One good way to distinguish the two is whether or not it's pure consumption/entertainment or production/learning? I realize at times it may not be easy to do (e.g. watching cartoons or playing games that teach children something).
I mentioned kodi for a reason. I've definitely binged on seasons of shows using kodi (or mplayer), but it feels relatively deliberate. I don't support Netflix et al, so I don't know specifically how many dark patterns they've implemented to "increase engagement" or w/e, but I do know the setup is there. And obviously if you're using Youtube for "TV time", then game over.
I’ve used Netflix alongside a Plex setup for years now, and if Netflix is employing any dark patterns they certainly aren’t effective on me. My usage of Netflix is just as random and deliberate as my Plex usage, and once I’m done watching an episode or binging on a series for the day I don’t find myself looking for more.
YouTube used to be a lot more dangerous with their sidebar recommendations years ago but they changed the algorithm at some point and ever since it’s become very rare that I click on anything there.
1. They are massively produced and have replaced many other programs. There is always new content available, you can spend your life watching 3 new episodes an evening.
2. They are in fact not series any more, but serials. Each episode of a series has an independent storyline and comes to a conclusion; episodes can mostly be watched in random order, you can miss a broadcast, it doesn't matter, you can watch a later episodes without any problem. Serials are a single long storyline split in episodes: you can't miss one, let alone two episodes, otherwise you're lost; and they can use cliffhangers! and of course they do. The hooking is much much bigger for serials than for series, you always end up begging for more.
Even when it starts as a series, they quickly inject enough serials elements to turn it into a serial in disguise.
So, making good content that happens to span multiple episodes? That's the kind of engagement I really don't have an issue with.
However—Netflix has autoplay next episode turned on by default, and if you find the setting to turn it off, each episode ends with a large screen prompting you to PLEASE click to play the next episode. As someone who really likes episodes to end cleanly and give me time to think, this REALLY annoys me.
> So, making good content that happens to span multiple episodes? That's the kind of engagement I really don't have an issue with.
No, it doesn't mean "good content" at all (it can accidentally be good content, but that's not usually the case). It means the ability to use tricks to get you hooked, to have you craving for more, and to trigger binge behaviour, no matter what the content is. There was no such binge consumption before, and there was no request for new content all the time, you could watch a random episode of a 10 or 20 years old series and you were fine with it.
On the contrary, with serials the writers/directors don't have to think about setting up a story that can start, develop and end in 42 minutes, which requires crafting.
They can patch whichever background story (love, treason, ...) that we have seen 800 times already, and activate it when they have no other idea on where the actual story should go. Even 'better', they activate it just 30 seconds before the end of the episode, so that, dammit! I wanted to stop there and go to sleep / do something else but I click on the next episode, and there we go, again, and again.
> However—Netflix has autoplay next episode turned on by default, and if you find the setting to turn it off, each episode ends with a large screen prompting you to PLEASE click to play the next episode. As someone who really likes episodes to end cleanly and give me time to think, this REALLY annoys me.
Well yeah, because the point of serials is to have people binge watch them, so the most common action is to watch an episode after another after another, and the publisher wants to facilitate this and makes you binge watch as much as possible.
He doesn't care if after watching 3 episodes you don't even remember the 1st one, he doesn't want to have clear ending, clear breaks that would give you the possibility to reflect and digest the episode, the point is to keep the flow going non-stop and occupy as much of your time as possible.
I think where I draw the line with Netflix compared to Facebook or Youtube is twofold:
1) Netflix does not have such a wealth of content that they micro-target my individual psyche†. When I watch Stranger Things, I don't feel like I'm being manipulated, and I feel satisfied with the time I spent when I'm done.
2) As long as I maintain my subscription, Netflix makes the same amount of money regardless of how much or little time I spend on their service. So I feel as though my interests are generally aligned with theirs.
And, this may be neither here nor there, but I inherently like serials, and have since I was a child. I just spent nearly two years reading the Wheel of Time novels and becoming super immersed in that fantasy world. Longer and slower paced stories aren't necessarily paced poorly, although they certainly can be‡.
†They can do more subtle things like adjust a show's poster image, but at least that doesn't affect the content.
‡Wheel of Time specifically has massive pacing issues, and thus may not have been the best example here.
