Social Live Streaming Services Research Articles

The effects of game mechanics on user retention in using social live streaming services

PurposeSocial live streaming services (SLSS) have infused gamification into interface design and feature applications. Firms adopt gamification mechanisms to win customer loyalty in the live streaming and SLSS markets. Based on the mechanics-dynamics-aesthetics (MDA) framework and uses and gratifications 2.0 theory (UGT 2.0), this study aims to investigate the effects of game mechanics (mechanics) on enjoyment and user retention (aesthetics) through rewards and social interaction (dynamics) in the context of SLSS.Design/methodology/approachThis study used an online survey via Google Forms, SurveyCake and social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Line to collect data from 232 SLSS users in Taiwan. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was adopted to analyze the data.FindingsThe results validated the relationships between game mechanics and dynamic elements (rewards and social interaction) that triggered aesthetic elements (enjoyment feelings) among users. In addition, users experienced a sense of enjoyment that led to usage retention when using the gamified SLSS. Further, this study found enjoyment crucial for users to stay interactive with gamified services.Originality/valueDriven by UGT 2.0, this study closed the gaps by integrating the MDA framework into the SLSS context and better understanding how game mechanics are connected to rewards and social interaction, leading to enjoyment and user retention when using SLSS. This study provides fresh insights into gamification-oriented SLSS practices. It offers significant theoretical and managerial implications and provides guidelines for SLSS platform operators on fostering user retention.

COVID-19 information seeking and individuals’ protective behaviors: examining the role of information sources and information content

BackgroundSeeking COVID-19 information promotes individuals to adopt preventive behaviors, including wearing a mask, social distancing, staying away from risky places, and washing hands. This study aims to investigate which information and sources individuals relied on in seeking COVID-19 information and further examine their roles in individuals’ adoption of preventive behaviors.MethodsThrough a statistical analysis of 1027 valid responses from citizens in different Chinese cities in 2022 to the self-designed items in an online survey, this study identified individuals’ preferred information sources and content on COVID-19. Regarding the information sources and content, the study used multiple regression analysis to examine their associations with individuals’ preventive behaviors, and further applied fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to explore their configurations that increase the likelihood of individuals adopting preventive behaviors.ResultsIndividuals preferred information about the newest prevention and control policies, precautions and treatment, and symptoms from the sources of workplace and community, social media, and social live streaming services. Additionally, individuals’ preventive behaviors were positively related to the workplace and community (β = 0.202, p <.001), social live streaming services (β = 0.089, p <.01), government department websites (β = 0.079, p <.05), television (β = 0.073, p <.05), and online news media (β = 0.069, p <.05), but were negatively associated with newspapers (β=-0.087, p <.05). Regarding information content, precautions and treatments (β = 0.211, p <.001), the newest prevention and control policies (β = 0.173, p <.001), symptoms (β = 0.152, p <.001), and official rumor-dispelling information (β = 0.082, p <.05) had a positive relationship with individuals’ preventive behaviors. In addition, fsQCA results presented eight configurations that promote individuals to adopt preventive behaviors. The total coverage and solution consistency values were 0.869 and 0.987, respectively. Furthermore, COVID-19 information content, the sources of social media and interpersonal sources, and official news media played an essential role in increasing the likelihood of individuals adopting preventive behaviors.ConclusionsOur findings demonstrated that individuals seek various COVID-19 information from multiple sources. The direct and degree of association of information sources and content with individuals’ preventive behaviors vary from source to source and from content to content. Information sources and content could combinatorially promote individuals to adopt preventive behaviors through several configurations.

CrossFit Games: A Case Study of Consumer Engagement on Social Live-Streaming Service Platforms

Social media platforms offer a direct channel for broadcasting live content to followers, emphasizing the immediacy of interaction. Social live-streaming services present a unique opportunity for niche sport organizations to engage with their communities in real time, providing new opportunities for interaction and engagement. This paper employs a case study of the 2022 CrossFit (CF) Games to understand how social live-streaming services influence consumer engagement in niche sports. Using an online survey and content analysis, the study finds that viewing the CF Games inspires participation and that viewers with a stronger connection to CF are less likely to engage in chat functions. These insights highlight the potential for niche sports to leverage social live-streaming services for enhanced engagement, offering a viable alternative to traditional broadcasting. Although the focus is on CF, the findings may provide valuable lessons for other niche sports facing similar challenges in visibility and audience engagement.

