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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Beril Naz Hassan

TikTokers are being paid to act like robots in ‘NPC stream’ trend

It seems like a day doesn’t go by without a new TikTok trend conquering the hearts of social media users.

The new one that’s taking the internet by storm and keeping viewers glued to their screens is called NPC streaming.

The trend is so popular that it has proven to be a good way for creators to make some money.

But what exactly does the trend involve, who is taking part, and what other TikTok trends are going viral at the moment?

Here is everything we know.

What is the NPC Streaming trend?

The NPC Streaming trend sees TikTok creators pretend to be non-playable characters (NPCs) that are seen in video games.

In the video, they will appear to repeat the same robotic movements and catchphrases.

The streamers have also found a way to turn the trend into money by only interacting with viewers or giving them certain reactions when they receive a gift. The type of gift often determines the type of NPC behaviour the viewers will get in return.

These gifts in the form of emotes cost viewers just pennies. But each time one gets sent, the creator gets to keep a portion of the revenue.

Who is taking part?

The trend first started last year, when Japanese TikTok user @Natuecoco collaborated with @Satoyu0704, and the two pretended to be NPCs to see who could get the most prizes.

Since then, countless TikTok users have taken part in the trend, including Cherry Crush TV and PinkDollReal. In fact, PinkyDoll recently went viral with her NPC streams that saw her do things like popping popcorn with a hair straightener.

Other TikTok trends going viral at the moment

One of the recent viral TikTok trends sees users use the sound of a woman shouting “attenzione pickpocket” over their videos.

The original video was posted by a Venetian user in Italy who wanted to out pickpockets lurking around tourists.

TikTokers have been repurposing the sound and placing it over videos of expensive everyday items or situations that they believe are out to get them, or are a con.

This year has also seen the rise of the “Lucky Girl Syndrome” after content creator Laure Galve posted a video explaining how she is able to manifest opportunities by “expecting great things” to happen.

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