The Ending Of Deadstream Explained

Throughout the film, Shawn regularly uses his tablet to check in with the chat room of viewers that are currently watching his livestream on the fictional Twitch equivalent Livvid. It's clear that he's both somewhat resentful of his audience, while also desperately craving their approval. He knows that this stunt could be a make-or-break moment for the future of his channel and his brand, so in addition to following the rules of his sponsorship contract, he often finds himself letting their whims determine what actions he takes next.

This active fanbase proves to be both a blessing and a curse, as the viewers occasionally dole out helpful advice about the meaning of certain symbols or how to use various tools at his disposal, but they also push him to keep Chrissy around (which has disastrous results) and, despite his constant brushes with potential violence, they mercilessly insist that he follow his own rules and threaten to abandon the stream. This results in Shawn having to regularly act against his own self-interest, highlighting the notion that he is as much a slave to his audience as he is to Mildred, valuing their positive reinforcement above his physical well-being.