Value Co-creation in Sports Live Streaming Platforms: A Microfoundations Perspective

As a primarily synchronous social media form, social live streaming services offer real-time interaction between streamers and viewers, and among viewers. Users' value cocreation has become increasingly crucial for platform businesses to increase their competitive advantage. However, the previous studies using the microfoundations approach have only confirmed the employees' efforts to adopt technology as a way to achieve the firms' goals. In this article, we explore the microfoundations of external actors' (viewers and streamers) value cocreation on sports live streaming platforms (SLSPs). Taking China Sport as a case study, this article conducts netnography research with observations made of four live-streamed matches on the final matchday of the International Table Tennis Federation World Tour Grand Final 2019. In total, 16 204 real-time messages and 5540 gifting messages are reviewed. In-depth interviews are also conducted with 5 streamers and 15 viewers. As a result, a typology of viewers (managers, fans, and audiences) emerges, and five viewer–streamer–viewer value cocreation activities are revealed. Furthermore, the unique value-in-use among streamers and viewers in different activities is found. This study presents a model to show that the viewers' engagement and the value cocreation activities between viewers and streamers at a microlevel determines the value-in-use formation, which, in turn, contributes to the competitive advantages for SLSPs at a macrolevel. This study contributes to the existing literature on the engagement behavior and value cocreation by empirically examining the role of external actors' engagement as the microfoundations of value cocreation in the context of new social technologies—SLSPs.

Solicited PWYW donations on social live streaming services through reciprocal actions between streamers and viewers

A donation model, referred to as social tipping and gift-giving, is a new monetization model in the virtual world that has expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such donations are not charity but gifts by service recipients (buyers) to support service providers (sellers). In the virtual world, donations are visible to all participants, and further donations are likely induced one after another. Therefore, analysing donations in the virtual world as a collective action is worthwhile. This study took Twitch, a live streaming platform, and statistically analysed its log data of the top 100 streamers’ virtual communities. In Twitch, there is no upper limit to the number of donations. Thus, the donations can be thought of as a pay-what-you-want (PWYW) donation. This paper analyses the behaviour of subscription gifting as PWYW donation using the log data from TwitchTracker.com. The analysis, involving service-dominant logic as an analysis framework, revealed that mutual efforts through interactions between streamers (sellers) and viewers (buyers) accelerated PWYW-donation behaviour and co-created value of the services by the streamers. This study also provides the theoretical and practical implications of the results and contributes toward the future monetization of collective action in the virtual world.

Correction to: Who’s watching? Classifying sports viewers on social live streaming services

Correction to: Who’s watching? Classifying sports viewers on social live streaming services

Who's watching? Classifying sports viewers on social live streaming services.

The newly emergent social live streaming services (SLSSs) provide the sport consumers with a synchronised and more interactive viewing experience. In order to help the sport SLSSs firms understanding and engaging with the viewers effectively, this research aims to classify the sports SLSS viewers based on their engagement behaviour, and identify the perceived value and value contribution of each group of viewers. Firstly, 52,545 sports SLSSs viewers' viewing duration time is predicted by a feedforward neural network. Second, the predicted viewing duration time and other extracted viewer behavioural data (number of messages, number of virtual gifts, and value of virtual gifts) are analysed through two-step clustering in SPSS, and classified viewers into four types. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted to understand how each type of viewer co-creates value. The results identified four groups of viewers, namely content consumers, super co-creators, co-creators, and tourists, and identified their distinct value co-creations and perceived value. This study sheds light on combining engagement behaviour and value co-creation literature to classify the sports viewers in the context of SLSSs. This understanding assists the decision-making processes of marketers and operators to promote viewers' co-creation effectively.

How synchronous participation affects the willingness to subscribe to social live streaming services: the role of co-Interactive behavior on Twitch

ABSTRACT Social computing has transformed the content industry. Content providers have changed from providing merely content to offering social content experiences that allow users not only to passively consume content but also to actively participate. As the latest development, social live streaming services (SLSS) have emerged that enable so-called co-interactive behaviour, i.e., the live interplay between users while co-experiencing content. Yet, it remains unclear how co-interactive behaviour affects the monetisation of social live content. Based on a data set of 868,940 users from 59 gaming channels of the freemium-based SLSS Twitch, we empirically show that co-interactive behaviour has a stronger effect on users’ willingness to subscribe (WTS) than passive and active behaviour. Since we find that a user’s reciprocated interactions also directly increase other users’ WTS, our results call for dismantling the current dichotomy of user participation and social influences in IS research. We suggest a social-experiential perspective that integrates social influences as an inherent part of users’ participation experiences. This novel interactive second-person perspective contributes to research on user engagement and value capture on social content platforms, and it allows SLSS providers to obtain a more precise picture of user value to better develop or adapt their monetisation strategies.

