Gavin Liu, G9, BASIS International School Shenzhen

One of the most famous gaming YouTubers, with the alias Technoblade, recently died at age 23 due to sarcoma, a rare type of cancer. He was one of the most popular “Minecraft” gamers with over 10 millions followers, and the news of his premature death shocked the Minecraft world.

Alex, better known as “Technoblade” or simply “Techno” in the United States, was given the nick-name “God of Pig” in China, because of his iconic avatar of a pig head he used while playing “Minecraft.”

In a final video uploaded to his YouTube channel titled “so long nerds” and narrated by his dad, Techno thanked his fans and fellow streamers for their support over the years.

He also apologized for “selling out so much in the past year” by offering merchandise, but noted that, as a result, his siblings will be able to go to college.

His dad also shared that Techno didn’t complain during his fight against stage-four cancer in the past year but tried courageously to beat the odds.

Fans love Techno because he kept his good-natured humility even after he became successful, com-peting with an endearing balance between confidence and self-deprecating wit. He also avoided personal fame and kept his true identity confidential until the very end of his life.

It’s a pity that I didn’t get to know this talented gamer earlier. When I came upon his YouTube channel by coincidence, however, I realized how creative he was.

In this era where all kinds of information competes for our attention, and sad news can be forgotten after a blink of the eye, the loss of Technoblade was inconsolable for his fans.

Perhaps the constantly refreshing social media status of celebrities and continuous inflow of news, including those of abandoned children and devastated homes in a war zone, could make people callous and feel less.

How can a person live for real, with heartfelt emotions and thoughts that differentiate them from another?

For me, the answer lies in having authentic feelings for and connections with other humans, whether they are in my neighborhood or from the internet. I feel alive when I can relate to people, by sharing their passions, joys and sorrows.

Tasting the pains in Techno’s departure creates one of those moments in which I feel real.

RIP, Techno.