Dealing with criticism about your stream

 Dealing with criticism about your stream 

Imagine opening your social media and finding a private message from a long-time regular viewer who is known for being supportive and wanting the best for your streams and community. However, instead of exchanging pleasantries, they begin to criticize your camera setup, audio quality, or even something you said that may have offended another viewer. This sudden negative feedback catches you off guard, and you become defensive and maybe even offended. Your first thought might be to try and justify or make excuses for the issues, or compare your stream to others in a defensive way. It is a common reaction for a lot of individuals who struggle to accept criticism. It is, however, essential to learning to handle both positive and negative feedback gracefully and with tact to become a better streamer and in turn, bringing your community closer together. 

For many people, the desire to be right often trumps the desire to be successful as this tendency is hardwired into our brains. In the previous post titled Don’t Fear Failure we discussed how failure can actually increase your channel’s success. Receiving criticism from your viewers is one of the best ways to identify the areas where your stream is falling short. Despite the usefulness of this information many of us are reluctant to hear this feedback. We may prefer to ignore their feedback, brush off the criticism, and even convince ourselves that the issues being highlighted by viewers are not really problems at all. This approach shields us from the discomfort of negative feedback, but more importantly, it also prevents us from reaching our full potential. If you want to improve as a streamer, criticism is essential, and we have to learn to accept it.

Differentiating between Criticism and Criticizing

The main reason we struggle with feedback is our lack of understanding of the difference between receiving criticism and being criticized. While these two terms mean the exact same thing, their connotations are vastly different in practice. Criticism is constructive feedback, where someone points out an issue with your content with the intent of helping you improve. On the other hand, criticizing is not constructive and involves insults or negative remarks about your abilities or content without any intention of helping you improve. We all dislike being criticized, often to the point that we sometimes become overly defensive and cannot accept constructive criticism due to our fear of being criticized.

When someone offers you criticism or suggestions on your stream, it is imperative to refrain from immediately explaining or offering a rebuttal. Their criticism implies that they had an issue with your stream’s viewing experience, however, be mindful that one’s experience is subjective. There is no point in attempting to explain away their feelings or experiences. Your role is to determine whether you will address the issue they have identified. While you cannot and should not implement every suggestion, nor cater to every viewer’s whims, it is important to acknowledge that the criticism raised was real and valuable from that person’s viewpoint. Even if you have no intention of addressing their issues, it is not your place to invalidate their experience. 

Someone offering you feedback on your stream is a unique opportunity to get an honest perspective on your content. As a streamer, it can be difficult to understand what your viewers are experiencing, but by pointing out a problem, the person is showing you how to improve. Instead of getting defensive, thank them for bringing it to your attention and ask more questions to understand the issue. Remember that they are not attacking you, but rather helping you to be a better streamer. Be grateful for their courage to speak up and recognize that if one person has this problem, there may be others who haven’t mentioned it yet. So, take their feedback seriously and use it to make your stream even better. 

Receiving criticism: Finding the right approach

You want to create an open and welcoming environment for people to offer you feedback, whether it is positive or negative. Encourage them to share their thoughts by providing them with multiple ways to contact you, such as through private messages or whispers. When you receive criticism, ensure it remains a private conversation, which will help make the other person feel safe and heard. It also allows you to learn more about their concerns and gain valuable insights without the fear of being judged by others. 

I suggest avoiding creating a large, public forum for discussing your stream’s failures, such as a “suggestions” channel in Discord. Instead, encourage people to send you private messages with their feedback. When criticism is posted publicly, it can seem less genuine and make people less likely to share their personal stories or experiences. Additionally, if an idea is shot down publicly, people may become defensive or upset. Moreover, having a public forum where everyone is suggesting things can make it harder for you to decide which ideas to implement. Even if an idea does not fit your channel, people may become attached to it, creating a lose-lose scenario for you.

As a streamer, you have a unique perspective on your content and its goals. While viewers can provide valuable feedback, they do not have the same level of understanding of your creative vision or the challenges you face behind the scenes. When someone suggests an idea, it is important to focus on the problem they are trying to address rather than blindly implementing their suggestions. Instead, use their feedback as a starting point to come up with a solution that fits your channel’s unique needs. If someone suggests you play a certain game on your stream, don’t just take the suggestion at face value. Instead, try to understand why they are suggesting that game. Is it because they believe it fits with the theme of your channel? Or is it because they are bored with the games you have been playing and want to see something new? By understanding the underlying issue, you can make an informed decision about whether to take their suggestion. Be open to thinking outside the box and using criticism as a tool to refine and improve your streams.

Final Thoughts

It is important to acknowledge and give credit to those who provide feedback and suggestions for your stream. Even if their exact idea isn’t implemented, taking the time to publicly thank them on stream can go a long way. This not only shows that you value their input but also encourages others to share their thoughts as well. Instead of immediately getting defensive, take time to listen, learn, and ask questions. By using your viewers' real experiences as inspiration, you will be able to improve your streams faster than you ever thought possible.