Digital Campfires: Gen Z is Building Intimacy in Online Spaces

Late at night, a Twitch streamer reads a comment out loud: “I don’t really talk to anyone in real life about this.” The chat goes quiet for a second, then lights up — heart emojis, “same,” “you’re not alone.” No one really knows each other, but the moment feels strangely close. Like a group of friends gathered around something warm. For Gen Z, that warmth often comes from a screen.

Platforms like Twitch, Discord, and TikTok Live have become something like digital campfires — spaces where people can show up, talk, and just be. It’s less about going viral, and more about feeling seen. “I don’t really use Instagram anymore,” says Maya, 20, who tunes into the same Twitch stream most nights. “But this feels like real company.”

These platforms weren’t necessarily designed for intimacy — Twitch is for gaming, Discord is for community organizing, TikTok is for quick, catchy content. But Gen Z is using them in quieter ways. A streamer might be playing a game, but the real draw is the conversation. A Discord server might be built around a shared interest, but over time, it becomes a place where people check in on each other. On TikTok Lives, strangers swap advice in real time — about relationships, anxiety, college stress. It’s not always deep, but it’s consistent.

There’s a shift happening in how young people connect online. Instead of broadcasting to a huge audience, they’re turning toward smaller, more interactive spaces. Sociologists often talk about how the internet can make relationships feel shallow or fake, but what’s happening here feels different. There’s real community-building going on — even if it’s all through text and a glowing screen.

And like traditional campfires, these digital spaces run on storytelling. People share updates, personal thoughts, even late-night rambles that don’t go anywhere. But it’s in that openness that something meaningful starts to form. It’s not about always saying the right thing — it’s about showing up.

Visually, this story could come to life through screen recordings of live chat interactions, streamers talking to the camera, and behind-the-scenes shots of their setups — glowing lights, scattered notebooks, half-drunk energy drinks. It’s not polished. That’s the point.

In a time where loneliness is high and attention is always divided, these digital campfires offer something different: soft places to land. They remind us that connection doesn’t always need to be in person — it just needs to feel real.

Writing by Amber Smith.