I 'Netflix-cheat' on my partner here's how it affects our relationship

Publish date: 2024-08-12

2018-05-11T14:02:54Z

Netflix binge watching is a common guilty pleasure, whether you watch after work, class, or a long weekend out partying.
Many opt to view the latest series with friends, family, or their significant other, but sometimes your Netflix partner may not have the time to binge watch an entire season on a Tuesday night like you
Here’s what happened when I cheated on my Netflix partner.

I like to consider myself a good partner. I’m attentive, supportive, and always go out of my way to show my significant other that I love and appreciate her.

I’m far from perfect, of course, but perhaps my most serious downfall in our relationship is my tendency to Netflix cheat. After all, who could blame me for wanting to power through every available episode of “Terrace House: Opening New Doors” in one sitting?

According to research from Netflix, 46% of couples who watch Netflix together have "cheated" and watched shows without their partner, as Business Insider previously reported.

It’s not my fault that I want to finish a full season in one night, while she prefers to space it out a bit. While our different viewing habits haven’t caused any major rifts — it’s just TV, after all — it has affected our relationship both negatively and positively.

1. I sometimes accidentally reveal spoilers

I don't do it on purpose, it just slips out. FotoCuisinette/Shutterstock

I never mean to tell her what happens in episodes of series she hasn’t seen yet — it just slips out. If it’s a particularly important storyline, I tend to get excited and want to talk about it, so I’ll mention it to my partner without realizing that she’s five episodes behind. Oops!

While I’ve managed to keep most of the big stuff to myself, she now realizes that she needs to warn me about spoilers so I don’t inadvertently blurt them out.

2. We end up watching totally different things

Sometimes our schedules don't match up. Flickr/islandjoe

While we obviously have shows in common that we want to watch together — ”Orange is the New Black,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” and “Jessica Jones” among them — my love of Netflix binge watching often leads me to browse through various categories and discover new shows, movies, or documentaries that I didn’t know existed and end up loving.

For example, she’s never seen “Dear White People,” while I watched the series at the gym every morning for 10 days and fell in love. Same goes for “Lost in Space.”

If this happens while my partner is working or not at home, I power on without her and our viewing habits end up seriously diverging. Luckily, we’re both cool with that.

That puts both of us squarely in the 32% of Netflix cheaters who don’t feel guilty about it, according the Netflix survey.

3. I get embarrassed when she sees what I’ve been watching

I watch way more shows than she does. Shutterstock/Blackregis

Netflix lets each viewer build their own profile, but my partner and I have never felt the need for that. My cheating often leads to my watching many more shows than she does.

She can see my recently viewed programs when she logs in, and it’s vaguely embarrassing when she sees that I’ve been powering through “Shut Ins: Britain’s Fattest People” all week.

4. I feel ahead of the curve, culturally speaking

I’m often ahead of the curve when it comes to the latest series. GaudiLab/Shutterstock

Because I write about TV and entertainment for a living, it’s essentially part of my job to be in the know when it comes to the latest shows and movies (or at least a way to rationalize my binge watching).

Netflix cheating on my partner means that I’m often ahead of the curve when it comes to knowing about the latest viewing crazes, because my partner hasn’t watched them yet.

“Uh, what do you mean you haven’t watched every episode of ‘The Rain’ yet?” I ask, a mere 48 hours after it was released.

5. We end up finding other, better ways of bonding

We spend more time doing active things together. klublu/Shutterstock

While we still love watching Netflix together, the fact that we often do so separately means that we spend more time away from the screen, doing active things together. Whether it’s taking the dog on long walks or cooking dinner together, we always make quality time a priority.

At the end of the day, entertainment is just a small part of our lives. Besides, there’s only so much bonding you can do in front of the TV.

Disclosure: Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member.