• Pezevenk [he/him]
        ·
        3 years ago

        The distinction between streamers and workers is pretty clear though. I wouldn't even say they rely entirely on Amazon. They could and often do migrate to other platforms and they are often not even payed through Twitch, but other means, and there is basically no oversight beyond just following a few rules. Importantly, they are not paid a wage, they make profit, and Amazon simply gets a cut of that (if they even are paid through Twitch and aren't using some other source like Patreon). That is different from working for a company where all profit goes to the company, but then you are paid back a wage. A lot of the things that come with being working class, like alienation from your labor etc, do not apply. So streamers, youtubers etc are definitely petite bourgeois, not working class, they are part of the intermediate classes between workers and the bourgeois. A streamer making bank on twitch doesn't have the same experiences nor typically the same interests as a worker. For instance, laws for better employee protection are at best indifferent, at worst hurtful to them (in case they are employing or considering to employ someone), as are taxes on profit, and they sure wouldn't be happy if they lost all that ad revenue.