Can someone explain twitch drops to me?

I've never participated in twitch drops before or really even watched twitch, however I'd like to try and earn the tokens to get one of the tier 7 premiums.

Like most people (I assume) I have a job during the day and therefore can't really watch streams. Am I just SOL then? Do you actually have to be active when "watching"? Are there any tips from experienced drop claimers for people like me?