Avoiding TV spoilers on social media is, undoubtedly, one of the biggest issues of the modern age. Everybody uses catch-up and subscription services these days…
A consequence of this is the fact that we have all at one time or another accidentally seen who wins Masterchef or The Great British Bake Off. That or we find out who dies in Doctor Who. And there’s always the big reveal in Game of Thrones which, being the most downloaded programme of all time, makes it one of the worst for spoiler avoidance.
Your friends are thoughtless and posting spoilers and plot reveals on Facebook and Twitter, Wikipedia is updated continuously to include new details, and the damn actors themselves are appearing on chat shows to discuss their character’s latest plot. What is wrong with everyone? Why can’t we just have surprises? If you’ve found yourself in this scenario then read on to discover how to avoid TV spoilers.
Twitter, arguably, is the worst for spoiler offenders. Often, people do it without thinking – they see something, they react to it, they tweet about it. We’ve all been guilty of this. However, the other side of Twitter is the trolls who spoil the fun for everyone and it’s these people who need to be unfollowed. Especially if they are repeat offenders; if they know what they’re doing and continue to do it then get rid. Furthermore, there are plenty of apps via Twitter, Chrome or other browsers which allow you to silence certain hash tags or buzzwords which can help to prevent spoilers too.
If you’re a Game of Thrones fan and are keen to avoid spoilers in the UK (the show airs on Sunday night in the US and Monday night in the UK), switching off your phone or putting your phone into airplane mode can eliminate any unexpected and unwanted spoilers. It’s a fairly temporary measure that gives you some extra control over what you’re seeing. In a similar vein, simply just avoiding Twitter or Facebook is another short-term measure that will definitely remove the problem.
Of course, reading the books before watching the TV show is potentially going to give you spoilers too. A lot of films and TV shows adapt the books but there’s still a lot of details that stay the same. Plus, there’s nothing worse than the smug friend who has read the entire series and just winks knowingly when you start asking questions or talking about a character you really like.
Ultimately, using your common sense and accepting that the reality is that you’re likely to see a spoiler or two at times are two ways to not get yourself too stressed about it all. Watch the TV show live if you’re really worried – the Masterchef finale, for example, is a good choice for doing this – or accept that life is going to happen around you and that some people will have watched it live and will want to discuss it. It is exciting after all!!
