Dangerous live-streaming antics need to be turned off

A video vlogger has died after live-streaming himself eating live, poisonous centipedes and geckos, in what is the latest in a line of high-risk activities by live-streamers to gain viewers.

The body of the 35-year-old, surnamed Sun, was found at his flat in the eastern city of Hefei, according to the Beijing News.

He was reported to have filmed himself eating poisonous centipedes, geckos and mealworms and drinking alcohol two nights before dying.

Sun had more than 15,000 followers in DouYu, a Chinese live-streaming platform.

To gain more followers, he hosted live-streaming sessions every night, during which he would spin a wheel marked with such items as centipedes, geckos, eggs, or beer and then eat or drink whatever came up.

His death is a reminder of the tragic outcomes when live-streamers undertake risky activities.

Two years ago, Internet star Wu Yongning, known for scaling skyscrapers without taking any safety measures, fell from a 62-story building in a live-streaming event.

And in June this year, a woman bit her hand, drawing blood, in an attempt to gain viewers.

Live-streaming is popular in modern China. Many online hosts, especially the young, record themselves singing, dancing and eating, all for money.

Regulation needed

A report released by a Chinese social network platform MOMO in 2018 showed that 21 per cent of full-time hosts surveyed receive a monthly salary of more than 10,000 yuan (US$1,500).

However, competition is intense and viewers fickle.

Thus some hosts resort to bizarre stunts, or even risk their lives. A lack of control over live-streaming has also enabled life threatening practices to be broadcast.

Although DouYu has put technology in place and mobilized human resources to guard against such live-stream content, there is a lack of timely action. The control of live-streaming content should be reinforced, with more warnings against risk taking.

Platforms can also take measures to ensure safe live-streaming.

Live-streamers make money by receiving monetary gifts in their registered accounts.

Putting a cap on the amount of the gifts received may be effective in discouraging excessive risk taking.