Blasting off Again: An Observational Study on Substance Use Content Exposure in Pokémon Twitch Streams

Every year, a substantial amount of academic research is published about, or with some connection to, the Pokémon franchise and/or fandom. While occasionally some of this research breaks through to the fandom and/or to mainstream news, much of this research sadly goes underreported, and unread by the wider community of Pokémon fans. That's why, as part of an ongoing project to bring more of this work to the attention of the broader Pokémon community, we're looking to share recent research spanning an A to Z of academic disciplines, from agriculture and biological sciences, to zoology, and plenty of other topics in both the sciences and humanities in between. We don't have a particular schedule for how often these posts will go up, but we hope you'll look forward to them, and that you'll see something in these that catches your interest. If you've seen an article out there that you think deserves to be featured as part of this project, or if you're an academic yourself working on some research relating in some way to Pokémon, please don't hesitate to reach out!

For many young fans, the Pokémon fandom is one of the first, sometimes the very first, online community that they ever get involved in. In that light, the findings of this latest academic research article, which looks at Pokémon streamers on Twitch and how they expose and/or promote alcohol consumption and substance use to viewers, serve as a timely reminder to all of us about the responsibilities and moral duties we have to these young community members. The authors on this study, Matthew C. Nali, Meng Zhen Larsen, and Tim K. Mackey, have backgrounds in the application of data science to public health problems, with positions at various departments of the University of California, the Global Health Policy and Data Institute, and S-3 Research, all in San Diego.

The following article was originally published by the authors listed below as an open access article in AJPM Focus, an open-access peer-reviewed journal published by Elsevier (DOI: 10.1016/j.focus.2025.100413). AJPM Focus is the official open access journal of the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research and the American College of Preventive Medicine. It publishes work spanning all aspects of public health and preventive medicine practice, teaching, and research. This article is republished here under the Creative Commons Attribution International (CC BY 4.0) license.

Blasting off Again: An Observational Study on Substance Use Content Exposure in Pokémon Twitch Streams​

Matthew C. Nali BA ^{1 3 4}, Meng Zhen Larsen BA, BS ^{1 3 4}, Tim K. Mackey MAS, PhD ^{2 4
1} San Diego Supercomputer Center, University of California, San Diego, CA USA
² Global Health Program Department of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego
³ Global Health Policy and Data Institute, San Diego, CA USA
⁴ S-3 Research, San Diego, CA USA

Highlights​

• <25% of top Pokémon TCG Twitch streamers promote substance use, mainly alcohol.
• 73% of Pokémon TCG lack age restrictions, exposing youth to intoxication content.
• Consistent violations of Twitch policy and weak enforcement in youth centric TCG.

ABSTRACT​

Introduction​

The Pokémon franchise has an array of media (i.e., television series, movies, merchandise and Trading Card Game (TCG)) that attracts global youth and adults since its creation in 1996. Specifically, users have been known to discuss, promote, and purchase Pokémon TCG on the livestreaming platform Twitch. However, Pokémon TCG livestreaming content may also include potential harmful content for youth and adolescents, such depictions of substance use. Hence, the objective of this study was to assess if popular Twitch Pokémon TCG content and influencers promote substance use topics and behavior.

Methods​

This study was conducted in three phases: (1) data mining on two Twitch data aggregation websites (Sullygnome.com and TwitchTracker.com) within the Pokémon TCG category; (2) data filtering using keywords through a snowball sampling strategy on the title of a Twitch stream; and (3) content coding using the World Health Organization (WHO) protocol on Internet Monitoring of Marketing of Unhealthy Products to Children and Adolescents for influencer and micro-influencer substance use marketing including depictions of substance use or promotion of products on the streamer’s profile. We also conducted assessment of any underage moderation for Twitch livestreams.

Results​

A total of 1,025 highly active Pokémon TCG streamers were collected and analyzed. The use and promotion of substance use in the form of alcohol, cannabis, or tobacco was detected in 25.07% (n=257) of these Pokémon TCG Twitch streamers. Frequent substance use detected was alcohol (90.27%, n=232), followed by polysubstance use (6.61%, n=17), cannabis (n=6, 2.33%) and tobacco (n=2, 0.78%) Content coding detected three general themes with behavioral being the most observed. This included behavioral content of substance use for the specific reason of casual use (46.06%, n=228) and for intoxication (26.26%, n=130). Additionally, close to three-quarters (72.76%, n=187) of streamers’ accounts did not prohibit underage access to account content or livestreams.

