MOST days Wang Leyu broadcasts himself live for five hours, and sometimes all night. While he talks on camera about his life or hums a tune or dances, viewers watching on their phones write messages that pop up on his screen. Occasionally a bright icon flashes, meaning a fan has paid money to send him a virtual sticker as a tip.
An 18-year-old university student, Mr Wang (or “bboylele” to his fans) is part of the latest internet craze to sweep China: live-streaming, or zhibo. Out of countless apps to choose from, three of the most popular, Douyu, YY and Yingke, have hundreds of millions of registered users between them. Western equivalents such as Facebook Live and Twitter’s Periscope are in effect blocked in China; homegrown apps have much greater traction as a result.
Live-streamers entertain and inform in a variety of ways, from playing video games—so that viewers can watch their on-screen action—to giving English lessons. But the majority are young women who stream video of themselves as they flirt, sing or dance. Such diversions are a big hit among Chinese men. The most popular streams are viewed by over 100,000 people at a time.
The...Continue reading
Source: China http://ift.tt/2cSzEQF
EmoticonEmoticon