It really is interesting and of course kind of sad. She was retired, living alone, a world traveler until the pandemic hit but plunged into isolation after that. While we might think it’s silly, I can emphasize with the appeal this might have to someone like that:

Then, seconds before a match ended, she’d hit her favorite creator with a $13 disco ball or a $29 Jet Ski — if she planned it right — just enough to push them over the edge and win.

The chats would erupt into a frenzy, and the streamer and their fans would shower her with praise. “It’s like somebody on TV calling out your name, especially if there’s over a thousand people in the room,” White said. “It really does do something to you. You feel like you’re somebody.”

I remember my grandma would lock herself in a little room playing Tetris on the Nintendo for literally 8-10 hours a day. I imagine if she had lived to see tik tok, she’d be worse off then the lady in the article.

Be! Excited! Be, Be Excited!

Edit: To anyone too young to know, or simply out of the loop, this is from Requiem for a Dream. No doubt you recognize that music; the ubiquitous “oh so dramatic” music. That… Was scored for this movie. This was it’s original application. There’s a reason it’s ubiquitous today. Fuck. The gravity of this movie is bringing me to tears rn and I haven’t seen it in over a decade. If you haven’t seen it, watch it.

Hilarious. I can’t believe they actually did a Cash War. I watched a Twitch streamer joke about this a few years before Tik Tok existed

Canadians “bullying” a vTuber with red (>$100) superchats: https://youtu.be/soQgD6nu5tA

I don’t need to mention the total, do I?

Wow even money

We can even obsess over money what an eye opening thought

To scam and steal and do anything for money what a novel idea

Never thought of humans becoming fooled of their money before