the quality of your video.
8. Glorified selfie stream: I know that live streaming can be lovely (or terrible) for self-confidence, but I don’t want to watch long streams of a person’s face as they accept compliments from Internet strangers… unless you’re Ryan Gosling.
Gif from giphy.com.
9. Sleeping Teens: Have y’all heard about YouNow? People are paying teens to broadcast as they sleep. Are you guys okay? This is taking talentless celebrity to a whole new level.
10. Creepy Comments: This ties in with the above points. All of you lurker viewers: please STOP. You’re the reason people are afraid to try these networks.
Gif from giphy.com.
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