One fine morning, I woke up from my bed, stretched my body and brushed my teeth. It was a good bright morning so I decided to stay in bed a bit longer than usual. My hand reached out for my handphone and I started checking out for notifications. Once I was done, like any other Twitter addict, I started doom-scrolling. Politics news, funny cat photos, politics, hair removal ads, and wait what’s this? I saw a video that caught my attention. I clicked play and I had so many questions in my head. Why is this woman licking the air? Why does she say “gang gang” and “ice-cream so good. Yum yum!” repetitively? And what’s with using a flat iron to make popcorn? Why do I feel funny and uneasy at the same time? Is this a new fetish? God, is this going to ruin my morning?
This turns out to be a popular trend in TikTok. So what is this trend about? Well, NPC TikTok refers to a trend or community on the social media platform TikTok that revolves around the concept of Non-Playable Characters (NPCs). In the context of gaming, an NPC is a character controlled by the game’s artificial intelligence rather than a human player.
We have Dwayne Johnson here to describe to you what an NPC is if you want to know the definition in summary.
Currently, on TikTok, users started creating videos where they portray themselves as NPCs. Oftentimes, they depict themselves as individuals who act mindlessly, lack independent thought, or exhibit robotic behaviour. These videos typically feature repetitive actions, scripted dialogue, or parodies of real-life situations. Most of the TikTok NPC videos I’ve seen so far featured beautiful women but there are men who participated in the trend as well. Like this video, I saw on Twitter during the fine/unfortunate morning:
And this one here that came soon after the above video took Twitter by storm.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when the NPC trend started out. The earliest YouTube video I found is this one from 2022.
Are you curious about how to move like an NPC? Sweat not, I got you covered. To move like an NPC (Non-Playable Character), you can mimic certain behaviours associated with them. Here are some tips to help you emulate NPC movement:
Repetitive Actions: NPCs often perform repetitive actions. Choose a simple action or movement and repeat it in a regular pattern. For example, you could walk in a straight line, stop abruptly, turn, and repeat the process.
Robotic Gestures: NPCs sometimes exhibit stiff or mechanical movements. Keep your body posture upright and move your limbs in a more controlled and deliberate manner. Avoid overly fluid or natural movements.
Limited Interaction: NPCs typically have limited interactions with their surroundings. Avoid unnecessary eye contact, responding to stimuli, or engaging with people or objects around you. Maintain a focused and detached demeanor.
Scripted Dialogue: NPCs often have scripted or generic dialogue. You can simulate this by using short, simple phrases or responses in conversations. Keep your responses concise and avoid elaborate or spontaneous conversations.
Lack of Awareness: NPCs may not show awareness of their surroundings. Avoid reacting to unexpected events, surprises, or changes in your environment. Maintain a neutral expression and carry on with your predetermined actions.
So coming back to the question in the title of whether this is a fetish or just a fad? Well according to the dailybest.com, it is indeed a type of fetish. The basic idea of being able to control one’s movement or behaviour the same way you would a videogame character is arousing. Hmm…
How do viewers control these streamers? By giving them gifts during the live session.
According to this Twitter user, the moment this NPC streamer broke her character, she lost viewers and we know that attention means currency.
Now let’s talk about money and how the gifts work. The amount of money that individuals on NPC TikTok or any other TikTok trend can earn from a live stream can vary significantly. TikTok’s live streaming feature allows users to receive virtual gifts from their viewers, which can be converted into diamonds and then redeemed for actual money.
The value of virtual gifts varies depending on the country and the specific monetization program available to the user.
Additionally (and as expectedly), TikTok takes a percentage of the earnings as a platform fee. Typically, creators receive around 50% of the value of the gifts. It’s important to note that the earnings from TikTok live streams can fluctuate based on various factors, such as the size of the creator’s audience, the engagement of their viewers, the duration of the live stream, and the number and value of virtual gifts received.
Overall, while some creators may earn a significant amount of money from TikTok live streams, the earnings can vary greatly from person to person and stream to stream.
So, in conclusion, these streamers perform NPC actions in exchange for some cash. I discussed this with a family member and she perfectly summarised it. She said, “This is a kind of virtual stripping minus the stripping part”.