Discussion/Conclusion​

In this study we detected Twitch streamers violating Twitch community guidelines that may have exposed millions of youths and young adults on the Pokémon TCG category to different depictions of substance use. Although Twitch prohibits monetary gain in exchange for posting substance use content, apparent lack of enforcement of Twitch community guidelines and absence of age verification means that youth who enjoy Pokémon TCG content may also be exposed to content actively promoting substance use behaviors.

Key Words​

Pokémon; Twitch; Alcohol; Cannabis; Tobacco; Youth

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INTRODUCTION​

In 1996, Game Freak and Nintendo released Pokémon Red and Green, a role-playing game based on the Japanese manga Pocket Monsters (ポケットモンスター), where players capture, train, and battle Pokémon.^1–4 The franchise rapidly became a global phenomenon, expanding into the animated television series, movies, video games, and merchandise.⁵ Notably, one form of media that brought worldwide popularity of Pokémon was the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG), which allowed fans to collect and battle with cards featuring various Pokémon, each with distinct attributes and abilities, encouraging strategic gameplay and engagement.
Spanning generations, children and adults compete in Pokémon TCG tournament, divided into three age divisions (e.g., Junior, Senior and Masters Division). Beyond gameplay, the cards’ real-world collectable monetary value appeals to youth and young adults, with the most expensive Pokémon card bought in 2022 by YouTube influencer Logan Paul for $5.275 million.^6,7 Reflecting the franchise’s massive scale, between February 2023 – March 2024, the Pokémon corporation reported producing over 64.8 billion trading cards across 93 countries and regions.⁸
In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pokémon TCG market surged in popularity, with card values rising by hundreds to thousands of dollars overnight.^9–11 This increase in demand led big box retailers (e.g., Walmart and Target) to limit their TCG inventory.12 Due to decreased availability of Pokémon cards in traditional retail settings, thousands of consumers turned to secondary markets, buying cards through social streaming platforms like Twitch, shifting how collectibles were accessed and sold.^12,13
Twitch, a popular livestreaming platform (owned by Amazon), has around 35 million daily users, primarily comprised of adolescents and young adults between 13 and 35 years old.¹⁴ Users engage in livestreams centered on video games, music, and various creative topics, allowing users to broadcast opinions with viewers who participate in an interactive online community.^15–17 Twitch viewers directly interact with content creators by chatting and sending “bits” or donations in real-time, a format distinctly different from other media such as television where individuals passively consume content.^18–20 Twitch is now a platform where millions of young users regularly actively discuss, trade, and consume content about TCG, but also where other products, services, and behaviors, including those related to substance use, may be co-marketed with this content.
Specifically, content related to substance use now occurs across various social media platforms (e.g., X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, TikTok, Facebook) and specifically promotes products with abuse potential (i.e., alcohol, cannabis, nicotine, tobacco, etc.) that may shape user perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors towards substance use risks, particularly for adolescents.^21,22 For example, a study on TikTok found widespread promotion of cannabis use in a positive manner, with content often lacking age restrictions.²³ Another study on Instagram found a highly interconnected network on e-cigarette brand influencers, with 75% of them not restricting their content to youth.²⁴Similarly, research on Facebook has demonstrated that users who displayed alcohol in profile images were more likely to report increased personal use.²⁵ Further, these displays were reinforced by peer engagement and contributed to shaping self-identity around drinking culture where heavy consumption was framed as socially acceptable or even desirable.
For Twitch, streams may pose specific risks for youth and young adults, though only a very few studies have been conducted examining Twitch content. One study found that social media influencers on Twitch actively promoted e-cigarette use, often in exchange for compensation, with minimal platform restrictions, raising public health concerns due to Twitch’s predominantly adolescent and young adult user base and resultant exposure to substance use content.²⁶ Another study found widespread marketing of energy drinks, and sugary beverages products on Twitch gaming channels, including extensive product placement and brand mentions during streams and in chat, suggesting Twitch is a growing channel for exposure to other unhealthy products.²⁷ However, no study has specifically analyzed Twitch content for influencers, advertisement, or behaviors associated with substance use topics within the Pokémon TCG Twitch community, which also has participation and is appealing to many children and young adults.^26,27 Hence, the objective of this study was to assess if popular Twitch Pokémon TCG content also includes content that promotes substance use topics, products, and behavior given the young audience for Twitch and past studies that have observed minimal content moderation on the platform.

