Twitch CEO: Social media has become ‘anti-social’ and can’t match the shared, human connection of live streaming

Twitch Chief Executive Dan Clancy said that in an attention economy, live-streaming formats like his platform foster a sense of human connection and authenticity that consumers can’t get from social media channels. 

The CEO of the Amazon-owned company spoke at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference in Aspen, Colorado on Monday alongside Grant LaFontaine, chief executive of popular streaming marketplace Whatnot. Both executives emphasized that real-time connection is core to their business success. They also highlighted that the digital neighborhoods each has made contrast with highly-addictive, quick-hit social media channels.

“Social media has become anti-social. Sitting and swiping doesn’t make you feel connected to other people,” Twitch’s Clancy said. “If you think of real-world communities—churches, running clubs—it all comes from shared experiences in real time.”

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