So, you’re trying to study at home, but you have a problem: you can’t focus, or even stay seated. During class, you’ve turned off your camera so your professor can’t see when you flop out of your chair in order to roll over onto the floor.

Now there are so many reasons why you may not be focused. There’s a global pandemic going on and there are so many things to worry about, medically, financially, psychologically, etc. 

I can’t help with many of these reasons for lack of focus (except maybe setting boundaries with generally reasonable parents), but I can help with one reason you might not be focusing: lack of a studious environment.

College: An Environment of Studious Peers

Now, many students probably anticipated the distractions associated with home life. A parent viewing your presence as seeming like you’re always available for chores, a dog that constantly needs pets, the television, siblings, and whatever dysfunction or horrors are specific to your home life. 

But there’s one thing that a lot of us may have taken for granted, and that’s the effect of peer pressure. When you’re at school, in most cases, you are generally studying where a bunch of other people are also studying, whether you’re back to back with your roommate in your closet-sized “double” or in the library surrounded by dozens if not hundreds of people who at least look like they’re studying.

This environment created an expectation that you would use this space to study not only by your heavy socialization to see the library as a study spot, but the peer pressure of feeling that if everyone else is doing it, you should be, too.

Now, unless you have like a study group on zoom you meet up with, full of productive, studious, and on-task students, it’s very hard to replicate. 

The closest replication I’ve been able to accomplish is live streaming study sessions to Twitch.

What is Twitch

Very briefly for anybody who hasn’t stumbled down the internet rabbit hole that is video game Let’s Play’s, Twitch is a live streaming platform that anyone can use (likely with some age restrictions). All you need is some kind of camera (your phone is fine) and an internet connection.

How Twitch Can Keep You Focused

This is where the peer pressure, environmental expectations, and scripts come in. Your viewers (though sparse) will be there looking for a study buddy and will expect to see someone studying given the low saturation of the Study With Me market on Twitch and the fact that the title promises studying.

Twitch gives you a bevy of accountability partners and, if you are not super comfortable lying, motivation to actually do what you said you would do.

Further, if you use your phone to record yourself, one huge source of distraction will be out of reach for the time of the stream.

Lastly, there is something about a pre-task ritual that helps get you in the headspace necessary for the task at hand. The time it takes for setting up the stream is great for setting an intention.

How Studying with Twitch is Different From Just Watching Study with Me’s

Now, some people who are accustomed to Study With Me’s may ask, “How is this different from watching a study with me? Shouldn’t watching someone studiously plug away for HOURS be enough to keep me focused?”

That may be the case, but I would argue that with Study With Me’s there really isn’t any accountability. The studytuber you’re watching isn’t paying any attention to you. They won’t notice if you don’t finish the video, or more pressingly, don’t stay on task the entire time. 

Your viewers will and even if they don’t say anything, you will know that they see you messing around instead of focusing on your work. 

How to Make Twitch Help You Focus

As you can imagine, Twitch was not built to be a study tool, but it totally can be. With a little bit of set up, you just might make it your favorite study buddy.

How to Get Started: The Basic Logistics of Filming and Streaming

To set up a Twitch account you just need to go to Twitch.tv and create an account. Be careful about your username. It’s your display name and basically the name of your channel. 

After you’ve set up your account, we can move on to the cool stuff: recording yourself. There are so many ways to stream to Twitch – you can use your phone, your computer’s built-in webcam, your camera, or an external webcam. In all cases other than your phone, you will need streaming software like OBS to take in the video input and broadcast it to Twitch. The specifics of camera and webcam streaming are detailed here in this awesome guide from Restream.io.

Your phone however is a much simpler process (at least if you have an iPhone, though I imagine things would work similarly on an Android). Just,

• Download the Twitch app 
• Click “go live” 
• Title your stream
• Pick a category (I would recommend Just Chatting)
• Check your settings and make sure whatever is in the line of your camera’s view is intentional 
• And go live

Tip: I haven’t done this myself, but if the Twitch app isn’t working for you, consider the Streamlabs app. I’ve heard it is much more reliable and has a bunch of other great features that are just not present on the Twitch app.

Tripod Replacements

A tripod is probably not something you need to think about if you have a webcam, but in all other cases, getting the right angle can be helpful for so many things, from retaining privacy to creating different visual effects. 

I don’t have a tripod because I’m not a filmmaker and have never been in a film class, so I have to make do with replacements. Currently, I have fished my high school music stand out of storage. I’ve angled the top to be almost parallel with the ground. The top swivels quite well and the stand itself is really easy to lift if I need a more drastic angle change.

However, I haven’t always used a music stand (as it was in storage). Before this, I used a couple of books with something on top to prop my phone against, like a water bottle. 

My general advice on makeshift tripods is to have something easily movable that can elevate the camera and phone, and in the case of the phone, something to prop it against (I imagine a phone case that has a clip that can be used as a phone stand yet doesn’t obscure the camera would be just fine).

