What is NPC? Understand the term that dominated TikTok

It's time to learn about one of the most talked about terms on the internet in recent weeks! Find out what NPC is and why the term has taken over social media!

If you are someone who is always connected to everything that happens on social media, you may have noticed that one topic has been dominating social media in recent weeks. And, like everything that gains notoriety in the virtual world, it has been dividing opinions! 

We're talking about NPC, a type of live streaming that has been causing a stir on TikTok. Despite being recent, this type of content has already caused controversy on TikTok and other social networks – such as Instagram, X/Twitter and Facebook.

But do you know what NPC is, how this type of content works and the reasons that caused the controversy that this new feature has already been involved in?

To help you and ensure that you are always up to date on the main topics involving technology and social networks, we had the idea of creating the content you are about to read!

Here, we will explore the topic a little further, understand its main points and discover all the controversies surrounding its success on social media!

What is NPC?

Before we talk about NPC lives themselves, we thought it would be interesting to give you some context about what the term means.

In general, NPC is a well-known term in the gaming universe. In the world of video games, the term means “non-playable character”. You know those characters in a game who keep repeating terms and you can’t play with them? These would be the NPC: the ‘extras’ in your game.

How do NPC lives work?

If you haven't yet had close contact with what NPC and NPC lives are, you might be wondering what the connection is between the term and TikTok, one of the social networks of the moment.

Come and we'll explain it to you.

The NPC live stream movement began to be created by influencers and profiles focused on the gaming universe. In most cases, influencers are characterized by items or clothes that refer to their favorite characters. 

And that's where the show begins!

When starting live streams on TikTok, viewers send gifts or money to the influencer in question – which are represented by different stickers and terms that appear on the screen at the time they are sent – the host of the live stream reacts with specific gestures and phrases related to the gift. 

And it is from this moment that a true cycle is created that can last for hours. Through their donations, the public chooses what the 'character' will do next.

At the end of your NPC live stream, the profile owner can check the balance of their content. While some – the most popular – can earn a lot of money, others complain about the low value generated.

It is these performances that are the target of criticism and, of course, memes on the internet.

What are the main controversies involving NPC lives?

Now that you understand a little more about how NPC lives work in practice, it's time to talk about some of the main controversies surrounding this type of content.

Objectionable content type

In addition to being considered eccentric by a large part of the public, the more childish – and even somewhat fetishized – behaviors have raised a series of debates about the lengths to which content creators – and social media users in general – are capable of going to earn extra income.

This is because, while the live broadcast is on air, the profile owner is 'under the control' of their followers – and millions of other users who are part of TikTok. 

All this exposure has been increasingly condemned by the general public. And it can be said that this was the first official controversy of the NPC live streams.

The discrepant financial return between live streams 

If you've made it this far, I bet you've already considered investing in these live streams, right? But as much as it may seem like a great way to earn extra income with the internet, there are two sides to the same coin.

The most successful TikTok profile owners have already stated that they earn very high amounts, with amounts ranging from R$30,000 to R$50,000 per day with their performances of reactions to 'gifts' sent by their followers.

This led a series of influencers like Felca and Prizza to create parodies as a way of mocking the situation, but still making money from the content.

However, a number of smaller/more niche influencers have already reported that they are far from achieving the same results when doing their live streams. 

In other words: even though there are chances of making good money with NPC lives, you may end up earning very little, which would not be worth it if we put excessive exposure on the scales.

NPC Lives Being Taken Down by TikTok

Despite all the success, TikTok apparently isn't all that happy with the buzz that NPC live streams are causing. Quite the opposite.

With the controversies surrounding broadcasts, TikTok has shown itself committed to taking down this type of content, inhibiting the transmission of new live broadcasts.

It remains to be seen whether this type of behavior is something that will last or whether TikTok will work on a way to ban this type of material once and for all.

Conclusion

So, did you enjoy learning a little more about what NPC is and the live streams that have taken the internet by storm?

As you can see, although it may seem quite attractive, it is important to keep in mind that this type of NPC live stream generates a lot of exposure. Therefore, if you are interested in entering this universe, we suggest you carefully weigh the pros and cons of this type of content.

This way, you will be able to make the best choice for your online life.

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