Your Guide to Twitch

Last Updated on 22nd September 2025

Reading Time: 7.7 mins

21st September 2025

If you have a gamer in your household, chances are you’ve heard the word ‘Twitch’ being used. But, what is Twitch?

This guide will take a closer look at what Twitch is and what you need to know to help keep your children and young people safe. Make sure you read to the bottom to catch our Top Tips and download our Twitch Shareable!

What is Twitch?

Twitch is one of the most popular livestreaming platforms that launched in 2011 and is free to use. While it mainly focuses on video game livestreaming, it expanded outside this in recent years, with some creators focusing on topics such as politics, travel and even cooking. Streams are grouped into ‘categories’, with some examples including ‘Just Chatting’, ‘Music’ and ‘IRL’.

Users can stream or just be a viewer, with most Twitch users choosing to just watch and interact with each other and their favourite streamer through live chats.

What is Livestreaming?

Livestreaming is transmitting or receiving live video and audio coverage of an event over the internet in real-time. Streamers might show everyday moments, such as going for walks, cooking, painting, or attending events like music festivals or fairs.

Twitch is designed for users aged 13 and older, with those aged under 18 requiring “parental supervision”. Currently, there are no age verification measures for the platform, so age restrictions can be easily bypassed by underage users.

Twitch is free to use but also offers a “monthly premium subscription program” called ‘Turbo’. For a monthly fee, it offers benefits such as ad-free viewing, custom chat options and extended storage.

‘Gifting’ on Twitch refers to a user purchasing a subscription to a channel to another user. They can purchase gifts anonymously, to one viewer, or a group of viewers. The channel creator will be notified of this, and will often thank the user who ‘gifted’ the subscription during their livestream. Some children and young people may ‘gift’ just to get noticed by their favourite streamer.

Why is it Popular?

Twitch allows users to explore interests and interact with their favourite streamers and creators. The live element of the platform provides an essence of authenticity and connection, with many streamers gaining a significant number of followers that bond together to form a community-driven experience.

As Twitch is mainly used for streaming gameplay, many children and young people will turn to Twitch to get a look at the latest games before they purchase it themselves, or to view games that they are not old enough to play.

Safety Settings

Although Twitch does not offer parental controls, it does have a selection of safety settings that can be utilised by parents and carers to create a safer experience for the children and young people in their care.

Content Classification Labels

Not all content on Twitch is appropriate for all users and in recognition of this, Twitch requires streamers to mark their stream with a Content Classification Label. Content Classification Labels must be applied to indicate to viewers if the content they’re about to watch contains themes related to:

Mature-Rated Games
Sexual Themes
Drugs, Intoxication, or Excessive Tobacco Use
Violent and Graphic Depictions
Significant Profanity or Vulgarity
Gambling
Politics and Sensitive Social Issues

When viewers attempt to watch a labelled stream, they will see a warning stating what type of content they’re about to view, which the user must acknowledge before being granted access to the stream.

Content Display Preferences

Users can choose to hide content that is labelled with a Content Classification Label. This is done by label category, and an example of this would be that users can choose to hide sexual content but still have access to content with mature-rated games.

Hide Chat

Live chat on streams can be unpredictable and very difficult to moderate, so Twitch offers the ‘hide chat’ option to remove live chats entirely.

Block Whispers from Strangers

‘Whispers’ is Twitch’s version of direct messages, which can expose children and young people to private interactions with strangers. Messages from strangers can be blocked with this feature.

Chat Filters

The ‘Enable filtering in chat’ option allows filters to be applied across all chat channels on Twitch. Individual filters can be chosen within this for specific topics, including discrimination, sexually explicit language, hostility and profanity.

female gamer live-streaming on her computer

What Are the Risks?

Live streaming platforms are becoming increasingly popular with children and young people, so it is important for parents and carers to be aware of what risks platforms like Twitch can present to children and young people.

Inappropriate Content

Even with filters and content labels, there may be mature content within streams that could be harmful to children and young people. This can include content that is sexual, discriminatory or displays substance use.

Additionally, many streamers will film themselves attempting to complete viral challenges, which can drive children and young people to attempt them also and put themselves in danger.

Stranger Interaction

Any platform with livestreaming and live chat naturally promotes interaction with strangers, but Twitch can expose children to this more due to people meeting over shared interests. Predators can use this to develop a relationship with a child or young person to manipulate and exploit them.

Gifting and Spending

Some children or young people may feel pressured into sending money to their favourite streamers to get noticed by them during a livestream.

Sharing Personal Information

Having a shared interest with others online can give children and young people a false sense of trust with strangers, making them think they have a real friendship. This can lead them to oversharing their personal details such as the usernames for their other gaming and social media accounts, their location or their school.  

What Can I Do?

Have Open Conversations

Speak non-confrontationally and frequently to the child in your care about their online habits. Ask them questions like, “who do you like to watch on Twitch?” and “why do you like to watch them?”. This will encourage them to be more honest about their habits and come to you if they have questions.

Ensure they know who their trusted adults are if they need to discuss something they have seen online that is harmful or has made them uncomfortable.

Utilise Safety Settings Effectively

Make use of the safety features to take the essential steps towards making the online experience safer for children and young people. Discuss with the child or young person why you have chosen the selected restrictions and come to an agreement as this will help them feel involved and in control. If they feel that you have breached their privacy and taken over their account without consent, it may lead them to lie about their online habits.

As the child or young person gets older, you may wish to alter the restrictions, so review them frequently.

Check Their Age

Ask the young person to show you that the date of birth they have submitted to Twitch is correct, explaining that the controls in place are there for their safety and to enhance their experience, not take away from it.

Check Stream Content

Although streams come with content labels, children and young people process themes differently, depending on their abilities. Take time to look at the streams they’re watching and assess if they are appropriate for the child in your care.

Monitor Their Activity

It’s not simply enough to set the controls that Twitch offer, you need to implement offline methods alongside this to make them as effective as possible. Consistently monitor your child’s online habits through open conversations and showing interest in their activity.

Set Spending Limits

Discuss what is reasonable spending with the child in your care and explain to them that they must speak to your first before spending money on Twitch.

Explain that Personal Information Should Stay Private

Children and young people should be taught that their personal, identifiable information is very special and should not be shared online. They should always consider why a person or platform needs their details if they are asked to share them. If they are unsure of the answer, they should ask a trusted adult for advice. This includes their full name, age, school, address, birthday and phone number.  

Consider Individual Needs

Each child’s ability to take responsibility for their online experience varies by age, character and resilience. Tailor the restrictions to best suit them – you know them best!

Teach Online Safety

Educate the child or young person on how to use social media safely, including reporting and blocking content that is harmful. Empowering them to make smarter online decisions will ultimately keep them safer!