On May 6, viral influencer and Twitch streamer Kai Cenat announced Streamer University—a free, four-day event held at the University of Akron (UA) from May 22 to 25. The goal was to bring together rising content creators and established social media influencers for collaboration and training. Cenat even released an “Official Enrollment Trailer” on YouTube to promote the event. Within days, over one million people applied, but only 120 were selected to attend. UA provided the venue, and major sponsors, including T-Mobile and State Farm, helped fund the production.
While the concept may have sounded promising—at least UA’s communications and marketing department seemed to think so—it quickly unraveled into a weekend of chaos. The reality is best captured in Cenat’s own highlight video, “Streamer University Best Moments:”
Moreover, the event fueled a romanticized notion that social media influencing can be a viable long-term career, promising rapid wealth and fame. Applicants were permitted to stream their application process, flooding my social media feeds with their videos. One particularly memorable clip featured a young man who recorded himself dropping out of Georgia State University to demonstrate his commitment to streaming and content creation. While he was fortunate enough to be accepted, not every risk-taker met success.
@corey2uncensored Twitch: Corey2u 🙂↕️ #corey2u #fyp #kaicenat #streameruniveristy ♬ original sound – Lil Wudy
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I firmly believe college isn’t the only path to achievement and may not be worthwhile for those pursuing fields with limited job prospects. That said, content creation ranks low among alternative career paths. Despite the allure of Streamer University, the reality is that there’s limited space at the top. Even for those who achieve online success, maintaining it is challenging, as audiences constantly shift toward the next viral trend.
Now that the event is over, some creators did gain followers, but most of that growth was seen among those who already had large followings. While there was genuine collaboration and networking, the event was equally shocking and destructive. In addition to lewd behavior, campus dorms were left in disrepair following water fights and even physical altercations. One girl was shot in the eye with an Orbeez gun, while another was bullied for her appearance. Although there were positive moments here and there, the event ultimately resembled a glorified sleepover, derailed by immature adults who clearly disregarded discipline and mutual respect in pursuit of a viral moment.
During the day, the “students” attended classes like “Internet Beef 101” and “Love and Relationships,” which were led by well-known creators whom Cenat called “professors.” From what I saw, the only class that seemed serious was “Pocket Watching 101,” where students actually received useful financial and marketing advice tailored to being a streamer or content creator.
Streamer University was a disaster in many ways, but in terms of going viral and generating buzz, it was undeniably successful. Apparently, Cenat plans to host the event again in the future and has already been approached by major streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. The idea is a money-maker for sure—but at what cost? As more “struggle streamers” chase fame and internet virality, fewer people are interested in essential, everyday jobs. Most young individuals pursuing this path fail to recognize that success is not guaranteed, and the chances of sustaining long-term relevance are slim.
I hope those choosing content creation as a career come to terms with this sooner rather than later. If not, most will find themselves back at square one—without a stable source of income and no fallback plan.
Image: “University of Akron” by JEN9841 on Wikimedia Commons
