Not only is Pokimane the most followed female streamer on Twitch, but she’s also the streamer with the 6th largest following in the platform with a follower count of well over 5 million.
Through a twitter post on August 5th, the Twitch star has announced that she is taking a month-long break from streaming for the sake of her mental health and well-being.
The 24-year-old streamer has mentioned in her post that the quarantine due to the ongoing pandemic has rendered her unable to meet any of her family or fans, which has consequently taken a toll on her mental health. “This has led to me feeling burnt out for quite some time, and because of that, I’ve been planning to take a month off,” Pokimane said in her post. “I recognize that I’m very lucky to be able to work during a pandemic, however, I still need to do what’s best for my mental health.”
Pokimane also stated how she hasn’t taken a month-long break from streaming ever since she graduated from high school six years ago. “I hope you use this message as a reminder to take care of yourselves,” Poki concluded. “Disconnect from social media, go outside, pick up a new hobby, and hang in there.”
This decision of Pokimane comes only days after popular YouTuber LeafyIsHere has bombarded her with some hefty criticism through his “Content Nuke” and “Content Fallout” videos. Leafy, who’s renowned for his videos on criticising other content creators has elaborated multiple points criticising Poki and her audience. The videos have gone viral on the internet with over a million views each.
Another popular YouTuber “CallMeCarson” has, however, supported Poki in her decision to take a break. “I really can’t overstate how important it is to let yourself breathe a little,” Carson said in a reply to her tweet. Carson had also decided to take a break earlier this year, and for similar reasons as Poki mentioned.