>>39182230My experience has been pretty in the middle.
Do I think I'd receive even more opportunities at friendships just because I turn on OBS once a week with a 25 dollar commissioned PNG? Yes.
Do I think it's classism or the "vtuber status" doing the heavy lifting? No (not denying it happens but I consider it minor).
Spending individual time with someone online substantiates you as a real thing instead of a concept. Being a vtuber provides that opportunity to happen easily, without having to stand out in a collective like discord or a twitch chat.
Once you're "real" in another persons mind, any interactions you make will hold weight they can quantify. Each person can then consider investing more. every interaction ties a new thread of empathy to each other, making it more and more difficult to cut.
Humans are simple and it's very difficult for them to quantify masses of information. Subitizing is a good way to explain it. We know the concept of one million, but we do not actually understand one million. Some empathize with a homeless person when seeing them before their very eyes, but not the same emotional pain from millions of those starving elsewhere.
I have the disposition to stand out in collectives so I've made friends without trying. Brainstorm ways to interact with someone one on one without it feeling forced or creating strange power dynamics. You don't have to be a vtuber or draw, it's just the most common response because people aren't creative.