STREAMING has become increasingly popular ever since the pandemic forced almost everybody to stay inside their own homes. During lockdown season, many discovered that streaming could an alternative way to entertain yourself... and earn money. Meanwhile, for viewers, the appeal of watching streamers ranges from admiring skilled gameplay to the social aspect of being able to interact with a slew of people with similar interests.
Serena “Paru” Parlade is a Twitch streamer (twitch.tv/sadparu) whose growing community was built over several years. She is currently a college student taking BA Journalism at the University of the Philippines, but she says that even if she graduates and gets into another career, she feels that streaming will still be a major part of her life.
Her interest in streaming actually started way back when, as she would sit down with her family to watch late night shows with Jay Leno or Conan O’Brien.
“I told myself at the time, I want to have a talk show," she said to Spin.ph. "And then I eventually ended up loving video games. Streaming for me is [both hosting] a talk show and playing games, so it was a very natural progression.”
Paru considers herself an introvert, but she fell naturally into streaming. “I don’t like talking to people in real life but in streaming it's basically me talking to an audience which was easier for me. For a talkative introvert like me, it's the ideal setting.”
Her career kicked off in Bren Esport’s defunct Brentertainment Channel in 2018, where she created content together with Dan "Leo" Cubangay, Kitz Cua, and Isaiah “OBB'' San Miguel.
Working with Cua was a real blessing for Paru.
“It was actually a huge coincidence. It was because of Kitz that I even considered streaming in the first place. I saw her one time in a computer shop and she was streaming and I was doing my finals," she recounted. "Oh my gosh, I wanted to do what she was doing. Then Brentertainment happened and it was my first time ever meeting a real life idol."

How Paru deals with the harassment that comes with the streaming territory
Despite streaming for three years now, Paru can't believe that she hasn't run out of stories to tell while streaming.
Case in point? Her unfortunate run-ins with the animal kingdom.
"Did you know I was attacked by an ostrich in Malaysia? I have a fear of butterflies. Something like 200 butterflies landed on my back before. I have a lot of animal related stories,” she laughingly said.
Of course, streaming isn't about rainbows and, er, butterflies.
Much like many other women in the gaming industry, Paru has encountered her fair share of sexism in her journey.
“That’s always a struggle and it's an achievement to exist in this environment. There is still that stigma that if you are a girl and you play video games you are boosted and you’re just bad. It’s always going to come up,” she reflected.
“You have to deal with that on a daily basis on top of the sexual harassment. It’s hard but you have to power through the misogynistic views. You can be good at a game and entertaining regardless of your gender and attractiveness, right?”
With her experience in the streaming industry, she gave an important piece of advice to aspiring streamers:
“If you’re a girl and you want to get into streaming — the stigma, the harassment, [you] will encounter it no matter what. You have to know that you aren’t alone in dealing with it. Find a support group."
Paru added that streamers now aren't alone. “Thankfully there are a lot of female streamers right now who will support and stand up to them. Everyone wants to make things safer for women. [But] you have to be prepared that [harassment] will happen. Basically, if you feel unsafe you can stop but don't get bullied out of it and you can seek help and it’s not your fault!”
But other than dealing with sexism in the streaming space, Paru also encourages anyone who wants to pick it up to perfect their craft.
“I’m a gamer and I’m competitive, right? So part of me is a perfectionist whenever I try to stream. I want my overlays crispy and I want to be as entertaining as possible.”
Paru constantly pushes herself to be the best streamer that she can be. And because of her success, she still dreams of being able to stream full time after she graduates from UP.
“It’s my passion and it would be amazing to make it into something that keeps me alive, you know?”
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph