* To stream or not to stream – that is the question plaguing the minds of people all over the globe. Ever since humanity discovered the wonders of social media people have also become unnervingly aware of their most primal desire to share their lives with the world. Almost everybody with Internet access has a social media presence of some kind. It is therefore no surprise that web services like Facebook are what are widely associated with the Internet in everyday conversations. Whatever the occasion, be it something mundane like a trip to the local mall or maybe something a little more exciting like skydiving, today ’s Average Joe (or Jane) is in the comfortable position of becoming a perfect stranger’s entertainment for the duration of a few minutes just by pressing a button and going live on the social live streaming platform of his choice. While some may stream for the fun of it or maybe in an attempt to tackle the boredom of everyday life, others are a bit more ambitious, aiming for huge audiences and loyal viewers, trying to become the next micro-celebrity.
* It appears that streamers favor easily producible contents (such as chatting, 24/7, or even nothing) over contents which require much time, effort, and preparation.
* A bad habit of American streamers is to present nothing. The camera runs, but there is no action anywhere.
* The fact that boredom is ranked first is particularly noteworthy as this motive has never been described as remarkable when talking about using social media before. Instead, in literature the motives of communication, becoming a celebrity, and reaching a specific group are portrayed as important factors leading to people broadcasting themselves (Marwick & Boyd, 2011, p. 141). However, only a comparatively small number of streamers claimed to use SLSSs as a means to become famous.
