Cameron Lee (11) considers life to be like a video game. He views himself as a hero on an adventure, and every day there are dragons to defeat and towers to climb. Lee knows that real life can be dull or scary sometimes, so he tries his best to face challenges with confidence and find the fun in every moment.

Since he started playing video games when he was young, Lee has watched other people play too. He remembers tuning in to a Twitch streamer’s live broadcast, bonding with other viewers over the video game, and letting whatever bothered him that day just wash away.

Lee knew without a doubt that he wanted to recreate the bubble of laughter that he and many others had found solace in. Now that a pandemic has taken over the world, Lee said, everyone needs a little more cheering up. So, although it was nerve-wracking to put himself out there for anyone to see, Lee started streaming on Twitch as soon as he had the time and resources to do so.

“When I was having a bad day, there would always be somebody through the screen who could make me smile and feel happy,” he said. “I want to be that somebody for other people.”

Since he started two months ago, Lee has been streaming on Twitch six days a week, for a few hours at a time. His streams feature a wide variety of video games, and he often discusses philosophy and music with his audience while he plays.

Because it’s a live broadcast, Lee’s viewers can see all his fumbles and mistakes. Lee embraces this. He doesn’t want to be on a pedestal like a celebrity, he said. It’s better if his viewers know that he is human and he is their friend.

Lee said he tries his best to show his genuine personality to his audience, but he also likes to exaggerate his reactions to be funny. When something bad happens in the game he’s playing, for example, Lee will jokingly stand up and walk around the room as if he’s mad.

“I obviously wouldn’t do that in a real situation, but I can do it on stream and it makes people laugh,” he said. “It’s like they’re right there next to me, watching me be ‘mad.’”

Unlike in a video game, Lee said, life’s obstacles are not easy to have fun with. Because of this, he hopes his Twitch streams can help his viewers forget their worries and stress for even a little while.

Lee said that life, like a video game, isn’t about the finish line—it’s about the journey to it. Lee knows his Twitch stream won’t solve anyone’s problems, nor does he need it to.

Laughter and entertainment, he said, are the health potions of life. No matter how many dragons there are to defeat and towers there are to climb, Lee is confident that by finding the joy in each moment and sharing that joy, he will be able to pull through.

“I want [my viewers] to know that it’s okay to just take each day as it comes,” he said. “It’s okay to just enjoy the experience.”

watch Cameron Lee on Twitch