Studying Together Apart

Study-with-me Streams as Digital Emotional Infrastructure in an Isolation Crisis

Abstract

As student anxiety and loneliness have escalated in the smartphone era, Study-with-Me (SWM) streams have emerged as essential digital infrastructure providing emotional companionship and support. Whilst existing research documents the benefits for viewers, such as reduced isolation, improved self-regulation, and emotional safety, the experience of creators remains largely invisible. This paper shifts focus to the creators themselves, examining the human cost of providing digital emotional infrastructure. Drawing on an online questionnaire distributed to 66 active SWM creators across 18 countries, with responses received from 7 participants, the study identifies concerning patterns: 71.4% report experiencing burnout, 71.4% feel obligated to stream despite not wanting to, and 100% are aware of viewers developing emotional dependency on their streams. Yet none reported receiving training in mental health support, boundary-setting, or emotional labour management. The paper argues that whilst SWM mitigates students’ isolation, it simultaneously creates an unsustainable burden on creators who have become de facto emotional support providers without professional qualifications or institutional recognition. These findings reveal a critical paradox: platforms designed to address a mental health crisis may inadvertently generate new forms of psychological vulnerability. The research suggests that future SWM sustainability requires structural supports, namely mental health resources, community moderation, and clearer role boundaries, rather than individual creator resilience.