Open Collections

Krueper, Gerrit

University of British Columbia

This dissertation explores the political and social potentials of live streaming as a new media theory. It argues that live streaming, exemplified by platforms like Twitch, has the capacity to create an engaged and participatory political audience, reintroducing the public into the greater political discourse. The project draws on Raymond Williams’ concept of “flow” to understand how live streaming can “alter our world,” and introduces the term “dialectical stream” to encapsulate the dynamic interactions between streamers and their audiences. Central to this theory is the concept of “engagement,” which is explored through the lens of Marxist and Bergsonian philosophies. “Affective drive” and “repetition” are integral in shaping political participation and class consciousness within live streaming communities. It examines how streamers, such as the prominent political commentator Hasan Piker, utilize the interactive nature of Twitch to encourage dialogue, mobilize support for progressive causes, and challenge mainstream media narratives. In doing so, it delves into the dynamics of labor, gender, and identity within the live streaming sphere, and analyzes how streamers navigate the complexities of authenticity, privacy, and the potential for harassment while building communities and motivating political engagement. The project also investigates the role of live streaming as a digital public sphere, where alternative political commentary and grassroots activism can flourish. All in all, this work contends that live streaming offers a unique space for reimagining creative power and resistance. It highlights the potential for collective information curation and cognitive processing, as well as the transformative impact of live streaming on labor, leisure, and the digital public sphere. By examining the dialectical nature of live streaming and its capacity to foster political engagement, this study contributes to a growing field of media studies that recognizes the transformative power of digital platforms in shaping contemporary political discourse and social activism.

Text

2024-10-15

Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/89405

Cinema and Media Studies

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/