"She Once Tried to Stop Her Son from Gaming"—60-Year-Old Chinese Woman Becomes Popular Game Streamer

Worked Various Jobs After Elementary School Until Retirement
Learned Gaming at 54, Became a Popular Streamer
Over 8,000 Hours of Total Gameplay Time

A 60-year-old woman in China, who once tried to keep her son from gaming, is now making headlines as a popular game streamer.

On October 6, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) featured the story of Junjuan (60), affectionately known as “Juan Auntie,” who hosts gaming broadcasts. Living in Meizhou, Guangdong Province, Ms. Jung has about 527,000 social media followers. She streams live twice a day, attracting around 10,000 viewers for each broadcast. The game she mainly plays is the first-person shooter (FPS) “Counter-Strike.” She began gaming in 2020, and her total accumulated playtime has now exceeded 8,000 hours.

Jooan Imo, also known as "Jooan Aunty," is a popular streamer conducting game broadcasts under the name Jung Jooanjuanjooan (60). SCMP

Games were not unfamiliar to Ms. Jung. However, she was not a gamer herself; instead, she was someone who used to discourage her son from playing. In the early 2000s, when her youngest son, Suode, was a middle school student and frequently visited PC cafes—causing his grades to drop—Ms. Jung would seek him out at the cafes near the school and bring him home. During this period, conflicts over gaming arose between mother and son.

Ms. Jung began to learn how to play games herself only after retiring. Having quit her job, she saw her son playing games at home and became curious as to why he had been so deeply immersed in gaming. She decided to try learning it herself. At first, she struggled even with basic controls, found it difficult to move the in-game character in a straight line, or change direction after hitting a wall, and sometimes felt dizzy from the rapidly moving screen.

Jung also practiced by separately writing down the game methods and controls. Afterward, his skills improved rapidly. In fact, Jung once recorded 36 seconds in practice hitting 150 targets, which was 5 seconds faster than his son's record. SCMP

Her son taught her by lowering the mouse sensitivity and marking the most frequently used keys on the keyboard. Ms. Jung also took notes on the method and controls, practicing diligently. Her skills improved rapidly. In fact, she once completed the practice of hitting 150 targets in 36 seconds—a record five seconds faster than her son’s best time.

Ms. Jung then began broadcasting her gameplay, and as word of a middle-aged woman skillfully playing FPS games spread online, her audience grew. On her broadcasts, she not only plays games but also shares everyday stories with her viewers. She is often seen advising younger viewers to communicate more with their parents.

Ms. Jung gained even greater fame at a Counter-Strike online event held in December 2024. Participating in the same match as Russian professional gamer “don,” she was seen taking down opponents using an AK-47. She also eliminated pro gamer “sh1ro,” and video clips from the match became a hot topic on the internet.

Mr. Jung began learning games himself after retirement. Watching his son, who had quit his job and was playing games at home, he became curious about why his son had become so engrossed in gaming and decided to try learning it himself. The appearance of Mr. Jung and his two sons. SCMP

As her fame grew, some began to question whether she was actually the one playing. A few netizens suggested that someone else might be playing on her behalf. In response, her son Suode set up multiple cameras to show her hands, keyboard, and mouse simultaneously during her streams. They also publicized her record of more than 8,000 hours of accumulated gameplay.

Currently, Suode helps with his mother’s streaming work. He is reported to be in charge of equipment management, broadcasting operations, video editing, and handling outside events and business-related work. The roles of mother and son, once in conflict over gaming, have also changed. While Ms. Jung previously tried to stop her son from gaming, now her son manages her gaming time. As Ms. Jung sometimes plays late into the night, Suode is said to have set the internet connection to disconnect automatically at midnight.

After she started streaming, Ms. Jung’s activities expanded as well. Until the age of 57, she had never left Guangdong Province, but since then, she has visited Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and more to attend esports events. She also personally answers viewers’ questions about finding jobs or relationships. Addressing the perceptions toward women in their sixties playing games, Ms. Jung shared her own opinion: she believes gaming helps maintain hand-eye coordination and keeps the mind active, saying, “I think it’s better than just letting the time pass idly.” She also added, “It’s never too late to start learning something new.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.