These days you read and hear a lot about the charm of Clubhouse.
Often it is about strange appearances of celebrities in the audio app, about their immediacy or about the fact that the audience can influence what they hear by asking them to speak, unlike podcasts.
But at least some hymns of praise for the interactivity of Clubhouse are likely to surprise young Internet users in particular, according to the motto: Really now, dear media professionals, you think it's impressive that you can ask questions to well-known people online?
Or that the audience can influence the thrust of a live stream?
For many users, live experiences via smartphone or computer have long been part of everyday life, from live shows on TikTok or Instagram (where users have just got new opportunities today) to events in the online world of "Fortnite".
In the meantime, it's been seven years, in terms of web time, a long time ago that tens of thousands of people played "Pokémon" together on a Twitch channel for the first time - with their chat entries.
Politics on gaming platforms
In general, it is currently worth taking a look at supposed gaming platforms: They are no longer just interesting for game fans.
On Twitch, for example, which belongs to Amazon, DJ sets, cooking attempts and talk shows have long been broadcast.
And the live video portal is becoming increasingly interesting even for political actors.
This autumn, for example, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez showed hundreds of thousands of viewers in the USA how the topics of politics and gaming can be combined.
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Rapper Snoop Dogg: Thousands of viewers were interested in his chair
Photo: Richard Shotwell / Invision / AP
Just as the program on Twitch is becoming increasingly varied, so is Discord.
In addition to text chats, the platform, which was initially focused on players, also offers video and audio conversations; it is practically a clubhouse with just about every conceivable function on top - and with over a hundred million monthly active users.
Discord has even been used for online teaching since the beginning of the corona crisis.
Many network stars and web portals, but also clubs or school classes now have their own Discord servers on which fans, members or classmates and their teachers can exchange ideas.
Here, too, a feeling of intimacy can quickly set in from a virtual home - this is ensured, for example, by self-created emojis.
Debates that often only last as long as someone has time at Clubhouse can take on all sorts of forms here, from audio talk to meme exchange.
Many Twitch streams meanwhile impress with their interactivity.
With streamers like MontanaBlack it is good form to incorporate the chat into their online show: They answer questions, react to suggestions from viewers or to emotes they post, these are the names of the emojis on Twitch.
And some streamers are already preparing to make Twitch the new number one entertainment medium, at least for younger people.
For stars, Twitch is sometimes more appealing than TV
"Television is so outdated," said the rapper Sido recently in a podcast.
The chat allows you to be close to the target group and let them decide on the content.
"We are building channels that are played live 24 hours a day," announced Sido.
"What people see, they have determined themselves." Together with the streamer Knossi, Sido has already successfully implemented "Camp" live formats lasting several days on Twitch.
Reality TV built by yourself, so to speak.
Such projects have at least as much potential to shape the digital world in the long term as the much hyped audio conversations from Clubhouse.
In addition: The live charm of Clubhouse, the feeling that something unpredictable can happen at any time, can also be felt on Twitch and Discord.
The content creators are becoming more professional, but behind many broadcasts there are still individual people or only small teams.
Much is unscripted, often there is no plan B if something goes wrong.
And if you are looking for strange appearances by celebrities, Twitch is the place for you.
There is currently a recording of how rapper Snoop Dogg broke off a stream for the American football game "Madden" after just 15 minutes and some curses.
From then on, his gaming chair could be seen live online for seven hours, and the associated video has now been viewed 300,000 times.
Snoop Dogg started the broadcast with the title "Sit Back, Relax, and Chill its a Vibe in Here".
One can think that this is absurd.
Or for entertainment.
External links: three tips from other media
"Stop & Go in the German Internet" (video, almost 20 minutes)
Why is the Internet so expensive and slow in Germany?
And why haven't there been fiber optic connections everywhere?
Jan Böhmermann and his ZDF Magazin Royale addressed this question on Friday.
One of the answers is: Helmut Kohl.
“Newly Christened Billionaire David Baszucki's› Addictive ‹Roblox Is Equal To YouTube Among Gen-Z” (English, five minutes to read)
“Roblox” is not a classic video game, but a platform on which users can create and play their own video games.
And next week at the latest you will read a lot more about "Roblox": The company behind it wants to go public, as "Forbes" reports.
"When the Pokémon hype escalates" (video, three minutes)
The skits by YouTuber Varion are always worth a click - and often good at overdrawing network phenomena.
For example, the prices for “Pokémon” cards are rising: what was once a children's game can quickly become a pension plan.
Have a nice week
Markus Bohm
