In an era where digital loneliness is a defining symptom, companionship-based livestreaming has become a key form of emotional consumption. Formats like late-night radio, lover’s perspective, and emotional confession build simulated intimacy, helping individuals cope with digital isolation.
This intimacy is shaped by platform algorithms, media infrastructures, and capitalist imperatives. Streamers are disciplined into emotional labourers, while viewers consume illusions of closeness. Livestreaming functions as a simulacral space—hovering between isolation and connection—where digital interactions replace offline emotional labour and digital loneliness is further intensified.
Has digital intimacy become a commodified illusion? Is loneliness now our authentic experience?
Co-creator:Ning Wei
Yuqi Lu
Yuqi Lu is a visual and experience artist specialising in public art and digital experience. She is adept at listening to the emotional narratives within space and uses digital technology and installations to create immersive environments for audiences. She studied Public Art and Experience Design and has practical experience in visual, interactive, and related fields.
Recently, Yuqi has been particularly focused on human emotion and identity in the digital age. Welcome, Never Leave, a collaborative project by Yuqi Lu and Ning Wei, explores the impact of digital intimacy on the individual.
Instagram: @lyu7_667
Email: yuqilu667@gmail.com