Titling the Stream (and Other Search-Friendly Tips)

My last point regarding Twitch logistics is to make sure people can actually find you. There’s not a ton of competition in the Study With Me category on Twitch (the main action is on youtube [link]) so it shouldn’t be that hard as long as you are filming at a time that people would be looking for Study With Me’s (when are people studying in your country?), but here are some quick tips on picking titles, categories, and tags.

Title Your Stream

Below is a template and a couple of examples. You can also find good title ideas by searching “study with me” or “live study with me” on youtube

Template:

Study With Me: [What you’re studying – include level of schooling you’re in and maybe even the class type] [if you’re doing a specific break protocol like pomodoro or 50-10 or you know how long you’re going] | [what the sound will be like. If you’re going to chat, do this here]

Examples:

Study With Me: University Orgo FINAL | Pomodoro w/ break | no music, background noise, chat during breaks

Study With Me: Let’s Write | no music, background noise

Study With Me: Live Zoom University English Class | classical music

Note: Twitch has strict policies about music. Be sure to do your research before you get in trouble for playing music without permission.

What Category?

In regards to category and tags, Twitch is much more limited than youtube and unlike youtube, you can’t just make up tags. 

Currently, the most relevant category is “Just Chatting”. Even though you likely aren’t saying much, this is the category that applies best. You can check out more options here.

Your Tags

Currently the most relevant are: education, family friendly, writing, IRL, live vlogging, mindfulness, and English (or whatever language you speak if Twitch has it available and you will be speaking). You can check other options out here. I believe the current tag limit is 5. 

Using the Stream Manager

This is where peer pressure and accountability come in. Twitch’s stream manager feature (located by clicking on your creator icon, clicking on the video producer in the drop-down menu, and then clicking on stream manager in the sidebar) is where you can see that people can see you.

Viewer numbers and views are displayed at the top of the screen, you and your activity are shown in the middle, and if you click the […] button next to My Chat in the bottom left of the screen you can see who is in your chat by clicking on “users in chat” (it may show more people than your viewer number above as some people may have your stream open and are listening but are not actively viewing, so they don’t count as viewers). 

Tip: To make the chat as easily navigable as possible, I recommend clicking the Pop-out option and then click on “users in chat” from there. I find that closing out of the chat window is the most intuitive.

I find just viewing these counts, as well as seeing yourself working, creates an environment of accountability and studiousness given the expectation set by your stream.

Note: Now, if you tend to miss when people are actually viewing, be sure to check your view count. Later in the stream summary Twitch provides, you can also make note of the number of unique viewers.

Ways Twitch Can Distract You and How to Make it Stop

As I’ve said before, Twitch was not built to be a focus tool. It was built for interaction and entertainment, so it may be inherently distracting for some people. Here are some ways to combat that.

Stay Away from the Stream Manager

The stream manager is the core of accountability, but you shouldn’t be looking at it all the time. 

There are so many things on the screen to take you away from what you should be doing and surprisingly, these are the things that are what make you feel like you’re studying with people: the viewer and views numbers at the top and, most of all, the chat window. 

Whether it’s the weird thing that happens in the chat (which happens very rarely, but my brain has a tendency to take a small thing and run with it – for entertainment or ill) or getting curious about the names and substance of the usernames in your chat, the chat can be incredibly distracting.

The main way to solve this is with some rules, so here are some that worked for me

Rules for the Chat

• At the beginning of the stream, look at the stream manager to see that what your viewers can see is only what you want them to see. If it matters to you, add some tags in the Edit Your Stream Info box. Then leave!
• Check in 5 minutes later to get a feel for who’s in the chat and the viewers and views you’ve gotten. This should last no more than 3 minutes. Get back to studying!
• From then on DON’T CHECK THE STREAM. Close out of the tab or put the tab in a far off desktop if you’re streaming with a camera or software that requires Twitch to be open. You can only open the producer on your study breaks and when you get antsy and need a reminder that you aren’t alone (reminiscent of a quick glance about the library to see what your peers are doing and to confirm you are the only one who is obviously distracted).
  • As you are first starting out and getting used to what you have in frame, a quick glance to make sure the new physical position is not too revealing of your face or room is fine. But make sure it’s very quick and only occurs when you change position or something or someone new comes into your environment and potentially into frame.
• Ideally, focus primarily on the views and numbers and maybe a glance at viewers in chat. Unless you’re on break or it’s a low stakes study session (so not when you just need a jolt of new focus), don’t interact with the people in chat. Especially if they’re terrible. Closing out of the video producer and reopening usually clears the chat’s history from your view without affecting what viewers see and sending out a signal saying “moderator has cleared chat” or something like that.

Tip: If you want to do this long term, I would recommend setting some chat rules (publicly in your description, as well as privately in settings) and installing some modbots like moobot and nightbot.

Using a Schedule

One element of Twitch that is different from, say, regularly studying by yourself in the library, is that if you use it enough, people will start to expect you to be there. Unless you accidentally make a library friend, no one will be looking for you if you decide to go to the coffee shop instead or sleep the day away at home.

That kind of low-stakes pressure can be a strong motivator to keep you on schedule day to day and get you to put away distractions and get to work.

Like a college campus, however, anywhere you sit there are people studying and, in most cases with Twitch, with a few books and wifi connection, you can start streaming from anywhere. If your camera is portable, you have an on-demand study buddy wherever you go.  

