By Hailey Murphy
It’s happened to all of us before: you’re innocently scrolling away on your phone, looking at memes and updating yourself on Kardashian news, when bam.
That show you just started watching on Netflix? Someone’s taken the liberty of tweeting that your favorite character dies in season 3. They didn’t offer any warning. They didn’t consider the feelings of their followers. They just had to post a little “R.I.P” and now your experience of watching that show is changed forever.
Chances are, you have a few stories just like this. Sophomore Ian Sloan found out about the death of Han Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens the morning after the movie was released. Meer hours after the first viewings of the film, someone posted on Facebook and ruined the movie for Sloan.
Freshman Alexia Lachapelle, an avid watcher of So You Think You Can Dance, couldn’t keep up with the episodes last season. She ended up paying the price.
“I was super far behind but trying to binge watch it and catch up. I ended up seeing who won the show while on Facebook and it made me less interested in watching it,” Lachapelle said.
A rather relatable example comes from Freshman Kiersten Clark, a Game of Thrones fan. As one of the most popular shows on television, GoT is a popular discussion topic on social media platforms. This comes to the hinderance of those who haven’t kept up with episodes as they’re released.
“One day, I was scrolling through Instagram… when a meme of the season nale came up. Now I don’t even feel the need to watch the last two episodes because all the events that went down were spoiled for me in one single post,” said Clark.
Social media is a huge platform on which people discuss nearly every aspect of life. So it comes as no surprise that people post about shocking moments in television or movies. They’re seeking to share their experience of shock with those around them.
However, when you decide to post about that moment, you’re telling a wide range of people (all of your followers, anyone who views the hashtags you used, the followers of anyone who retweets you, etc.) vital information.
Whether it prevents someone from ever watching the show, prevents someone from experiencing the shock factor, or prevents someone from fully enjoying their viewing experience, posting spoilers on the Internet is an injustice to those who aren’t on the same page as you.
That show you just started watching on Netflix? Someone’s taken the liberty of tweeting that your favorite character dies in season 3. They didn’t offer any warning. They didn’t consider the feelings of their followers. They just had to post a little “R.I.P” and now your experience of watching that show is changed forever.
Chances are, you have a few stories just like this. Sophomore Ian Sloan found out about the death of Han Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens the morning after the movie was released. Meer hours after the first viewings of the film, someone posted on Facebook and ruined the movie for Sloan.
Freshman Alexia Lachapelle, an avid watcher of So You Think You Can Dance, couldn’t keep up with the episodes last season. She ended up paying the price.
“I was super far behind but trying to binge watch it and catch up. I ended up seeing who won the show while on Facebook and it made me less interested in watching it,” Lachapelle said.
A rather relatable example comes from Freshman Kiersten Clark, a Game of Thrones fan. As one of the most popular shows on television, GoT is a popular discussion topic on social media platforms. This comes to the hinderance of those who haven’t kept up with episodes as they’re released.
“One day, I was scrolling through Instagram… when a meme of the season nale came up. Now I don’t even feel the need to watch the last two episodes because all the events that went down were spoiled for me in one single post,” said Clark.
Social media is a huge platform on which people discuss nearly every aspect of life. So it comes as no surprise that people post about shocking moments in television or movies. They’re seeking to share their experience of shock with those around them.
However, when you decide to post about that moment, you’re telling a wide range of people (all of your followers, anyone who views the hashtags you used, the followers of anyone who retweets you, etc.) vital information.
Whether it prevents someone from ever watching the show, prevents someone from experiencing the shock factor, or prevents someone from fully enjoying their viewing experience, posting spoilers on the Internet is an injustice to those who aren’t on the same page as you.
I’ll admit that I too have posted spoilers on the Internet. I couldn’t resist expressing my feels to anyone who would listen. But in the process, I spoiled the Vampire Diaries for someone right in the middle of binging.
I’m happy to say that I’ve learned my lesson, but spoiler danger is very real. It’s particularly prevalent when it comes to Netflix originals, such as Orange is the New Black, 13 Reasons Why (which I refuse to watch because of it’s triggering nature) and Stranger Things.
Not only are these shows enormously popular, but they’re also shows highly wrapped up in binge-culture. Netflix releases entire seasons at a time, so it’s easy for consumers to watch them for hours on end.
Additionally, these episodes have exhilarating endings. You can’t help but let the next episode autoplay.
What’s interesting about binge culture is that it creates a loop in the consumption of television media: A good show comes out, so people watch it as quickly as they can. By the time the next season comes out (a whole year later), there’s an immense fan base waiting.
Some fans will binge the whole thing right away. Some won’t– but because of their feed, they probably will have something spoiled, and wish that they did. Those who have experienced this or don’t want to experience this will binge it just to avoid reading a spoiler.
After all, no one can spoil it if you watch it as soon as possible.
Not only does binge culture with social media perpetuate further binging, but social media is a huge determiner in what’s binge-worthy and what’s not.
Think about it: How many shows have you watched just because you saw it mentioned online?
Communications faculty and current media studies professor Amber Randall said, “[The connection] is huge. It’s that belongingness we want to feel. It’s the fear of missing out. I really only watch things based off what my friends have said.”
Of course, there are still people who are simply too busy to binge, even if they want to. Which is why I’ve been rapidly scrolling past all Stranger Things-related content, for fear of the dreaded spoiler.
So next time you want to post about the newest Netflix hit, consider those who haven’t seen it yet. Even if some people don’t mind spoilers, it inherently changes the experience of watching the show.
“Part of the fun of seeing a new movie is not knowing what’s going to happen. If you already know the big character death, there’s no suspense,” said Sloan.
I’m happy to say that I’ve learned my lesson, but spoiler danger is very real. It’s particularly prevalent when it comes to Netflix originals, such as Orange is the New Black, 13 Reasons Why (which I refuse to watch because of it’s triggering nature) and Stranger Things.
Not only are these shows enormously popular, but they’re also shows highly wrapped up in binge-culture. Netflix releases entire seasons at a time, so it’s easy for consumers to watch them for hours on end.
Additionally, these episodes have exhilarating endings. You can’t help but let the next episode autoplay.
What’s interesting about binge culture is that it creates a loop in the consumption of television media: A good show comes out, so people watch it as quickly as they can. By the time the next season comes out (a whole year later), there’s an immense fan base waiting.
Some fans will binge the whole thing right away. Some won’t– but because of their feed, they probably will have something spoiled, and wish that they did. Those who have experienced this or don’t want to experience this will binge it just to avoid reading a spoiler.
After all, no one can spoil it if you watch it as soon as possible.
Not only does binge culture with social media perpetuate further binging, but social media is a huge determiner in what’s binge-worthy and what’s not.
Think about it: How many shows have you watched just because you saw it mentioned online?
Communications faculty and current media studies professor Amber Randall said, “[The connection] is huge. It’s that belongingness we want to feel. It’s the fear of missing out. I really only watch things based off what my friends have said.”
Of course, there are still people who are simply too busy to binge, even if they want to. Which is why I’ve been rapidly scrolling past all Stranger Things-related content, for fear of the dreaded spoiler.
So next time you want to post about the newest Netflix hit, consider those who haven’t seen it yet. Even if some people don’t mind spoilers, it inherently changes the experience of watching the show.
“Part of the fun of seeing a new movie is not knowing what’s going to happen. If you already know the big character death, there’s no suspense,” said Sloan.