Live-Streamer as Digital Labor: A Systematic Review

Abstract

To grasp an overview of recent study on live streamer and to provide a reference for future direction, this study summarized the relevant literature on live streamer in past five years. This study comprehensively searched literature in major databases and obtained 35 papers that meet the inclusion criteria. Major findings include that there is a lack of global diversity in current research, thus further research need to expand the platform and geographical focus. The ambivalent and nascent nature of live streaming call for a subjective and dialectical perspective to explore the power dynamic between the stakeholders in platform economy. There is a need for more longitudinal studies to have a better understanding of the phenomenon as it evolves over time and vary from sociocultural and socioeconomic environment.