Content versus community focus in live streaming services: how to drive engagement in synchronous social media

PurposeSocial live-streaming services are an emerging form of social media that is gaining in popularity among researchers and practitioners. By facilitating real-time interactions between video content creators (i.e. streamers) and viewers, live-streaming platforms provide an environment for novel engagement behaviors and monetization structures. This research aims to examine communication foci and styles as levers of streaming success. In doing so, the authors analyze their impact on viewers' engagement with the stream.Design/methodology/approachThis research draws on a unique dataset collected via a multi-wave questionnaire comprising viewers' perceptions of a specific streamer's communications and their actual behavior toward them. The authors analyze the proposed impact of communication foci on viewing and donating behavior while considering the moderating role of communication style using seemingly unrelated regressions.FindingsThe results show that communication foci represent a double-edged sword: community-focused communication drives viewership while reducing donations made to the streamer. By contrast, content-focused communication curbs viewing but drives donating.Practical implicationsOf specific interest for practitioners, the study demonstrates how streaming content providers (e.g. influencers) should adjust their communications to drive engagement in the context of synchronous social media such as social live-streaming services. Beyond that, this research identifies unique characteristics of engagement that can help managers to improve their digital service offerings.Social implicationsSocial live-streaming services provide an environment that offers unique opportunities for self-development and co-creation among social media users. By allowing for real-time interactions, these emerging social media services build on ephemeral content to provide altered experiences for users.Originality/valueThe authors highlight the need to distinguish between engagement behaviors in asynchronous and synchronous social media. The proposed conceptualization sheds new light on success factors of social media in general and social live-streaming services specifically. To maximize user engagement, content creators in synchronous social media must consider their communications' focus (content or community) and style (utilitarian or hedonic).

Hate speech (Hate Speech/Incivility)

The variable hate speech is an indicator used to describe communication that expresses and/or promotes hatred towards others (Erjavec &amp; Kova?i?, 2012; Rosenfeld, 2012; Ziegele, Koehler, &amp; Weber, 2018). A second element is that hate speech is directed against others on the basis of their ethnic or national origin, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation or political conviction (Erjavec &amp; Kova?i?, 2012; Rosenfeld, 2012; Waseem &amp; Hovy, 2016) and typically uses terms to denigrate, degrade and threaten others (Döring &amp; Mohseni, 2020; Gagliardone, Gal, Alves, &amp; Martínez, 2015). Hate speech and incivility are often used synonymously as hateful speech is considered part of incivility (Ziegele et al., 2018). Field of application/theoretical foundation: Hate speech (see also incivility) has become an issue of growing concern both in public and academic discourses on user-generated online communication. References/combination with other methods of data collection: Hate speech is examined through content analysis and can be combined with comparative or experimental designs (Muddiman, 2017; Oz, Zheng, &amp; Chen, 2017; Rowe, 2015). In addition, content analyses can be accompanied by interviews or surveys, for example to validate the results of the content analysis (Erjavec &amp; Kova?i?, 2012). Example studies: Research question/research interest: Previous studies have been interested in the extent of hate speech in online communication (e.g. in one specific online discussion, in discussions on a specific topic or discussions on a specific platform or different platforms in comparatively) (Döring &amp; Mohseni, 2020; Poole, Giraud, &amp; Quincey, 2020; Waseem &amp; Hovy, 2016). Object of analysis: Previous studies have investigated hate speech in user comments for example on news websites, social media platforms (e.g. Twitter) and social live streaming services (e.g. YouTube, YouNow). Level of analysis: Most manual content analysis studies measure hate speech on the level of a message, for example on the level of user comments. On a higher level of analysis, the level of hate speech for a whole discussion thread or online platform could be measured or estimated. On a lower level of analysis hate speech can be measured on the level of utterances, sentences or words which are the preferred levels of analysis in automated content analyses. Table 1. Previous manual and automated content analysis studies and measures of hate speech Example study (type of content analysis) Construct Dimensions/variables Explanation/example Reliability Waseem &amp; Hovy (2016) (automated content analysis) hate speech sexist or racial slur - - attack of a minority - - silencing of a minority - criticizing of a minority without argument or straw man argument - - promotion of hate speech or violent crime - - misrepresentation of truth or seeking to distort views on a minority - - problematic hash tags. e.g. “#BanIslam”, “#whoriental”, “#whitegenocide” - - negative stereotypes of a minority - - defending xenophobia or sexism - - user name that is offensive, as per the previous criteria - - hate speech - ? = .84 Döring &amp; Mohseni (2020) (manual content analysis) hate speech explicitly or aggressively sexual hate e. g. “are you single, and can I lick you?” ? = .74; PA = .99 racist or sexist hate e.g. “this is why ignorant whores like you belong in the fucking kitchen”, “oh my god that accent sounds like crappy American” ? = .66; PA = .99 hate speech ? = .70 Note: Previous studies used different inter-coder reliability statistics; ? = Cohen’s Kappa; PA = percentage agreement. More coded variables with definitions used in the study Döring &amp; Mohseni (2020) are available under: https://osf.io/da8tw/

