Internet - Is gaming-centric platform Twitch turning into a soft porn portal? A developing trend on the streaming site is raising questions.

XoAeriel wasn't getting the viewership she wanted on her Twitch stream as she gamed. That was, until she realized that she'd be a lot more successful if she could get viewers to want to watch her, more than the games she was playing.

According to the New York Post, influencers like XoAeriel are responsible for the "Hot Tub Meta" trend that took off at the intro of Twitch's Just Chatting feature in 2018, which enabled a streamer to speak directly to their viewers.

There's no overt pornographic component to this trend – streamers still have to comply with Twitch's community guidelines. They simply wear very revealing swimsuits that "must cover the genitals" and float around while they game.

Clever streamers take full advantage of the possibilities for interaction and invite their followers, for example, to digitally change their bikinis during a live stream.

There is a lot of pressure on content creators who try and take advantage of the trend, because Twitch doesn't consistently regulate the streams and some streamers are banned for what they wear, even if they are in compliance with the vague guidelines.

"Twitch needs to accept that it's degenerating into a glorified softcore site, like Pornhub 2.0," one disillusioned Reddit user recently ranted.

Others agreed, pointing out that Twitch allows users as young as 13 to create an account, and who's to guarantee that underage girls won't eventually start showing themselves in more revealing ways?

However, Rachell "Valkyrae" Hofstetter, one of the most-watched streamers on the site, countered this, stating, "Why are you guys so angry? The whole thing works for a reason: it's free for all users."

She claims that it is up to young women if they want to reveal their bodies or not.

Despite the counter-arguments, it's safe to assume that "Hot Tub Meta" and similar trends will continue on Twitch, as the streaming platform relies on the cooperation of its content creators and also strives to broaden its own appeal with new categories.