Imagine earning a living by pointing a camera at yourself and chatting with people who then send you valuable gifts

W ould you livestream every aspect of your life? If you’re not a pop star or reality TV wannabe, the answer is probably no. But if you could earn more than ?100 an hour for sitting in your bedroom talking to strangers around the world, would that tempt you to turn the camera on yourself?

But when he’s finished for the day the 22-year-old flicks on his camera and chats with some of his almost 37,000 fans on the livestreaming platform . Whether he’s playing games or just chatting, for every session that he’s “entertaining” his bank balance increases thanks to people sending him virtual gifts, which he can later redeem for cash, in a bid to attract his attention.

As an estate agent, Josh Day spends hours on his phone speaking to property buyers and sellers

Day lives in Huddersfield and started livestreaming in August last year after stumbling across the app one evening. In his second session he attracted 7,000 views and a stranger gifted him a virtual castle worth $200 (?150). “It was unreal,” he says. “I was just in my bedroom talking day-to-day stuff and having a prat around. I screamed and ran to tell my mum! From there it just went from great to amazing.”

On another occasion a stranger sent him gifts worth $1,400. “I kind of freaked out – it felt like winning four numbers on the lottery. I never expected to make money from it.”

Day typically spends 10-12 hours a week on the platform, earning an average of about $2,400 a month after takes its cut. While he generously spends a chunk of his virtual currency on gifts for other broadcasters, he often cashes in. “It’s helped me get on the property ladder – I wouldn’t have done so otherwise. I also bought my girlfriend a Mulberry bag.”

Following the rise in popularity of livestreaming platforms such as Facebook Live and Periscope, more millennials are choosing to share private moments of their lives for a slice of mini-stardom. Читать далее →