China group livestreaming exposes long hours, low pay and pressure to flirt with middle-aged male tippers

XHINA: A social media post titled “A 22-year-old female graduate shattered by her experience in group livestreaming” recently trended online, triggering widespread discussion about the realities of China’s “group streaming” industry.

On 22 December, a former streamer known as Xiaoxin (pseudonym) spoke publicly about her brief experience in the sector and gave an interview to local media, detailing what she described as chaotic practices and blurred moral boundaries behind the scenes.

Investigative Findings: Soft-Edge Performances and Aggressive Tipping

Journalists observing multiple group livestreaming rooms found that most shows revolved around team-based PK competitions, with performers dancing in exchange for virtual gifts.

Hosts openly encouraged viewers to tip, often using intimate language such as calling viewers “baby.”

Performances frequently involved sexually suggestive movements, though hosts repeatedly claimed they were already “holding back” to avoid platform penalties.

Virtual gifts priced at around 50 yuan were heavily promoted, with streamers urging collective “crowdfunding” from viewers.

Filters and beauty effects were widely used, sometimes malfunctioning mid-stream and exposing how heavily altered appearances were.

Low Pay, High Pressure, and Broken Promises

Several young women who entered the industry after graduation said recruitment ads promised high base salaries and light workloads, but reality differed sharply.

A 22-year-old former streamer said earnings from public livestreaming were minimal unless performers privately “maintained” wealthy male patrons.

Some claimed that off-platform transfers far exceeded official income.

Others described extreme working hours — up to 12 hours of streaming and 16 hours at the company daily — delayed wages, and psychological pressure that surpassed “996” work culture.

First-Time Streamer: ‘This Was Not About Talent’

Xiaoxin, a 19-year-old from Shanghai, said she joined group streaming during a gap year before studying abroad, attracted by promises of stable income, no flirtatious interactions, and a focus on dance performance.

Instead, she said workdays often exceeded nine hours, livestreams ran into early morning hours, and success depended almost entirely on whether wealthy viewers — known as “big brothers” — tipped heavily.

“If a ‘big brother’ spent thousands of yuan, you could log off early. If not, you stayed,” she said.

Crossing Boundaries and Emotional Manipulation

Xiaoxin said performers were encouraged to use flirtatious language on and off stream and were required to message dozens of male viewers daily to attract tips — a process euphemistically called “doing homework.”

She described receiving sexually explicit messages from middle-aged men and being pressured to engage despite discomfort. Those without patrons were often verbally humiliated during live broadcasts.

In one instance, a host allegedly told a streamer who wanted to end her shift early: “Then go jump off a building.”

Leaving the Industry

Despite trying to adapt, Xiaoxin said she earned only about 1,000 yuan after nearly a month — far below promised daily settlements or monthly guarantees.

She eventually left without paying a penalty, calling herself “lucky.” Others, she said, were not as fortunate.

“Group streaming sells instant success,” Xiaoxin said. “But the cost is your health, dignity, and boundaries.”