The popular gaming platform Twitch has been advised by experts in online child safety to take action against a new wave of content featuring porn stars seductively licking microphones in their bras. Twitch is primarily used for watching videos of other people playing games, and it has around 31 million American users, with a quarter of them being between 16 and 24 years old. However, content creators are now increasingly using the platform to upload alternative and explicit content. Instead of focusing on video games and e-sports, there has been a rise in sexualized ‘ear-licking’ live-streams, where scantily-clad women lick, rub, and breathe into microphones while viewers watch and listen. This content falls under the category of ‘ASMR’ or autonomous sensory meridian response, a tingling sensation triggered by sounds like whispering, tapping, or brushing. There are numerous ASMR videos on Twitch that attract millions of viewers, and many sexualized videos feature women dressed provocatively and licking microphones. Critics, including child safety organizations and parents, argue that Twitch is putting children at risk by exposing them to inappropriate and sexual content at a young age. The explicit videos uploaded to the platform bear titles like ‘Obey Your Queen!’ and ‘Cozy Girlfriend Cuddles,’ and they show women wearing minimal clothing while making suggestive movements with microphones resembling human ears. These videos often link to adult-only content websites like OnlyFans and Patreon, where viewers can subscribe for a monthly fee. Child safety organization Bark US, which rates Twitch with two out of five stars for child safety, expressed concerns about the platform’s content. They believe that the potential for toxic interactions on Twitch is too high and outweighs the benefits of watching video games. They also highlight the presence of violent video games and inappropriate content, including profanity and sexual content, in both on-screen text chats and verbal streams. Bark US offers a paid platform to help parents prevent their children from accessing potentially unsafe websites online. Another child safety organization, the NSPCC, shares concerns about Twitch, stating that there are no safety settings to prevent children and young people from accessing certain channels or chats. The term ASMR was coined in 2010 and has since gained popularity online. Supporters claim that the tingling sensation triggered by ASMR prompts relaxation, relieves stress, and enhances focus. However, there is limited scientific evidence to support these claims, with only ten studies on the practice conducted by 2019. On Twitch, ASMR seems to have evolved into women licking ear-shaped microphones while in revealing outfits. Prominent creators, such as SharonQueen and AkuASMR, post videos daily with titles like ‘Obey Your Queen!’ and ‘Look into My Eyes!’. These creators link to Explicit content on websites like OnlyFans and Patreon, with explicit titles surrounded by squirting water emojis. One of the creators, SharonQueen, also shares links to her Patreon profile, which features videos with explicit titles like ‘Take Everything Off?’ and ‘Give Me the Most Sexy Kiss You Can Give, My Lips Are Waiting.’ Twitch users FozenKin also post explicit videos featuring their tops and lace bras. Commenters on these explicit videos use phrases like ‘feels amazing man’ and ‘delicious like you.’ According to Twitch’s website, users must be at least 13 years old to use the platform, and those aged 13 to 18 should be supervised by a parent or guardian. However, there is no age verification process when accessing the site, and explicit content can be found within minutes of browsing. Twitch faced criticism in the past for hosting pornography on one of its streamers’ pages. The platform apologized and permanently suspended the account in question. Twitch was also accused of not addressing child predator issues after a report revealed that nearly 300,000 children on the platform had been targeted between October 2020 and August 2022. Twitch responded by stating that sexually explicit content is not allowed, and direct links to such content are against their rules. They clarified that certain types of content must be clearly labeled, and users must provide explicit consent before viewing. Streams containing sexual themes are behind a warning screen that viewers must acknowledge and click through to access. They also assert that children under 13 are not permitted to use the platform and that they actively use algorithms to detect and remove accounts that violate this policy.
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