Last week, CCMISC welcomed filmmaker Jane Wagner for a Zoom discussion after a screening of the documentary “Break the Game.” CAMD Professor Michael Ann DeVito moderated the Q&A.

Of particular note during the discussion was Jane’s statement about the infrastructure of the Twitch platform.

“This is work, and [Twitch] is a workplace,” she said.

While streaming on Twitch, film subject Narcissa Wright suffered several mental health crises, and not once did a Twitch staff member reach out to check in and offer support. That should be the bare minimum required of a public platform.

Stories like Narcissa’s remind us that online spaces have real-world impact, and they aren’t set in stone.

Platform developers have a real responsibility to make these platforms ethical and safe. Luckily, we have collective power as users to pressure them to do so.

We look forward to convening more discussions like this in the future.