Large-scale analysis of grooming in modern social networks

Social networks are evolving to engage their users more by providing them with more functionalities. One of the most attracting ones is streaming. Users may broadcast part of their daily lives to thousands of others world-wide and interact with them in real-time. Unfortunately, this feature is reportedly exploited for grooming. In this work, we provide the first in-depth analysis of this problem for social live streaming services. More precisely, using a dataset that we collected, we identify predatory behaviours and grooming on chats that bypassed the moderation mechanisms of the LiveMe, the service under investigation. Beyond the traditional text approaches, we also investigate the relevance of emojis in this context, as well as the user interactions through the gift mechanisms of LiveMe. Finally, our analysis indicates the possibility of grooming towards minors, showing the extent of the problem in such platforms.

Examining gifting behavior on live streaming platforms: An identity-based motivation model

Social live streaming services are becoming increasingly popular worldwide, and viewers’ gifting behavior is critical to the success of the business model of these services. However, factors leading to such behavior are not well understood. Drawing on an identity-based motivation model, this study examines how class and relational identities affect viewers’ gifting behavior and how social density elicited by Danmaku as a significant contextual cue moderates the effects of identities on viewers’ gifting behavior. This study contributes to the gifting literature by revealing the differential effects of class and relational identities on gifting behavior and theorizing about the moderating effects of social density on these effects.

Relay Streaming System Model to Social Media Platform for Indoor Activity Broadcasting

The purpose of this research is to design a relay streaming model that can be streamed to several social media that provide live streaming services. The research method includes the analysis process which is divided into 4 stages. The first stage is an analysis of live streaming services on a social media. The second step is analysing the need for the server to be able to relay streams. The third stage is an analysis of the integration of the relay server system with live streaming social media services. The last stage is to design a system model based on previous analysis and determine the software requirements specification. The final result of this research is a relay streaming model with a server using Rasberry Pi which is integrated into Facebook and YouTube social media live streaming services. The development of this model is expected to solve the problem of limited indoor wireless networks and video input sources from various recording devices in relay streaming to several live streaming social media services simultaneously

China’s New Mania for Live Streaming: Gender Differences in Motives and Uses of Social Live Streaming Services

ABSTRACT This study examined gender differences in social live streaming service (SLSS) use by focusing on audience needs for Real-life Communication, Escape, Fun Seeking, Partnership Seeking, and Social Interaction. Results of an online survey (N = 312) of Chinese SLSS audiences’ reasons for SLSS use, preferred genres, amount of usage, actual media behavior are reported. Based on Uses and Gratifications theory, we didn’t find enough evidence to show that the man-dominated image of SLSS use cultivated by Chinese media is true, and we argued that the exaggerated gender differences regarding audiences’ use levels and rewarding expenses were without merit. Nevertheless, we did find some differences due to gender. For example, male audiences are more likely to watch and prefer live game broadcasting, and their mediated communication is more active than females.

Viewing sports online together? Psychological consequences on social live streaming service usage

Social live streaming services (SLSSs) have recently been introduced as a new type of synchronous social networking services for sport fans. Given the popularity of these innovations, the authors examined how the use of SLSSs can augment users’ social well-being and mitigate loneliness through the mechanisms of team identification, flow experiences, and satisfaction with SLSSs. To this end, the researchers collected data from 231 SLSS users who watched sport events over the SLSS platforms during the past 12 months. Results indicated that four types of gratification expectations positively influenced the users’ flow states. Among highly identified users with their preferred teams, affective gratification exerted the greater impact on the flow, predicting satisfaction with SLSSs. Such satisfaction enabled the users to enhance their social well-being and ease their feelings of loneliness. This study provides empirical evidence and new insights that elevate our understanding of SLSSs for sports content.

