BBC Pidgin of Monday, 21 August 2023

Source: BBC

How pipo dey make money as dem dey sleep

Amoranth, wey be one of di world most popular streamers Amoranth, wey be one of di world most popular streamers

Video platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Twitch don full wit doz dey call demselves "sleep streamers", wey dey video and post live footage of demsef as dem dey sleep.

Kai Cenat wey recently dey charged wit inciting riots for US, dey for di center of dis money making venture.

Estimates tok say e fit don make tens of thousands of dollars as im bin dey sleep for one long non stop stream wey im do for March.

Amoranth, wey be one of di world most popular streamers, claim for one podcast for June say she fit make up to $15,000 from sleep stream.

For pipo wey dey watch am, sleep streams dey give dem sense of community, in terms of pesin to follow sleep and also as source of entertainment.

Dis idea fit sound strange but e no be new tin.

For di early 2000s, Big Brother become di top watched show for world. And wetin burst di internet dat time, shockingly na di change to watch housemates dey sleep for night for di show 24 hours live stream.

And for 2004, di National Portrait Gallery release one hour video wey show footballer, David Beckham as e dey sleep.

If you wake me, you win

Oda types of sleep streams don start to dey popular. For instance, instead of just to pay to watch streamers as dem dey sleep, viewers fit pay to keep dem awake. Wen dem donate money, pipo fit trigger loud noise, alerts, on and off light or do sometin for di room, wey go disturb di streamer sleep.

Di videos come be like real life video game wia di streamer look like dem dey sleep while di players (or di viewers) dey do as dem like to wake dem up.

Di trend start for TikTok and get "sleepfluencers" like Jakey Boehm and Stanley alias StanleyMov wey don reveal say e dey make enof money from di sleep streams im dey do sometimes, wey reach to pay im rent.

Viewers go pay plenti money to fit do am.

For instance if dem drop $95 viewers fit pay to give StanleyMov electric shock from di bracelet e dey wear.

E tell BBC say, "normally, wen I do sleep streams, na to make YouTube videos and make content from am afta, so for me to dey shocked na just content for YouTube channel.

"I no know if na our primal instincts, bit some pipo like ot dey see odas get hurt, if e make sense."

But even wit di beta money e bin dey make for streams, like di $12 dollars to make im light blink or $24 to blind am wit very bright light, Stanley say e don stop to dey do dem for now.

E say "I dey take break from sleep streams becos of mental health and burnout."

E fit mean beta money but dat one mean say sleep stream na good idea?

Sabi pesin for sleep, Dr Lindsay Browning wey write di Navigating Sleeplessness self help book tell BBC say two schools of thought dey.

She say, "Science say to get good night sleep get plenti benefits. But no be so real life dey work. Plenti reasons dey why pesin no go fit sleep well.

My work na wit pipo wey get insomnia, wia dem wan sleep but dia brain no dey gree, and part of curing insomnia na to reduce di fear say true-true a night of bad sleep no be di end of di world."

She say sleep streams no be good idea on di surface but "e dey within di area wia you drink on Friday, e no be ogbonge way of life, but again you dey jaiye wit your friends and dat no be di end of di world."

Dr Browning add say, "I go say if you think am for category of 'doing am once evri two, three weeks to make plenti money', den why not?"

And apart from electric shocks, na dat sense of community wey fit be wetin dey bring pipo to come back meet streamers like Amourath and Kai Cenat wen dem dey sleep.

Stanley say, "pipo dey watch am for comfort, dem feel like dem n dey alone".