METHODS​

This study was conducted in three phases: (1) data mining on two data aggregation websites of Twitch streamers within the Pokémon TCG category; (2) data filtering using keywords through a snowball sampling strategy on the title of a Twitch stream; and (3) content coding using the World Health Organization (WHO) protocol on Internet Monitoring of Marketing of Unhealthy Products to Children and Adolescents (WHO Protocols) for influencer and micro-influencer substance use marketing, including characterizing depictions of substance use or promotion of products on the streamer’s profile as well as assessment of any underage moderation used for Twitch livestreams.^28,29

Data Collection​

The first phase of the study used two data aggregation websites for data collection to: (1) identify influential and high-volume users of Twitch specific to Pokémon TCG; and (2) to collect historical data of archived Twitch streams for content analysis. Data aggregation sites used in this study included documentation about how they retrieve and aggregate information using the official Twitch API. First the website, “sullygnome” (a website that performs analytical tracking across all individual streamer categories on viewership trends, channel performance, and watch and streaming time) was used to collect all available Twitch streamers who broadcast under the Pokémon TCG category.³⁰ A total of 7,012 users were identified; however, only the first 1,025 users were selected as they had the highest volume of Pokémon TCG streaming hours (e.g., 100+ hours) for the 1-year period between July 11, 2023 – July 11, 2024. ^28,29 The website, “TwitchTracker,” (an analytics platform that archives Twitch streamer’s content including titles of streams, clips, followers, viewership statistics including views, peak viewership and trends) contained aggregated statistics and content of past available streams.³¹ For each individual streamer identified on sullygnome and selected for analysis, we used TwitchTracker to collect data analytics on streams and then manually reviewed all stream titles that matched with our keyword list described below.

Keyword Generation and Filtering​

The second phase filtered streams for possible substance use-related content. We first identified 31 relevant keywords, including 3 emojis, to filter through the titles and profiles of identified Twitch streamers affiliated with the Pokémon TCG category. Keyword selection used an approach similar to a digital snowball sampling strategy (i.e., where we conducted manual searches and data filtering to find a keyword or Twitch TCG creator that discussed substance use topics that subsequently led us to additional keywords we could use for further data collection). This approach was used to identify streamers and descriptions on Twitch that made references to or used alcohol, cannabis or tobacco while streaming (see Supplement for full list of keywords).

Content Analysis​

The third phase was conducted through a deductive content coding approach using the WHO Protocols to identify and characterize specific themes and sub-themes from selected streamers who discussed and promoted substance use topics. The deductive coding schema focused on identification of specific substance use categories and types of promotional cues. Additional emergent sub-themes for the general themes characterizing why streamers included substance use content or engaged in substance use behavior were separately inductively coded due to a lack of an existing coding framework for this type of content. First, coders manually reviewed filtered content of influencers and micro-influencers for study inclusion criteria which included: (a) mention of substance use disorder behavior or associated product; and (b) promotion of substance use in text, image, or video-related content. Two coders (First and Second Authors) independently reviewed the content of all 1,025 Twitch streamers for study inclusion and achieved a high intercoder reliability (κ=.98). In case of inconsistent results, authors reviewed and conferred to reach consensus on the correct classification.
Once a Twitch user was confirmed for inclusion in the study, deductive content coding of the user’s Twitch profile and streams were annotated for: (1) substance use category (i.e., type of substance depicted or used in content); and (2) promotional cues (e.g., display, brand, description and presentation). Inductive content coding for emergent themes was used to identify and characterize: (i) stated reasons or rationale for streaming substance use behavior content; (ii) specific forms of substance use behavior (e.g., intoxication, inebriation, casual use, etc.); and (iii) substance use depictions and content for monetary gain generated from platform interactions (e.g., bits, subs, followers, etc.) (See Table 1 Code Book for details).

​

Finally, we emulated two user account types for assessment of age verification requirements including: (1) created an underage Twitch account (14 years old); and (2) accessed the platform without an account logged in. This was conducted to assess if age restrictions applied to substance use content identified on Twitch. Specifically, these two methods were used to simulate if underage users or non-logged in users (i.e., those who do not affirm to be age of majority or state their age in their profile) could access streams without restriction or warning. We recorded if warnings or disclaimers would pop up on streams to deter or prevent an underage account or non-logged in user from accessing content.

