Digital Consumption and Digital Emotions. A Netnographic Analysis of Emotions on Twitch: Technology and Society: The Process of Digitizing Emotions

The role of new technologies has become prominent within society; however, little research addresses the impact of emotions found within entertainment activities on the internet. There are many platforms on which to create one’s own work, such as YouTube, Instagram, Twitch, OnlyFans, and so forth (Auriemma 2023a). The research that has been conducted has been limited to critical views toward certain contexts, such as Twitch (Hilderbrand 2007). New media approaches, however, do not only change people’s tastes and habits but also actions, affectations, and languages (Richard 2017). Subsequently, it is crucial to analyze the emotions that develop out of the relationships and interactions that occur within this cross-section of the world as well. This chapter analyzes the emotions occurring within the chats of a selected sample of famous Italian content creators on Twitch to understand the role of these new technologies. Twitch has been prominent in recent years as a live streaming platform, yet there is still little research examining it. This study focuses on culture and language; while it is similar to Auriemma (2023b), which focused on emotional capitalism found in the OnlyFans platform, it differs in form and content. This current study and Auriemma (2023b) both analyze existing subcultures but differ in the emotional compartment (emotional subtraction and emotional evocation)1 put into the field. The few studies that exist merely emphasize, in a critical way, the role of digital work, by analyzing the generational context almost as if it were something to be demonized (Laser 2020). These studies only focus on a few social media sites that offer a certain type of entertainment, such as that of OnlyFans. Instead, our goal is to make people understand the need for media literacy, delving into the role of online subcultures and their analysis (Crespi, 2002); Auriemma, 2024). Going beyond the critique of certain contexts, this study takes the cue for an analysis of emotions, with an empathetic stance toward the live streams of some famous Italian streamers on Twitch.