IS YOUR TEEN WATCHING TWITCH?
What Parents Need to Know About This Media Platform
TWITCH BROADCASTERS SOLICIT DONATIONS
For many parents, the idea of watching someone else play a video game sounds incredibly dull. But as the rise of the streaming site Twitch.tv has shown, young people love cheering on
While Twitch is free to watch (with ads), the site allows viewers to donate to their favorite broadcasters directly or become paid subscribers. Many broadcasters offer subscriber-only streams, shoutouts, and other bonus content that can make it tempting for impressionable viewers to open their wallets (or those of their parents). It’s best to make sure your teen’s account isn’t tied to any bank information.
their favorite gaming broadcasters — to the tune of 140 million monthly viewers. Many of those tuning in are teenagers, and a survey by the
Washington Post found that over half of the participants ages 14–20 watch at least some streamed video game content. If your teen is one of these viewers, here’s what you need to know.
WHY YOUR TEEN WATCHES TWITCH
There are many reasons teens watch Twitch streams. If they are into competitive video games like “Fortnite” or “Apex Legends,” they may want to watch skilled streamers to pick up tips and tricks. They could be a fan of an esports team and want to root them on during streamed tournaments, just like you would a football or basketball team. They may even just want to get a feel for what a game is like before they decide to spend their allowance on it. Talking to your teen about the kinds of streams they watch can help you better understand what they get from this new form of media.
TWITCH IS LIVE
Twitch differs from video sites like YouTube because the content is being broadcast live. This means it can’t be filtered as reliably, and even the most family-friendly broadcasters might slip in the occasional swear word or make an inappropriate comment. There is also a live chat feature, meaning your teen can communicate with anyone watching the same stream. This feature can be switched off, but it’s still a good idea to talk to your teen about online safety and the importance of not revealing personal information to strangers.
BIRD
Cove Family Dentistry wanted to be in a great location for our patients. It just so happens that we’re also in a great location for birds! All day, we’re able to look out our office windows and spot many different species of birds. This month, we’re watching the Northern cardinal. If you’re very lucky when walking into our office for your next appointment, you might spot a pair of Northern cardinals who have built their nest in our rose bushes! We’re delighted to have these beautiful birds spending the season with us. Cardinals are easily recognizable for their bright red feathers, and that bold color scheme is likely why cardinals are the state bird of seven different states — Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. As with most birds, only the males sport such outrageous colors. Female cardinals are a subdued tan, with just a little red on their wings, tail, and crest. Northern cardinals prefer sitting in shrubs or on low-hanging branches, which is why our rose bushes are the perfect spot for their nest. Since cardinals don’t migrate, they are usually more common in warmer areas, like the southeastern United States. During mating season, cardinals will stick to monogamous pairs, but during other times of the year, these social birds will join flocks that often include birds of other species. Unlike other kinds of songbirds, both male and female Northern cardinals sing. If you want to hear cardinals singing in your own yard, keep in mind that these larger songbirds aren’t usually attracted by swaying bird feeders. But other than that, cardinals aren’t hard to please. Just make sure your bird feeder is stable, big enough for cardinals to eat comfortably, and full of their favorite foods: sunflower and safflower. SONG OF THE NORTHERN CARDINAL
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