Interviewer: Hey, erobb. Thanks so much for letting me interview you. So, first, can you start by telling us a little bit about yourself and how you got into the world of streaming?
erobb221: Not a problem bro. So, my name is Eric Robbins, and I'm a streamer. I got into it because I, uh, met some people who were doing it, and I always liked watching pranks on Youtube. That was back in 2016, and now here we are I guess.
Interviewer: That's great. The theme I want to focus on is this idea of “Internet Personalities.” With more and more internet personalities out there, how do you think you stand out and what would you say your brand is?
erobb221: Uhh I guess I never really think about that. I just kinda go live and talk some shit. I mean I know I'm extremely fortunate to be where I am, but I just kinda do my own thing and yea. I guess my thing is really just a place where people can come and talk shit.
Interviewer: You wouldn't describe yourself as the “L guy”?
erobb221: Kinda I guess. I honestly just farm it.
Interviewer: Well, from what I've seen, you have built a strong community with your viewers. What do you think are some of the challenges that internet personalities in general face today, and how do you personally deal with these challenges if they're the same?
erobb221: It's hard for people because some people care way too much and need to go outside and touch grass. And for the streamers too. Some streamers are always on twitter and reddit and reading shit all the time and I don't know how they do it. I know I'm going to get a lot of shit for this, but streaming is a job. It's easy to get burnt out if you don't set boundaries. So, whenever I get pissed at chat, the second I get off stream, I forget about it.
Interviewer: Absolutely. Work life balance is a real thing, and I guess technically streaming is considered a job. So going back to this idea of internet personality, what do you think are some of the most significant changes in the greater industry since you first started?
erobb221: It's changed a lot in the last couple of years, I mean look at Youtube, it's huge. I guess nowadays people gotta be a lot more careful about what they put on the internet because uh, the internet never forgets. It's really easy to find people's history nowadays and get them cancelled or whatever. But I guess in general, it's overall easier to start streaming.
Interviewer: I guess continuing on the thought, is there a change in the content that people put out?
erobb221: No yeah. The internet is less edgy, which is good, but yea, it's change over years. And I mean, peoples attention span is fucked nowadays. Like back then people would mainly stream gaming, but now unless you're like a god, no one's gonna watch that.
Interviewer: That's true; Tiktok really changed things huh? Now, shifting topics a little bit, can you talk about Emmy and Britt and how they play a part in your internet personality?
erobb221: Yea, well I mean Britt is great. She's been incredibly supportive ever since I met her, and I mean, she's even got her own stream and everything now. With Emmy, I try not to show her much on the stream, and eventually when she's a little older, she's not going to be on stream anymore.
Interviewer: Can you talk about how having Emmy changed you?
erobb221: She turned my life around. I used to drink all the time and never did anything. But I had to grow up for Emmy and I can't imagine life without her. Becoming a dad has definitely changed me for the good. It's made me realize I need to worry a little more about the content I put out there because uh she might eventually see some of it when she grows up. I also had to be more consistent and have a schedule so Britt and I could take turns taking care of her, which has helped the stream.
Interviewer: Yea, I completely agree. With everything you've experienced and learned so far, what advice would you give to someone looking to become an internet personality, either streaming or youtube?
erobb221: Don't. But if you really want to try, I'd say that it's important to just be yourself and try not to be someone you're not. Try to find content that works for you. Be consistent and stick to a schedule, so your viewers know when to expect new content from you. Also, don't be afraid to talk to yourself. Everyone starts somewhere, and you're gonna have some rough moments in the beginning. Learn from those experiences and use them to grow and improve.
Interviewer: That's perfect. So, I want to be mindful of your time, I know I said no more than 10-15 minutes. Do you have any exciting plans in the future?
erobb221: I don't even have a plan for this stream. I just kinda hit the Go Live button and figure out what I'm gonna do on stream. I might go to Twitchcon this year, probably not. Uhhhh I might do so more things with TSM. I'm gonna play the new Star Wars game and yea. I don't know what else…Oh, I might do a charity stream with TSM but we have to talk about it first.
Interviewer: Awesome, thank you so much. I know chat will be looking forward to Star Wars on the hardest difficulty. Again, thank you so much for taking the time to let me interview you, and keep up the content. It's been a pleasure.
erobb221: Yea you're welcome. Tell me how it goes or what grade you get. See ya.