Netflix cheating is a phenomenon that can put a pause on your relationship
Those who stream together, stay together?
It is common for couples in long-term relationships to take on quite possibly the most lofty commitment to each other they'll ever make: watching a show on Netflix together.
This unbreakable vow requires the couple to sit down and watch their favorite show with each other at the exact same time. It becomes a total pledge of trust and something you commit to doing together, kind of like raising a child.
There is an unspoken rule that one member of the party may never, under any circumstances, proceed onto the next episode without the other. It's just the rule. It's what you get yourself into.
However, sometimes the show is just too good and the temptation to move forward with the next episode is too great. This is where the relationship is at its most vulnerable and where Netflix cheating begins.
Defined as watching a TV show ahead of your significant other, Netflix cheating has increased threefold since Netflix conducted a study on the behavior in 2013.
In a new global study, Netflix claims that "cheating" is on the rise and shows no signs of stopping. In the U.S. alone, 48 percent of couples commit streaming infidelity, making it the fifth most unfaithful country in the world.
Australians weren't close behind, with 45 percent of couples "cheating" on their partners.
Of course, couples don't originally set out to cheat, but the excitement of the unknown proves too irresistible and soon it becomes difficult to tame a wandering eye. About 80 percent of cheating is unplanned and nearly two-thirds (58 percent) cited issues with self-control as their excuse for infidelity.
But identifying the source of their problem doesn't usually help. Roughly 63 percent of American cheaters admit that they would cheat over and over again if they knew they'd never get caught, proving that watching the next episode a day early is always worth the risk. In Australia, that figure is even higher, with 68 percent of Aussies feeling no "cheating" remorse, provided they don't get caught
Since dramas are always filled with juicy suspense and the most seductive plot lines, more than half of U.S. and Australian cheaters prefer to indulge in these shows over comedies. We all know the usual suspects: The Walking Dead, Orange Is The New Black, Breaking Bad, House of Cards and Marvel’s Daredevil top the list as the most tempting shows cheat with.
Probably the most disturbing statistic to come out of this study involve just how people get away with cheating. According to the data, 27 percent of cheating happens while one partner is sleeping, and more than half (52 percent) say that this kind of cheating DOES NOT COUNT. You can't trust anyone!
Can this kind of cheating potentially end your relationship? Although 46 percent of the couples surveyed don't consider Netflix cheating the be-all end-all of relationship health, at least 14 percent of American streaming couples think this is an absolute deal-breaker and would never think to do something so heinous.
Meanwhile, 12 percent of Australian viewers (presumably with their tongues firmly in their cheeks) see Netflix "cheating" as worse than having an actual affair.
And just like Piper in the Netflix original Orange is the New Black, three out of 10 cheaters apologize for cheating and 31 percent relapse and repeat again. They can only be described as adrenaline junkies who love the thrill of a good cheat.
So, is your partner a cheater? Probably. Because binge-watching makes it easy to say "just one more," the temptation might just be too much to resist. Sleep with one eye open and keep your remote close by because streaming frauds come in all shapes, sizes and account usernames.
Happy streaming!
Topics Netflix
Samantha was a Watercooler Web Culture & Lifestyle intern at Mashable. Follow her on Twitter @samiscelz.
