Pokimane Speaks About Addiction

Popular Twitch streamer Pokimane spent a few hours discussing the ongoing debate on the livestreaming platform concerning big-name streamers taking sponsored gambling deals.

A viewer made a very provocative statement, requiring Imane to confront the subject while she was connecting with her fans and talking about gambling and its influence on mental health. She used this opportunity to talk about addiction, saying: “Addiction is like the disease of the mind, and it can affect anyone no matter how good or bad of a person were beforehand.”

The Legacy Award winner spent the first half of her show discussing the controversy surrounding several well-known streamers accepting large sums of money in exchange for hosting sponsored gambling streams. As the conversation progressed from one issue to the next, the subject of addiction began to emerge. Soon after, a viewer known only as “zjpkid_” posted a highly divisive comment on the subject, saying: “Dude, if you can’t handle yourself and commit su*cide over gambling, you deserve death.”

After reading the viewer’s comments, the Twitch sensation was taken aback and attempted to address the issue by highlighting the lack of knowledge surrounding various forms of addictions that are widespread in society. People must be informed on the subject of addiction, she insisted; “I feel like the lack of addiction education is so blatantly apparent when we start discussing things like this. Do you understand how addiction affects someone and that being addicted to drugs can be very similar to being addicted to gambling or being addicted to anything else?”

Pokimane went on to say that addiction is a mental condition that affects everyone, regardless of their moral compass. She concluded her deep statement by saying; “And it’s something as a society we need to work to eradicate and minimize and take care of people that are in that situation. Not say, ‘Oh, you got unlucky! You got addicted. Go die!’ What?”