#The problem with binge-watching

Binge-watching can be fun, but there’s a problem

There’s nothing better than waiting for the premiere of the new season of your favorite show. And now, with shows specifically designed for online streaming, you can binge-watch entire seasons the day they premiere. Weekend plans don’t exist when Floor Is Lava hits Netflix.

If you don’t know, Floor Is Lava is a game show that was released on Netflix on June 19 that’s based on the popular childhood game of the same name. The show is hosted by Rutledge Wood of Top Gear fame, and each episode follows three teams as they traverse an obstacle course in a room that’s filled with lava.

They must use whatever items are in the room, e.g., chairs, curtains, chandeliers, paintings, etc., to get their three team members to the other side of the room.

Whichever team gets the most team members across or does so in the fastest time, in the event of a tie, wins $10,000 and a lava lamp. Floor Is Lava is a show similar to America Ninja Warrior in that each episode features new players and new courses.

Floor Is Lava is exciting to watch because you never know how each group will use the rooms’ items to get across and which teams will make it across with all three of their members.

However, as I binge-watched the Floor Is Lava this weekend, I couldn’t help but feel that binge-watching isn’t the best way to consume television, and here’s why.

Binge-watching changes the way that we experience television together

Yes, there are still many ways in which television networks grab the attention of their viewing audience. Networks still air live sporting events and award shows and television sitcoms and dramas with writers that know how to get their audience to come back week-by-week.

However, online streaming and the art of binge-watching changes how we watch and experience scripted and reality television together. As a guy whose job it is to write about TV, I enjoy talking with others about the shows that I enjoy. There’s something special about engaging with online communities that emerge on Twitter and Reddit around a shared love for a television show.

To experience a show week-to-week together in a format that encourages moderation (yes, I’m aware we’re also in the age of DVR) is truly special. However, whereas DVR’ing allows you to fall behind on episodes, binge-watching encourages you to watch an entire season as fast as possible.  What this means is that everyone is experiencing a season of a television show at different times.

One of the worst examples of this phenomenon that I’ve seen occurred last year when The Circle, another reality game show, came to Netflix. The Circle is a social strategy game similar to Big Brother. In the show, 14 people move into separate apartments within an apartment complex and communicate through a social media platform called “The Circle.”

Players are eliminated one-by-one through a ranking system until the most popular player is crowned.

As a fan of social strategy games, I was super excited when The Circle came to Netflix. However, my excitement quickly waned when I realized that the 12-episode season would be released every Wednesday, four episodes at a time. As a result, if you didn’t want to risk exposure to spoilers or miss out on the conversation, you’d have to binge four episodes in one night.

When I began watching Floor Is Lava, I felt that same urge to hop on Twitter and engage in the conversation, but I soon realized that I was again entering a conversation that was ahead of me.

Binge-watching requires us to tip-toe around spoilers

What this creates is a world where we have to avoid spoilers online and in the real world. As a result, we’re stuck to discussing shows in the abstract. If you’re a casual viewer that only cares about discussing how Season 3 of Ozark ends, then this isn’t a problem.

However, if you’re like me, and you hate missing out on discussing the nuances of your favorite show with people that are as passionate about it as you are, then this is a problem. Binge-watching serves to dilute the conversation and alienate people from engaging in the conversation. The days of standing by the water cooler and discussing the latest episode of Seinfeld are over.

Now, “Must See TV” means “You Must See it Before People Stop Talking About It.”

What are your thoughts on binge-watching? Do you agree with ours? Will you be watching Floor Is Lava on Netflix?