I have found that I don’t even need to stream for my entire study period to get the effects. After I’ve found a groove, I can turn it off and keep studying.

Creating A Studious Environment

For most people, the prospect of recording their surroundings positions everything in a new light. Already you may be considering cleaning up what you have scattered across the desk or kitchen counter where you plan to study. However, you should consider setting some things out as well. 

The practice of setting up your surroundings for study – not just setting up your camera (though that may be enough), but setting out a couple of pencils and a planner, and maybe a book or two – is a ritual that may help put you in a more focused and settled mindset for studying. This allows you to give your brain time to adjust to the task switch as well as time for setting your intention for your study session.

Privacy on Study Streams

Now, if you’re just coming to the idea of streaming yourself on Twitch, you probably don’t want to be a public figure or to broadcast your personal information to the world. If so, there are two things to keep track of: Your face and nearby documents.

Your Physical Privacy

After a bit of fiddling, you can figure out how to angle the camera so that your face is not in frame. Remember to test movements. I recommend doing a test recording for an hour (not a stream) or just five minutes where you replicate general slumping or fidgeting or moving back and forth that you tend to do and see whether your face comes into frame. If it does, either choose to sit up straight if physically possible (it’s a great boon for focusing) or readjust the camera until you can fidget to your heart’s content without being on screen. 

Also, consider what you will do when you have to leave to eat or answer nature’s call. If not being on camera really matters to you, figure out how to exit and enter without showing your face.

Identifying Information

Most critical, however, is identifying information being visible to viewers. Your address or name on nearby mail, for example. If you are showing your screen, consider whether your full name or school name at the top of your Canvas or Blackboard site when you’re checking the syllabus is something you want to share. 

This may be common sense, but make sure you do a sweep of your environment before you start streaming to avoid any unfortunate situations.

Some quick fixes: Clearing your surroundings and angling your camera (or computer) to not have your computer screen in frame.

The Privacy of Others

Even if you don’t mind showing your face, you’re not the only person you need to take into account. For one, if you live with others, many people would prefer not being broadcasted to the internet in their own home without their consent, so make sure to take that into account when deciding where and how to set up your camera.

More likely, however, you may be streaming during a Zoom class. I get it. If the class is boring and most of the notes are in the slides, I have found myself many times playing animal crossing or doing laundry. 

And it’s common sense already that you would have earbuds in (you don’t want feedback when you’re called to speak in class). However, in these cases I really recommend not showing your screen. 

Even if you have the student drop down faces hidden or placed in a hard to see area of the screen, you never know when the slides will disappear, someone will be called to speak, and their face will take up the whole screen. Further, schools have policies on recording classes that vary in strictness and may include suspension or expulsion. 

This is a very easy way to get caught, so I really recommend not recording anything but yourself.

Why You Shouldn’t Use Youtube Live 

As a resident of the internet, you’re probably more familiar with Youtube Live than Twitch. Youtube is the center of all low budget video content on the web and your fave “influencer” is more likely to put live content out on youtube than anywhere else.

However, you probably won’t have as easy of a time live streaming to youtube than to Twitch. For one thing, you really could be streaming to no one. It takes a LOT of work to even get one view on youtube, especially regarding something as boring as watching someone study, not to mention the oversaturation of the study with me market. More practically however, unless you have 1000 subscribers, you cannot stream using the youtube mobile app. After a 24 hour approval period, a verified youtube channel can begin to regularly go live using the webcam on a computer, or, I imagine, an actual camera. Unless you can use your computer to record yourself working on another device or you don’t mind broadcasting your face, you’ll need to buy a camera (or 1000 subscribers).

In regards to other livestream platforms/ twitch alternatives, I really cannot say whether or not they work or how they work as I haven’t used them.

Long Term Benefits of Using Twitch as a Study Buddy

Twitch is a great resource for simulating a study buddy. But there are other great benefits as well that you may want to think about as you move forward.

Studying At Home When You Can’t (Or Don’t Want To) Go to The Library

The library is amazing, but sometimes you just want to work at home. If you have a home that is a comfortable place for working (low to manageable distractions from family and pets, easy access to food, control over the thermostat, greater range of acceptable clothing options, etc) your main worry may be whether or not you can create the kind of environment that can keep you working. Twitch can be a great aid for creating a studious environment.

More pressing, however, is the times we’re in. You may not be allowed to, or may not feel comfortable, working in a space like a library. This strategy can help you keep your productivity up when you don’t have a lot of options.

Lastly, having the flexibility to work at home and feeling like you don’t need the library to make yourself focus, is incredibly liberating. 

Whenever I realize I don’t need something I once thought I did, I feel so much freer.

Twitch Streamer Side Hustle

This is less pressing and less likely, but study with me’s are a great entry point into Twitch. You likely won’t get a lot of views without some marketing and some tactics to make your stream more appealing (a great starting point is actually talking to your audience).

Who knows, maybe you could be a famous and profitable Twitch streamer. I would recommend switching to a more engaging niche if that’s the goal, however.

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I wish you all the best while you study. Stay safe