>>63716839you'll get meme answers about how the lack of streams is "the laziness of zoomers" or w/e
But that actual reality is that vtubing selects people who are disproportionately dysfunctional. A common trait amongst all female vtubers other than mostly being under 25, is heavy depression.
While depression itself isn't unique, vtubers tend to be women who are too socially maladjusted to function in normal society but have (prior to becoming vtubers) build up a niche following online for posting song covers or silly videos, which they leverage into becoming streamers. It's no secret that Cover/Niji take view count into consideration when hiring but this doesn't reflect an ability to consistently output.
(This curated fandom is also how they get most of their social stimulation).
Because they're typically shut-ins or semi-reclusive, they don't exercise much, so they get ill easy (also disincentivising work) or further depressed due to diminished dopamine levels/sunlight/social interaction. Which compounds any existing mental illness. Some of this mental illness will be hereditary or a product of lived experiences like assault or abuse. So it's not easy to hand wave.
But it doesn't change that internet communities - especially anime adjacent/fandom communities - act as safe havens for outsiders including those with mental illness to a degree that they're disproportionately represented vs the general population.
But again, because most vtubing draws directly from this pool of uniquely maladjusted people, and throws them into a high pressure environment, so you end up with organisations stacked with poorly skilled workers with limited life experience (not their fault they're young) to help offset their own shortcomings.
Yet, the entertainment industry as a whole is still able to overcome this to a greater degree (for every 1 person who ends up a washed up addict, 10 with the same problems keep it together), why? good management and support systems/structures to keep people doing their job.
So the other major problem is that most vtuber managers are half the world away, possibly have poor understanding of how to navigate mental illness (you'd be expected to know this in the west but not Japan) and also have a cultural gap. So most vtubers are operating at arms length and if they suddenly have a life crisis, the best they can expect is a phone call, maybe an expensed therapist in a month's time.
Where as in any other industry, if you're going through some shit, a co-worker or a boss can take you aside and get hands on with an issue, as well as being able to pick up on warning signs of, idk, say a breakdown, earlier.
