#trending: TikTokers are behaving like robots in viral trend and here’s why
SINGAPORE — A new trend of TikTokers pretending to be video game characters and speaking robotically has taken the internet by storm over the last few months.

Screenshots from a livestream showing TikTok user "pinkydollreal" repeating certain catchphrases or actions in response to tips received from viewers.
- A TikTok trend of creators behaving like video game characters and speaking robotically has recently gone viral
- Called "NPC streaming", streamers appear animated and often repeat their movements or phrases in response to tips sent by viewers
- The latest phenomenon has become one of the ways that content creators earn money through TikTok’s tipping feature
SINGAPORE — A new trend of TikTokers pretending to be video game characters and speaking robotically has taken the internet by storm over the last few months.
Known as "NPC streaming", TikTok creators are pretending to be non-playable characters (NPCs) as seen in video games.
In video games, NPCs are people who your player character meets and are programmed to utter a few scripted lines, according to The Washington Post.
The bizarre trend involves TikTokers livestreaming themselves while repeating certain catchphrases or movements in a robotic and animated manner, imitating NPCs.
During the livestreams, TikTokers would speak or perform a specific action depending on the type of gift they receive from viewers.
For instance, sending a tip and leaving an ice cream cone icon would prompt 27-year-old content creator Pinkydoll or Ms Fedha Sinon to say “ice cream so good” or pretend to lick the ice cream on command.
The trend has proven to be a good way for popular content creators like “cherrycrush_tv”, “pinkydollreal" and “shu_.tiktok” to earn money from TikTok’s tipping feature that was introduced in 2021.
Users can spend money on virtual coins which can then be used to buy various icons during the livestreams. When users buy an icon, the symbols appear on screen as a visual acknowledgment of the tip to which the creators typically react to.
When TODAY last checked the TikTok app, virtual coins were being sold at S$0.58 for 25 coins, S$6.98 for 330 coins and S$349.98 for 16,500 coins.
According to The New York Times, Ms Sinon, who lives in Montreal, Canada, made about S$2,600 to S$3,900 per stream.
WHERE DID THIS TREND COME FROM?
The latest phenomenon first emerged last year and was reportedly started by Japanese TikTok creator “natuecoco”, according to the Know Your Meme site.
In early 2022, she started livestreaming herself wearing cat ears, bouncing up and down repeatedly and reacting to tips sent by viewers.
She has also collaborated with TikTok user “Satoyu0704” where both of them pretended to be NPCs in a livestream while seeing who could obtain the most rewards.
Since then, "NPC streaming" has been rising in popularity and popping up all over people's TikTok "For You" page.
This month, Ms Sinon became known for her NPC streams where she performed actions such as popping popcorn with a hair straightener.
Clips from her TikTok livestreams have notably gone viral on Twitter and other platforms with the phrase “ice cream so good” quickly becoming a popular meme.
“She’s a Sims, I think,” a Twitter user said, referring to the virtual characters in the life simulation video game The Sims.
Another user wrote: “She’s not even kind of breaking character and her speech is consistent. I might have to fangirl.”
However, users have captured the TikToker breaking character on several occasions.
One video of her breaking character during a livestream while seemingly telling her son to go to bed has gone viral on Twitter with at least 2.6 million views.
The fad has also garnered celebrity fans like American songwriter Timbaland who was reportedly the number one viewer on a recent TikTok Live from Ms Sinon, according to music news website Pop Crave.
While many netizens have become fans of her NPC streams, others remain confused as to what the trend is about or its appeal.
"I really need someone to explain this to me," one Twitter user commented.
Another user said: "I feel old because I don't understand the appeal."
Some users have also expressed disapproval of the latest trend.
"This is very dehumanised behaviour," a user remarked.
Another user asked: "Why are women doing this?"