Entry tags:
Gratification overload
Having only been a Netflix user for a few months now, the novelty of having a complete season's worth of a show available all at once has still not worn off. However, with it comes a twofold problem. The first is the urge to power-binge and watch everything right then and there. Many people seem to indulge in this, which brings up the second problem, the inevitable online spoilers.
Already I've had to mute someone on Twitter because he kept mentioning details from Stranger Things in his feed, details from episodes that I hadn't gotten to yet. And this was on the second day. Oh, just stay off social media, some people would say, and then you won't get spoilers. With as pervasive as such media is in this day and age, I'd be cutting myself off from many other things were I to avoid it until my viewing of the show was complete. (I have 3 episodes left) I can see avoiding it for a day or two (I have in the past when I wasn't caught up to Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead, but going dark for a whole season? Impractical.)
While I respect that some folks enjoy bingeing on a show, the rest of us shouldn't also be forced to in order to maintain some small element of surprise at the events, stories, plot twists etc. I'm not saying anyone who has seen an episode that the rest of us haven't shouldn't say anything for months, just...maybe a few days? Just to give the rest of us schlubs who don't have the time, or the inclination to spend an entire day doing nothing but watching a show a chance to, you know, watch the show?
Already I've had to mute someone on Twitter because he kept mentioning details from Stranger Things in his feed, details from episodes that I hadn't gotten to yet. And this was on the second day. Oh, just stay off social media, some people would say, and then you won't get spoilers. With as pervasive as such media is in this day and age, I'd be cutting myself off from many other things were I to avoid it until my viewing of the show was complete. (I have 3 episodes left) I can see avoiding it for a day or two (I have in the past when I wasn't caught up to Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead, but going dark for a whole season? Impractical.)
While I respect that some folks enjoy bingeing on a show, the rest of us shouldn't also be forced to in order to maintain some small element of surprise at the events, stories, plot twists etc. I'm not saying anyone who has seen an episode that the rest of us haven't shouldn't say anything for months, just...maybe a few days? Just to give the rest of us schlubs who don't have the time, or the inclination to spend an entire day doing nothing but watching a show a chance to, you know, watch the show?