In a recent move that has gathered attention across social media platforms, popular streamer Charles White Jr, known as Cr1TiKal on Twitch and penguinz0 on YouTube, has taken the bold step of eliminating all options for monetization. He has encouraged his audience to retain their funds or better yet, direct their donations toward charitable organizations.
Announcement of Changes
In a video titled ‘I’m Turning it Off,’ White addresses his substantial follower base—5.7 million on Twitch and 17.3 million on YouTube. He states, “What I’m turning off is pretty much every way of donating to me.” This statement sets the tone for a significant shift in how he engages financially with his audience.
Details on Monetization Disabling
In his earlier attempts, White sought to disable monetization features on Twitch but encountered limitations. He explained, “Once streamers opt into its partner program, they can’t turn off Bits or Subscriptions.” To address this, he mentioned a workaround: setting a prohibitively high minimum threshold for Bits, stating, “I imagine nobody’s going to spend that kind of money.”
Regarding subscriptions, White expressed his frustration, saying, “If I could turn it off, I would. But there are a lot of hoops to jump through.” He urges his audience not to subscribe or financially support him during streams, emphasizing that he believes it’s unnecessary.
Rationale Behind His Decision
The driving factor behind White’s decision is his desire to dissuade viewers from spending money on him. He remarked, “I just don’t want people to donate money to me anymore,” asserting that viewers should prioritize their finances. “I feel it’s more important now than ever that you hold onto your money, especially given the way things are going.”
Advising Alternative Contributions
White encourages those who feel compelled to donate to instead support charitable organizations. He states, “If you have an insatiable appetite to just part ways with this money, donate it to a charitable cause instead.” He highlights the many effective charities that could greatly benefit from financial contributions, suggesting donations to causes such as those providing critical support in Gaza.
Removal of Donation Options
Throughout his streaming career, White has stressed that his content can be accessed for free, but despite this, many viewers continued to donate. He noted, “I’ve openly discouraged it for a long time, yet people still engage with it. Now it’s time to pull the plug on the ability to even do that.”
Reflections on Value and Attention
White feels that his decision to remove these options is long overdue. “I had convinced myself I could provide something of value to people who were paying,” he stated. However, he concluded, “I just don’t think there’s any value in giving money during a stream just to get my attention.” This conclusion reinforces his belief that viewers’ financial contributions could be better utilized elsewhere.