Gendered hate speech in YouTube and YouNow comments: Results of two content analyses

Online hate speech in general, and gendered online hate speech in particular, have become an issue of growing concern both in public and academic discourses. However, although YouTube is the most important social media platform today and the popularity of social live streaming services (SLSS) such as Twitch, Periscope and YouNow is constantly growing, research on gendered online hate speech on video platforms is scarce. To bridge this empirical gap, two studies investigated gendered online hate speech in video comments on YouTube and YouNow, thereby systematically replicating a study by Wotanis and McMillan (2014). Study 1 investigated YouTube in the form of a content analysis of N = 8,000 publicly available video comments that were addressed towards four pairs of female and male German-speaking YouTubers within the popular genres Comedy, Gaming, HowTo &amp; Style, and Sports [Fitness]. Study 2 examined YouNow, with a quantitative content analysis of N = 6,844 publicly available video comments made during the video streams of 16 female and 14 male popular German-speaking YouNowers. Study 1 successfully replicated the findings of Wotanis and McMillan (2014) that compared to male You-Tubers, female YouTubers received more negative video comments (including sexist, racist, and sexually aggressive hate speech) (H1a). In addition, they received fewer positive video comments regarding personality and video content but more positive video comments regarding physical appearance (H2a). Study 2 partly confirmed the earlier findings: It found that, compared to male YouNowers, the video comments received by female YouNowers were more sexist and sexually aggressive, but not generally more hostile or negative (H1b). They received more positive video comments regarding their physical appearance but did not receive fewer positive video comments regarding their personality or the content of their videos (H2b). With some exceptions, the findings of study 2 were comparable to the findings of study 1 (RQ1). In both studies, most effect sizes were small. Overall, females on the video platforms YouTube and YouNow seem to be disproportionately affected by both hostile and benevolent sexism expressed in viewer comments. The results are in line with the Expectation States Theory and the Ambivalent Sexism Theory. The total number of public hate comments was probably underestimated because inappropriate comments can be deleted by moderators and users. Future research directions and practical implications are discussed. Supplementary material can be retrieved from https://osf.io/da8tw

Gender Differences in Perception of Gamification Elements on Social Live Streaming Services

Gamification is seen as an important factor for people to use different services, this also applies to social live streaming services (SLSSs). In China, there are around 200 SLSSs available, and the most successful of them apply a wide range of gamification elements. The general SLSS YouNow, which is mostly used by the younger generation, is a SLSS with the most applied gamification elements outside of China. However, it remains unclear if and to what extend gamification elements motivate female and male streamers differently. We empirically investigate this question by applying a survey with 94 streamers (female N = 48; male N = 46). The results indicate that YouNow is seen favorable by the streamers, but female streamers have a more positive view of it. Furthermore, male and female streamers are inclined to spend real money to further their motives. Overall, female streamers are more motivated by gamification elements than male streamers. Female streamers prefer Levels, the Progress Bar, Badges; male streamers favor Coins, Gifts, and Levels.

Streamer Motives and User-Generated Content on Social Live-Streaming Services

Streamer Motives and User-Generated Content on Social Live-Streaming Services

And Action! Live in Front of the Camera

The arising knowledge society seems to produce its own digital services. In the last few years, with social live streaming services a new type of synchronous social media emerged. What functions do such services offer? What information need and information behavior do users of this services exhibit? Method: As a heuristic theoretical basis, the Information Service Evaluation (ISE) model was applied to analyze YouNow as a case study of this kind of new social media. The evaluation is based on an online-survey among YouNow's users as well as observations of the live-streams. Results. YouNow is mainly used by adolescents and young adults. For this group, it is important to interact with friends, be a part of the community and find ways of self-expression. This is exactly what YouNow offers its users. Most of them enjoy the functions of the service. The experience of “flow” was sometimes perceived. Possible law infringements (such as copyright and personality rights violations) were detected.

Information Behavior on Social Live Streaming Services

In the last few years, a new type of synchronous social networking services (SNSs) has emerged—social live streaming services (SLSSs). Studying SLSSs is a new and exciting research field in information science. What information behaviors do users of live streaming platforms exhibit? In our empirical study we analyzed information production behavior (i.e., broadcasting) as well as information reception behavior (watching streams and commenting on them). We conducted two quantitative investigations, namely an online survey with YouNow users (N