@pinkydollreal is notably famous for the NPC Livestream phenomenon. Photo from the-sun.com via TikTok/PinkyDollReal.
The latest trend that has graced the internet with its presence isn’t a new dance trend or a lip-sync performance, but people are pretending to be Non-Player Characters (NPC’s). That’s right, from people exhibiting main character energy, to now being background characters.
NPC’s are basically the background characters in a video game that have very few voice lines, and are only there to drive the story forward. The main character of the games can interact with them, but in a limited capacity. People pretending to be NPC’s is nothing new as a TikTok creator by the name @loczniki has been acting as an NPC on her account for about two years, and her videos have received a large number of views, as well as the creator, @natuecoco, who boasts 1.5 million followers on TikTok, has been credited with starting the NPC performance trend.
But, what really brought this trend to the spotlight recently is 27-year-old Fedha Sinon, also popularly known as PinkyDoll, who has made a name for herself for repeating singsong phrases on her TikTok live. During these live streams, the audience would send monetary tips to the creator, in the form of cartoons, such as rose, ice cream and cowboy heart, and the creator would respond to these gifts in real time.
These TikTok lives are known for the creator being in character, and well as having a fast reaction time. But what really stood out, is how lucrative it can be, as the large influx of tips can add up really quickly and pay big. PinkyDoll had told Vice that she spends six hours a day doing livestreams, and makes about $7,000 or more, which is more than when she first started making livestreams, and earning $250 per day. A lot of people have jumped on this trend, even creators whose content has nothing to do with NPC’s, such as Trisha Paytas.
These NPC clips have drawn a variety of responses. Some thought they were strangely calming or sexually provocative, while others thought the trend was downright dystopian. Some people said that the profession had more dignity than providing customer service, and they praised the streamers for carving out a place for themselves in the absurdity of the modern economy. Many have also noted how smoothly PinkyDoll transitions from one NPC to another, and she had put out a video addressing the hate which in turn created a lot of visibility to her content.
As a fellow user of the internet, I find this trend very fascinating and very eye opening, as we can see how much the internet and social media has evolved. This goes to show that there is going to be an audience for everything, no matter what it is and it can become something lucrative and become a source of income. Also, the fact they have to stay in the same place and stream for hours while repeating the same set of sentences is truly something.
