This New TikTok NPC Trend Helps People Make $4,000 An Hour—Why Is It Controversial?

On the ever-changing platform of TikTok, trends can emerge as rapidly as they evolve or fade. The most recent phenomenon that's taken the social media platform by storm is the "NPC" trend. Introduced by influencers such as Pinkydoll and Cherry Crush, the NPC trend is as intriguing as it is puzzling.

What Is the TikTok NPC Trend?

In gaming lexicon, NPC stands for Non-Playable Character. These characters, embedded in the game environment, follow predetermined actions and dialogues. They exist to enhance the immersive experience of the game world for the player and are not controlled by the players of the game. The NPC trend on TikTok involves streamers imitating these video game NPCs. They perform repetitive actions or say specific phrases, often in response to viewer prompts. These prompts are usually symbolized by stickers, each corresponding to a particular action or phrase, which viewers purchase and send to the streamer.

For example, TikToker Pinkydoll will narrate the stickers and emojis she is sent by viewers. She says things like, "Ice cream so good," "Oh fire, yes, yes, yes," "Balloon!" "Thank you, I love you" "Gang gang, gang gang," "Yee-haw, got me feeling like a cowgirl."

She holds a hair straightener in one hand, pointing it toward the camera the whole time, and she stays in character for the entire stream. Her other hand is used to imitate NPCs and their movements in video games. She uses the same monotone, high-pitched voice and even attempts to imitate an NPC's facial expressions.

Pinkydoll is certainly not the only one doing this; many other TikTokers have followed suit and are copying this NPC livestream, which can bring in upwards of $4,000 an hour. Both men and women are joining in on this phenomenon.

The concept might appear bizarre to some, yet its popularity is undeniable, as TikTokers are generating revenue from these peculiar livestreams. The NPC trend taps into a unique, interactive dynamic. Fans seem to revel in this newfound ability to "control" their favorite content creators, much like controlling an avatar in a video game. This echoes the growing fascination with virtual reality and the desire to blur the boundaries between the digital world and reality.

Why Is the NPC Trend Controversial?

Many people are quick to criticize this trend because it might be the most braindead phenomenon to ever gain popularity on TikTok. It takes little to no intelligence to do these livestreams, and it's just as concerning when you think about how much money people are paying to dumb themselves down to watch multiple hours of these streams. People like Pinkydoll will sit and do a livestream for four or five hours at a time, with no breaks. That means there are people out there who actually sit down and watch these streams for just as long.

Some argue it risks dehumanizing content creators, reducing them to mere virtual pawns responding to commands. It raises questions about the evolving relationship between influencers and their audiences, and the potential ethical implications of such interactions. Are we allowing the line between entertainment and exploitation to blur, or is this merely a harmless, innovative way for creators to engage with their followers?

Interestingly, the NPC trend is not entirely new, but a resurgence of an older idea brought to light by Pinkydoll, Cherry Crush, and others. Its reemergence showcases how TikTok's short video format is continuously evolving, enabling diverse trends to circulate, disappear, and reappear in an endless cycle. This is reflective of the broader digital culture, where trends are born, die, and are reborn in new, often unexpected, iterations.

However, there are some other concerns. Some people identify this NPC streamer trend as a type of kink. TikToker @stormytheshelbsterr pointed out that Pinkydoll claims she is 19 years old on her Twitter page, although she has claimed in other places that she is only 15 years old. She's actually somewhere around 28 years old and is just pretending to be younger in order to tap into a "pedo kink." She has even captured the attention of Timbaland, who was her number one viewer in a recent TikTok livestream.

@stormytheshelbsterr points out that Pinkydoll is driving people to her Twitter page, where she is promoting pornographic content and "putting on an underage pedo fantasy." Even if she is in her late 20s, the fact that she is pretending to be a teenager who is just legal is concerning, especially considering the fact that so many men are buying into it.

"Every emote she does is a secret signal," @stormytheshelbsterr says. Every time she licks up ice cream, pretends to be a cowgirl, and accepts cake even though it's not her birthday, she is referencing some kind of sexual idea. "Kids are actually watching this and digesting it," @stormytheshelbsterr adds, also sharing a clip of a young girl imitating Pinkydoll on her NPC livestream.

"It's a kink, a fetish for adults," @stormytheshelbsterr concludes. And the fact that it is becoming so popular should disturb us.

When you watch a clip of Pinkydoll doing her NPC livestream, you can easily see the sexual innuendo that is coming from the emojis and stickers. Sure, she might be making thousands of dollars a day, but what does this new trend mean for the future of social media and the young girls who are watching it all unfold? It seems like there are always new ways for women to exploit themselves online for a large amount of money, but in the long run, this will only bring unhappiness and destruction.

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