There was a time were news about a movie or a series was published only in hard-copy newspapers. Remember those?
You received it every morning in your mailbox at home or you had to go out to buy it. Today that information comes to you almost immediately through social media platforms. We don’t have to wait until the following morning anymore to know if a trailer dropped or if there is a new series coming up. Unfortunately, we just don’t know whether it’s true or fake news.
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The Change
Social media became the most effective news publishing platform. It also became the platform where everyone can share their views and opinions. In the beginning, everyone shared their own reviews about a movie or a series episode or shared their favorites. There was a desire to share with others. This sharing brought some issues with it. On one hand, it is nice to share your opinion on a certain movie but on the other hand, not everyone online has seen that movie yet. The solution someone came up with is to add a spoiler warning at the beginning of the post or article. But does it really work?
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The Problem
Well, that is a difficult question. It surely does help to have a warning but not everybody complies with it and let’s be honest we all are curious people. I don’t know about you but many times even if a post has a spoiler warning, it is very difficult to turn away from it. For old movies or series, it’s even more difficult to avoid them. People just assume because a movie is 10 years old everyone should have already watched it. Why is that?
Not everyone has the same taste in movies. Then why assume it? I know people who have never seen the original Star Wars trilogy and are not interested in seeing it anymore because they already read the story somewhere online and don’t feel the need to watch it. In other words, it was spoiled for them. For old movies like these, it is almost impossible to avoid spoilers.
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The Solution?
Newer movies and series are a little easier to avoid if you are not addicted to social media. There is where you’ll find the first spoilers. Just stay away! Easier said than done, right?
I tried this recently for a movie. Fortunately, I knew the release date of the movie and when the media embargo would be lifted. The embargo is when the critics are allowed to release their reviews and talk about the movie. That usually happens a few days before the release date. Luckily, the release date, in this case, was the same worldwide. Now imagine when the release date is different for each country. How do you avoid spoilers for a week or a month, when you have a business to run on online marketing?
About the critics, I have to give credit to those who do a spoiler-free review first, I really appreciate that. I also love that more and more moviegoers are also writing spoiler-free reviews, which I think is really important for movies, especially those with a small budget or from a specific genre that somehow doesn’t receive critic’s love.
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Final Thoughts
Avoiding spoilers in this social media age is indeed a very different task that can somewhat be avoided by not going on social media, not reading the entertainment section of the newspapers, and/or magazines, and by demanding the same release date worldwide. I don’t think that will happen soon for theater releases but at least those movies released on streaming services, like Netflix, have the same release date worldwide.
What about you? Have you been avoiding spoilers recently? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
This is interesting lol. Everyone hates spoilers and you always find that one person who will just ruin a tv show or a movie for you because they have to. I feel like even if you don’t go on social media or other platform, you will still hear spoilers through conversations. You can say, “don’t ruin it for me!” and then people still will. At least, that is what my friends will do to annoy me haha. And seeing it online is the worst. I remember scrolling through twitter one time just casually like I usually do and one of my friends tweeted a spoiler. Just the spoiler though so people would see it. Something like “this person dies in this”. That’s uncalled for. I mean tv shows are a bit different. No one should spoil one like that because not everyone has time to watch every tv show even if it is 10 years old.
SPOILER ALERT: But something like Dumbledore dies in Harry Potter, if you don’t know that, then it’s your fault lol.
Really like this post though!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
But you also did it. You mention a spoiler too….
I understand what you are saying but there are people who were not interested before in watching the Harry Potter movies who may be interested now for some reason. We should be given them the opportunity to enjoy it first hand. You know what I mean?
I apologize to those people. You see what I mean now when I say it’s really difficult?
My uncle refuses to go on social media until he sees the movie himself. He doesn’t want to spoil it for himself. I agree with you that the best thing to do is to avoid all media until you see it and make a decision for yourself. Great article!
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for sharing your story. I can understand your uncle position and I have been there myself but sometimes its difficult to avoid it. Especially when the topics of social media are the topics of conversation at the dinner table. Imagine you have avoided social media the whole day and then you come at home for dinner and then Bham! There is the spoiler…
I just avoid anything and everything until I check it out myself. If its a major event I just do my best to keep my head down and not advertise my fandom. You’ll always have people who spoil things just for fun like it happened with the Half Blood Prince in Harry Potter, which the first commenter refers to.
Hi Vivek,
Thanks for sharing your story.
It is very difficult but I think people are not aware of what they do and we should help make them understand by pointing out why they should be careful. But to be fair it’s just very difficult to keep quiet too so I guess both sides need help.
Ok, I will admit it that I live for the spoilers. I am always looking up spoilers on the web for some shows, because I can’t stand the suspence LOL. But I do need to resist, you are right. Because then I know what is going to happen and I don’t feel as inclined to watch.
Hi Matts Mom,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I understand what you are saying. In some cases, I think it is important to resist. The experience won’t be as satisfying. It has happened to me with series and while my friends where surprised when something happened to me it was just “bleh.”
Yes! Yes! and Yes! It’s not the same if you already know something that will happen in the movie. It will change the movie experience. I think it will help if we are less dependent on our devices and social media and should be treated as an addiction because it is.
Hi Jane,
I totally agree with you. It really worrying how things have changed and its affecting relationships as well: how we approach and communicate with each other and how quickly judge and tear down each other on social media.
I try really hard to read reviews of films only after I’ve seen them. If I’m trying to figure out whether to see something in the theater, I go by the previews and trailers, or just skimming the beginnings of reviews on sites like Rotten Tomatoes. I HATE when someone ruins a movie with a spoiler, although sometimes if the movie is complicated it can help to go into it armed, so you’re doing a kind of reverse engineering when watching it to see how they got to the conclusion. great post!
Hi Penelope,
Thanks for sharing your view. It is interesting to see how people think about spoilers.
Hope to see you again 😉
I’ve come to certain terms with spoilers…
At first i would avoid them at all costs, but now I feel like tony stark in that meme “come at me bro”.
If i have the option to not click something that will drop the bomb i do, but i realized just because i know how it will end doesn’t make the movie or series less enjoyable.
But as you mentioned, it’s very hard to avoid them, now with all the social platforms and our constant use of devices that ultimately serve us first hand spoilers on a silver platter, what can we expect?
I haven’t watched Avengers IW but thanks to memes i know what happens…lol
Hi Anne,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
It’s unfortunate. I managed to watch one movie without spoilers and I can say that the experience is completely different when you don’t know anything.