Vloggers risking their lives, all in the name of content

In the most recent related news, a Chinese vlogger died after a livestream in which he ate living centipedes and geckos.

Sun (35), a popular content creator on the Chinese platform DouYu, livestreamed himself drinking copious amounts of alcohol and eating centipedes, mealworms, and geckos.

Sun’s account is followed by 15,000 people, and he apparently held livestreams every night.

Little did he know his final stream was on Thursday (July 18) evening.

One of his stunts to gain more followers involved spinning a wheel with exotic and dangerous items like centipedes, geckos, mealworms, vinegar, eggs, beer and alcohol. He would then proceed to eat or drink the item on the spin wheel.

Sun was discovered lifeless in his flat by his girlfriend who came to visit on Saturday. His computer was still livestreaming.

Investigations are still ongoing, and Sun’s videos have been removed from DouYu.

Unfortunately, this is not the first – nor would it be the last – incident of vloggers risking their lives in the name of likes, views, and subscribers.

Wu Yongning (26), a Chinese daredevil who gained fame from climbing tall structures without wearing safety equipment, plummeted to his death in 2017 while filming his next video. The video was supposed to be his entry to win the cash prize for an online contest.

Three Canadian YouTubers who posted risky travel videos died after falling from a waterfall in 2018.

Another YouTuber was seriously injured when he did not notice an oncoming tractor while he was driving and livestreaming in 2018.

Even the ordinary netizens are not exempt. According to a 2018 report, there have already been 259 selfie-related deaths from 2011 to 2017. People taking selfies have fallen from tall structures, gotten into car crashes, drowned, or have been attacked by animals.

Live streaming, vlogging, and social media stardom has turned into a very profitable business for ordinary users who dream of being online celebrities. Forbes listed a number of millionaires who have made their fortune by creating content on YouTube and monetizing their brand.

Of course, not everyone can create entertaining, relatable, and unique content that can harvest a massive following and earn them millions. Thus, people can go to extreme lengths to grow their views and subscribers often at the cost of their lives./TISG