RESULTS​

A total of 1,025 highly active streamers listed in the Twitch Pokémon TCG category were collected and analyzed. Common general observations of content generated by these streamers included discussing new card “drops” (i.e., product releases), live “rips” (i.e., booster box or individual pack openings), live “battles” (i.e., winner takes all cards), live “giveaways” (i.e., free Pokémon cards), and entertainment games (i.e., Pokémon Bingo or Pokémon game play) that were not formally coded or analyzed for this study.
Manual annotation and content coding per the WHO Protocol was then conducted on these highly active Pokémon TCG streamers where 25.07% (n=257) were linked to content depicting the use of one or more substances in the form of alcohol, cannabis, tobacco, or poly-use of multiple substances in their Twitch TCG-related profile descriptions, associated text, or archived livestreams (see Table 2). The specific types of substances discussed, depicted, used, or being advertised included: alcohol (90.27%, n=232), cannabis (2.33%, n=6), tobacco (0.78%. n=2), and polysubstance use (6.61%, n=17).

​

Content Analysis​

From the 257 streamers that included content related to substance use, we inductively coded 312 reasons stated by users (e.g., multiple reasons could occur within the same Twitch livestream or description) for including this content or engaging in substance use behavior that could be mapped to three general themes associated with substance use. These general themes included: Behavioral (i.e., personal use with no evident intention of monetary gain [e.g., entertainment, event driven, intoxication, casual use, and content creative stream) (94.55%, n=295), Monetary Gain (i.e., substance use content that solicited monetary contributions [e.g., bits, subs, followers, and donation]) (3.53%, n=11), and Product Promotion (i.e., direct or indirect promotion of substance use, where the product is endorsed by a brand or exchanged for non-monetary benefits [e.g., direct substance marketing, indirect substance marketing, personal content, and outside sponsor) (1.92%, n=6). Additionally, we identified and coded 495 specific sub-themes of self-reported reasons that offered deeper insights into why streamers may include substance use content in their content description or livestreams. These reasons were grouped into 13 sub-themes inductively derived from the 3 general themes (see Table 1 and Table 3 for examples).

​

Profile information was reviewed for the presence of references or direct advertisement of substance use content among the 257 Pokémon TCG Twitch streamers analyzed. In total, 5.06% (n=13) included a reference in their profile stating their support for substance use behavior (e.g., “420/710 friendly”, meaning they support cannabis day and oil day [generally referring to cannabis concentrates] or that the streamer self-reports using a substance during a stream) or direct promotion of a cannabis product (e.g., a marijuana-related accessory). For de-identified screenshots and examples user profile see Figure 1 and 2 in Supplement.

Age Restriction​

We also evaluated the accessibility of content from the Pokémon TCG streamers identified for our fictitious account registered to an individual under the age of 18, as well as for users not logged into a Twitch account. A total of 72.76% (n=187) of the Pokémon TCG streamers that included substance use content in their livestreams had no age restrictions in place for all videos and streams associated with their accounts and did not have any form of warning or disclaimer regarding the content regardless of whether the account was registered to someone underage or not logged in.
Specific breakdown of Twitch substance use content that had no form of warnings or disclaimers by type of substance included: alcohol (n=168), cannabis (n=3), tobacco (n=2), and polysubstance use (n=14). Access to streams that warned users on the video that content could contain depictions of substance use were 14.79% (n=38) of all those reviewed, which also compares to 9.34% (n=24) streams where users were simply required to click a disclaimer agreeing that they would be exposed to content that could contain substance use. In total, only 2.72% (n=7) of streamers blocked our underage account or users without a logged in account from accessing their stream or content after they subscribed to the streamers’ content. Lastly, one streamer’s account was banned during the data analysis process for reasons unknown to researchers (see Table 4 for additional information).

