I never used to be too bothered by spoilers because I was always one of the first ones to catch the latest episodes of my favorite TV shows back in the day. Things have changed since I started working full-time, though. My time to watch TV shows has dramatically decreased and I now struggle to find time to catch up with my favorite series.
Well, with a full work schedule and busy days also come new Facebook friends – new Facebook friends with no regard whatsoever to the feelings of busy people like me who have yet to find time to catch up with series like “The Walking Dead“. I was so shocked to be greeted by a flurry of posts on my Timeline about the premiere episode – complete with details, photos and videos about what happened.
I was flabbergasted. All I could hear in my head was Harrison Ford:
YES. STOP THAT. DON’T DO THAT.
I don’t understand why people feel the need to do that in the first place. I mean, is it really necessary? Does spoiling things make you happier as a person? I understand the need to rant and release all of those pent-up feelings you might have after watching a harrowing episode, but what about us busy people of the world? Why should we be robbed of the experience of feeling what you felt the way you felt it just because we weren’t able to catch the episode on time?
Lo and behold, there are actually ways to release those feelings of yours without actually spoiling anything for the rest of the world. Here are some pointers:
RELEASE YOUR FEELINGS WITHOUT MENTIONING ANYTHING ABOUT THE SHOW.
Yes, it is completely possible to release your feelings without mentioning anything about the show. You can post a flurry of emoticons with the hashtag #TheWalkingDead. That is acceptable. A simple “huhuhu” or “errrghhhhh whyyyyyy” would also be very, very acceptable. In fact, it might intrigue us slow-watchers so much that we’ll bump up watching the episode on our priority list.
WARN PEOPLE BEFOREHAND.
If you really have too much to say on the topic because of all of the feels, then be courteous enough to warn people about the spoilers beforehand. In your post, write SPOILERS AHEAD in all caps. If someone who hasn’t seen the episode still decides to read your post despite the warning, then you’re lucky to have a friend who isn’t as whiny about spoilers as I am. The whiny ones like me will love you for posting a warning, though.
AVOID POSTING PHOTOS, VIDEOS AND MEMES WITH SPOILERS IN THEM.
Yes, a photo, video or meme may be funny as hell or may bring back all of those emotions that you felt, but do consider that some people may not have seen the episode yet. There are some acceptable memes out there, like the “Hold the Door” meme that I didn’t understand at all when a ton of people shared it before I got to watch it.
This is acceptable because those who didn’t watch it won’t get it. Photos, videos and memes of scenes in the actual episode that someone may not have seen yet, though? Please don’t share those.
BLUR OUT THE IMPORTANT PARTS.
If you don’t feel like warning your friends about the spoilers in your post and you really just want to rant about it, consider blurring out the important parts, like specific details or character names. This isn’t too hard to do and can even train your brain into becoming more creative.
ASK YOURSELF IF YOU’RE SPOILING ANYTHING.
While feeling a flurry of emotions, you might type out a ton of things to release that pent-up anger and frustration. Before posting what you typed, though, ask yourself if you’re spoiling anything in your post. This double-take can spare the late-watchers of the world from a lot of heartache if you rephrase what you typed in a way that they won’t understand.
Now, these pointers don’t just apply to The Walking Dead or TV shows. This applies to all other TV shows out there, and even movies. Be a responsible netizen and consider the feelings of the late-watchers of the world. Please. Please. PLEASE. Huhuhu.
Of course, at the end of the day, it’s your life and your social media accounts and your freedom of speech. And maybe it’s really just my fault for being busy, but I still think the virtual world would really be a much better place if it were spoiler-free, in general, don’t you?
Angeline Rodriguez is a geek and a self-proclaimed superhero. She reads. She writes. She loves. You may get to know her better on her personal blog: https://www.lilmisswonderwoman.com
How to Release Your Emotions Without Actually Spoiling Anything
I never used to be too bothered by spoilers because I was always one of the first ones to catch the latest episodes of my favorite TV shows back in the day. Things have changed since I started working full-time, though. My time to watch TV shows has dramatically decreased and I now struggle to find time to catch up with my favorite series.
Well, with a full work schedule and busy days also come new Facebook friends – new Facebook friends with no regard whatsoever to the feelings of busy people like me who have yet to find time to catch up with series like “The Walking Dead“. I was so shocked to be greeted by a flurry of posts on my Timeline about the premiere episode – complete with details, photos and videos about what happened.
I was flabbergasted. All I could hear in my head was Harrison Ford:
YES. STOP THAT. DON’T DO THAT.
I don’t understand why people feel the need to do that in the first place. I mean, is it really necessary? Does spoiling things make you happier as a person? I understand the need to rant and release all of those pent-up feelings you might have after watching a harrowing episode, but what about us busy people of the world? Why should we be robbed of the experience of feeling what you felt the way you felt it just because we weren’t able to catch the episode on time?
Lo and behold, there are actually ways to release those feelings of yours without actually spoiling anything for the rest of the world. Here are some pointers:
RELEASE YOUR FEELINGS WITHOUT MENTIONING ANYTHING ABOUT THE SHOW.
Yes, it is completely possible to release your feelings without mentioning anything about the show. You can post a flurry of emoticons with the hashtag #TheWalkingDead. That is acceptable. A simple “huhuhu” or “errrghhhhh whyyyyyy” would also be very, very acceptable. In fact, it might intrigue us slow-watchers so much that we’ll bump up watching the episode on our priority list.
WARN PEOPLE BEFOREHAND.
If you really have too much to say on the topic because of all of the feels, then be courteous enough to warn people about the spoilers beforehand. In your post, write SPOILERS AHEAD in all caps. If someone who hasn’t seen the episode still decides to read your post despite the warning, then you’re lucky to have a friend who isn’t as whiny about spoilers as I am. The whiny ones like me will love you for posting a warning, though.
AVOID POSTING PHOTOS, VIDEOS AND MEMES WITH SPOILERS IN THEM.
Yes, a photo, video or meme may be funny as hell or may bring back all of those emotions that you felt, but do consider that some people may not have seen the episode yet. There are some acceptable memes out there, like the “Hold the Door” meme that I didn’t understand at all when a ton of people shared it before I got to watch it.
This is acceptable because those who didn’t watch it won’t get it. Photos, videos and memes of scenes in the actual episode that someone may not have seen yet, though? Please don’t share those.
BLUR OUT THE IMPORTANT PARTS.
If you don’t feel like warning your friends about the spoilers in your post and you really just want to rant about it, consider blurring out the important parts, like specific details or character names. This isn’t too hard to do and can even train your brain into becoming more creative.
ASK YOURSELF IF YOU’RE SPOILING ANYTHING.
While feeling a flurry of emotions, you might type out a ton of things to release that pent-up anger and frustration. Before posting what you typed, though, ask yourself if you’re spoiling anything in your post. This double-take can spare the late-watchers of the world from a lot of heartache if you rephrase what you typed in a way that they won’t understand.
Now, these pointers don’t just apply to The Walking Dead or TV shows. This applies to all other TV shows out there, and even movies. Be a responsible netizen and consider the feelings of the late-watchers of the world. Please. Please. PLEASE. Huhuhu.
Of course, at the end of the day, it’s your life and your social media accounts and your freedom of speech. And maybe it’s really just my fault for being busy, but I still think the virtual world would really be a much better place if it were spoiler-free, in general, don’t you?
Related
About The Author
Angeline Rodriguez is a geek and a self-proclaimed superhero. She reads. She writes. She loves. You may get to know her better on her personal blog: https://www.lilmisswonderwoman.com