Moderators are the unpaid backbone of Twitch

polygon.com:

When OoeyGooee goes live on Twitch, she boots up a game (lately, Party Animals), sits down to chat with viewers, or pops on a movie. Hundreds of people tune in to watch, chatting alongside her broadcast using the infamous Twitch chat, a place where communities both live and die on the platform.

Twitch chat is an integral part of the platform where people can not only connect with streamers but build communities with other viewers, too. Without structure, Twitch chat can quickly turn to chaos, which is why streamers turn to largely volunteer moderators to set the tone for each community. Moderators keep communities safe by banning troublemakers spreading hateful or harmful content, while also answering questions and interacting with people in the chat.

Being a moderator is a lot more than just kicking people out of chat, said Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology assistant professor Joseph Seering. “People often think about moderation work as just about removal, but it’s often much more about community-building,” he said. “Moderators help shape and curate the space, partly by removing problematic content but also by welcoming new members, setting a positive example for behavior, and keeping the community engaged.”

We call them moderators, but they’re so much more — often the backbone of Twitch.

For Ooey, who has six highly active moderators out of a team of 16, moderators are usually viewers who find themselves falling into the role: “What drives my moderators is their love for the content and the community,” she said. “They step up not just for the power to moderate but because they genuinely value the channel. Their dedication shines brightest during tough times, ensuring our space remains positive and