​

DISCUSSION​

This study examined more than a thousand active and influential Pokémon TCG streamers on Twitch and found that approximately one in four (25.07%, n=257) depicted or promoted the use of alcohol, cannabis, tobacco or poly-substance use. The most frequently mentioned substance discussed, depicted, promoted, or used on these streams was alcohol (90.27%), followed by a smaller number of mentions of cannabis, tobacco, and polysubstance use. The most observed general theme of these streams was behavioral-related content (e.g., primarily depicting personal substance use not for monetary gain), while a much smaller volume was identified that included substance use content to solicit monetary contributions and direct product promotion. In total, there were 495 mentions of streamer specific reason of substance use content made during these collective broadcasts, which based on data available from aggregation sites, comprises of Twitch influencers that have a collective total of 6,991,926 followers with a stream time in the Pokémon TCG at 1,181,614 hours.
Additionally, close to three-quarters (72.76%, n=187) of streamers’ accounts did not prohibit underage access to account content or a livestream. This raises concerns about content classification and effectiveness of community guidelines on Twitch. Specifically, Twitch’s content classification policy encourages but does not require users to report the use of substance use, and only moderates streams based on if the mature rated category is selected by streamers.32 Furthermore, community guidelines on substance use while streaming outline that certain substance use is permitted on a stream so long as the streamer is of legal age to consume (alcohol and tobacco); however, cannabis use remains a quasi-legal grey area depending on the streamer’s location, though streamers nevertheless are required to self-label their broadcast under a specific drug use label, though only (n=6, 28.57%) streamers that we reviewed did so.33
These lax community guidelines point to an overall lack of platform accountability and active content moderation of streamers who may openly violate Twitch’s substance use guidelines. This raises concerns regarding not only viewer exposure towards substance use promotive content, but also streamers encouraging substance use for monetary reasons (i.e., monetary donation in exchange for substance use on stream, such as requesting donations for becoming intoxicated). This despite Twitch community guidelines that prohibit monetary gain for substance use. Hence, the increasing popularity of platforms such as Twitch for livestreams around various topics popular among youth and adolescents (e.g., trading card games like Pokémon, video gaming, e-sports, etc.) raises concerns regarding the promotion of substance use topics as observed in this study, which can easily be accessed on a smartphone, tablet or computer by millions of users, often with no adequate age restrictions.27
Prior studies on Twitch have identified similar concerns, including a significant increase in brand exposure to products such as e-cigarettes, unhealthy foods, and energy drinks.27 The promotion cues for these products were often identified in stream titles, streamer profiles, and product placements similar to what was observed in this study. For instance, one study specifically focused on the promotion of e-cigarettes during video game streams, finding that such content contributed to the normalization of vaping and potentially encouraging uptake among youth viewers.26 Another Twitch study found that product placement cues, often for unhealthy items, were present for up to 20 minutes per hour of content, and notably lacked clear advertising disclosures.29 However, ours is the first study to identify co-occurring content that includes both promotion of Pokémon TCG (e.g., through pack battles, card reveals, giveaways, etc.) and substance use behavior (e.g., drunk streams, drinking games, cannabis and smoking use, promoting substance use products).

Limitations​

Limitations of this study include lack of generalizability of substance use across all Twitch broadcasting categories including gaming channels, music channels, IRL (i.e., streamers broadcast their or discuss with daily life, “in real life”), and creative channels (i.e., culinary arts or creative activities). Strengths of this study include its use of data aggregation sites to identify influential Twitch streamers and access their archived content for content analysis purposes along with age verification assessment. Future studies should monitor all Twitch broadcasting categories for substance use-related promotion and behavior, with a particular focus on content that is appealing and widely viewed by children and youth.

CONCLUSIONS​

Pokémon is a globally popular media franchise with a large following of children and adolescents that buy and participate in its trading card games. Twitch is a livestreaming platform that is also very popular among youth and adolescents and includes streamers that promote Pokémon TCG through card “drops”, “rips”, “giveaways”, and games, with roughly one-fourth of these popular streamers also promoting substance use-related content with little adequate age restrictions in place. Risk of children and adolescent exposure to drinking games, intoxication, inebriation, smoking, and explicit product promotion while searching for and viewing Twitch Pokémon content is a digital public health challenge that needs to be further studied and addressed through appropriate policy making and platform content moderation.

References​

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Funding​

None.

Ethical Compliance​

Not applicable/Not required for this study. All information collected from this study was from the public domain and the study did not involve any interaction with users. Any user identifiable information was aggregated and removed from the study results.

Data Sharing Statement​

De-identified datasets are available upon reasonable request to corresponding author.

CRediT authorship contribution statement​

Matthew C. Nali: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Validation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Data curation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, Visualization. Meng Zhen Larsen: Methodology, Validation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Data curation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. Tim K. Mackey: Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Resources, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, Supervision, Project administration, Funding acquisition.

Competing Interests​

MN, MZL and TKM are employees of the startup company S-3 Research LLC. TKM is also a co-founder and co-owner of the company. S-3 Research is a minority owned small business that was originally created through a National Institute on Drug Abuse startup business award and has been subsequently funded through government contracts with Federal agencies to develop research tools and services for data science in public health, including social listening, data mining, and machine learning approaches. Authors report no other conflict of interests associated with this manuscript.

Appendix. Supplementary materials​

Download: Word document (1MB)

 

Sad that kids are getting exposed to this. Even though Pokemon is a franchise that all ages can enjoy (34 year old here for context), I would argue content creators have a particular responsibility to make sure they're keeping things appropriate for younger fans.

On a lighter note, if what you're saying is true about a "substantial amount of research... published about, or with some connection to, the Pokemon franchise or fandom", I'd love to see more of it on places like this, or at least a redirect to the research itself.