Anna Daniels
Even the most wonderful new technologies can have a downside. As Netflix’s movie-and-TV streaming platform spread around a delighted world in the 2010s, it brought with it a brand-new social phenomenon (and minor source of betrayal and contention) called “Netflix cheating.” Let’s say a couple discovers a marvelous TV series on Netflix. Every episode ends in a cliffhanger, necessitating the need to watch far too many in one evening because it’s just so gripping. At some point, bedtime arrives and the couple has to turn off the TV… but that’s when the cheating occurs. While the husband sleeps, for example, his wife sneaks out of the bedroom and watches a few more episodes by herself, compelled as she is to find out what happens next, without waiting for her partner-in-television.
Netflix cheating really does speak to a betrayal of trust, not unlike other (far worse) things spouses or partners could do when the other person isn’t looking. We’re not advocating doing this of course, but there are ways to cover one’s tracks. Not only could a Netflix user skip ahead a few episodes by using an alternate profile on the same Netflix account, but it’s also possible to line-edit the watch history, thereby destroying the evidence of show-cheating. It’s possible by heading to one’s “My Profile,” then clicking “Viewing Activity.” Each recently watched item appears, and next to it a large “X.” Once clicked, that show disappears.
Written by: Looper
