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Netflix is a hostile user application due to perverse incentives. They see engagement as a proxy for stickiness, and similarly lack of engagement as a leading

Netflix is a hostile user application due to perverse incentives. They see engagement as a proxy for stickiness, and similarly lack of engagement as a leading indicator of churn. So they implement features that look like they increase engagement, like auto-play while scrolling, auto-play of next title, auto-play of a new series after the end of a series. I don't know about other people, but they absolutely infuriate me. We normally mute Netflix on entry into the app because we know that it's going to start blaring out of the speakers as the menu is navigated. And even the menu can't be navigated in peace: I need to keep hopping between adjacent shows to stop it trying to auto-play in the background with distracting images. If I want to leave the remote idle, I need to exit the app or find somewhere for focus to rest where it's not going to start playing something. It's just one or two more "engagement" steps away from getting cancelled.

SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
> like auto-play while scrolling, auto-play of next title, auto-play of a new series after the end of a series The only one I'm cool with is auto-play of the next episode after I finish one, and even then it's iffy. Seriously though Netflix, I'm reading the movies description, why would I also want to see the studio logos and listening to the opening music? I can't even stop it as I'm not actually watching the movie.
- Wowfunhappy 8y ago
  > The only one I'm cool with is auto-play of the next episode after I finish one I actually loathe this. I like endings. After the episode wraps up and the credits finish scrolling, I want everything to naturally stop so I have a few seconds to sit and process and contemplate. You can technically turn off autoplay next episode, but the video will still go into a tiny window as soon as the credits start rolling, with a big ad encouraging you to watch the next episode. That's not how I want to consume content.
  - Angostura 8y ago
    It's particularly irritating if you have kids and you're going to watch one episode of something before bed. Just have to be ready with the 'TV off' button to avoid discussions regarding watching the next episode.
  - SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
    Yeah, that's an entirely personal call for me - I enjoy being able to continue the binge, but I totally see your reasoning.
  - barrkel 8y ago
    Yes. Usually I try and press Pause to get it to turn off the credits music, but because of focus it accidentally starts the next episode instead, and I need to scramble to avoid it. Even if you've turned off play next episode, it will still auto-play the first episode in a different series after you've finished the last episode in a series.
  - scott_s 8y ago
    Agreed. I actually like automatically starting the next episode, but it's far too aggressive. I want it to autoplay after the credits have finished, as I also want time to process what I just watched.
    - dogma1138 8y ago
      I’m pretty sure that’s a feature you can disable.
      - scott_s 8y ago
        How? I can only see options to disable auto-playing the next episode. I do not see the ability to prevent the next episode auto-play to aggressively come on seconds after the episode has ended, and putting the credits in a postage stamp.
  - ajmurmann 8y ago
    Can you actually turn this off on all platforms? I watch 95% of all Netflix via PS4 and I cannot find an option to turn off any of this.
- m_eiman 8y ago
  This is infuriating, especially since a lot of the trailers they auto-play are really load and obnoxious. If you stop scrolling for more than a second or so, prepare to have your ears bombarded with whatever happened to be selected. Bah. Get off my lawn!
  - SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
    And it might not even be the trailer - they could launch right into the movie or tv show! Now you have to restart the stupid just to get the first minute of content because you were reading the description and not paying attention to whatever was going on. There's no use case that makes me want to see the content early. You're not going to sell me with your 20 second Miramax logo.
scott_s 8y ago
Agreed, this infuriates me. I want to think about what show to watch. Or maybe I'm distracted and want to think about something other than what to watch. Auto-playing anything interferes with what I want to do, and I find myself continuing to scroll just to prevent auto-play. (This is on a PS4.)

SketchySeaBeast 8y ago

> like auto-play while scrolling, auto-play of next title, auto-play of a new series after the end of a series The only one I'm cool with is auto-play of the next episode after I finish one, and even then it's iffy. Seriously though Netflix, I'm reading the movies description, why would I also want to see the studio logos and listening to the opening music? I can't even stop it as I'm not actually watching the movie.

Wowfunhappy 8y ago
> The only one I'm cool with is auto-play of the next episode after I finish one I actually loathe this. I like endings. After the episode wraps up and the credits finish scrolling, I want everything to naturally stop so I have a few seconds to sit and process and contemplate. You can technically turn off autoplay next episode, but the video will still go into a tiny window as soon as the credits start rolling, with a big ad encouraging you to watch the next episode. That's not how I want to consume content.
- Angostura 8y ago
  It's particularly irritating if you have kids and you're going to watch one episode of something before bed. Just have to be ready with the 'TV off' button to avoid discussions regarding watching the next episode.
- SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
  Yeah, that's an entirely personal call for me - I enjoy being able to continue the binge, but I totally see your reasoning.
- barrkel 8y ago
  Yes. Usually I try and press Pause to get it to turn off the credits music, but because of focus it accidentally starts the next episode instead, and I need to scramble to avoid it. Even if you've turned off play next episode, it will still auto-play the first episode in a different series after you've finished the last episode in a series.
- scott_s 8y ago
  Agreed. I actually like automatically starting the next episode, but it's far too aggressive. I want it to autoplay after the credits have finished, as I also want time to process what I just watched.
  - dogma1138 8y ago
    I’m pretty sure that’s a feature you can disable.
    - scott_s 8y ago
      How? I can only see options to disable auto-playing the next episode. I do not see the ability to prevent the next episode auto-play to aggressively come on seconds after the episode has ended, and putting the credits in a postage stamp.
- ajmurmann 8y ago
  Can you actually turn this off on all platforms? I watch 95% of all Netflix via PS4 and I cannot find an option to turn off any of this.
m_eiman 8y ago
This is infuriating, especially since a lot of the trailers they auto-play are really load and obnoxious. If you stop scrolling for more than a second or so, prepare to have your ears bombarded with whatever happened to be selected. Bah. Get off my lawn!
- SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
  And it might not even be the trailer - they could launch right into the movie or tv show! Now you have to restart the stupid just to get the first minute of content because you were reading the description and not paying attention to whatever was going on. There's no use case that makes me want to see the content early. You're not going to sell me with your 20 second Miramax logo.

scott_s 8y ago

Agreed, this infuriates me. I want to think about what show to watch. Or maybe I'm distracted and want to think about something other than what to watch. Auto-playing anything interferes with what I want to do, and I find myself continuing to scroll just to prevent auto-play. (This is on a PS4.)