37 percent of Netflix users admit to bingeing at work
Watching TV used to mean tuning in on a certain time and day, then sharing a conversation around the water cooler the next morning. The water cooler model may have fazed out, but sharing TV is as important and ever -- and now we're doing it in public.
A new study from Netflix conducted by SurveyMonkey revealed that 67 percent of users watch in public, risking it all -- embarrassment, spoilers, awkward conversations with strangers -- just to stay up-to-date on their shows.
“Netflixing In Public has become a social norm with 60% of Americans watching more movies and shows in public this year than last,” said Netflix's Production Innovation Director Eddy Wu in a press release. “The introduction of the Netflix download feature has given users the freedom to watch their favorite movies and shows wherever they want, like during their commute or waiting in line, and for some... that means at work or even in a public restroom.”
Yup, 37 percent of users surveyed admitted to bingeing at work. 27 percent said they binged while waiting in line, and 12 percent aren't afraid to watch in public restrooms (to be fair, stalls offer privacy).
The survey included 37,056 responses from adult Netflix users in the United States, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey.
30 percent of American Netflix users surveyed said they watch Netflix while traveling, especially on planes with limited in-flight entertainment. 44 percent of those said they've caught a "backseat binger" peeking at their screens -- but whether or not they're embarrassed depends entirely on what's on screen.
Fascinatingly, 11 percent of "public bingers" said they've had a show or move spoiled because they peeked it on someone else's screen. That's rough, but you know what else is stressful? 35 percent of public bingers have been interrupted while watching because someone wanted to talk about the contents of their public binging. Let us binge in peace!
One of the perils of public binging is publicly reacting to your content, which most users have done by laughing out loud in public. One in five users surveyed said they've cried while watching Netflix in public, but even the tears won't deter devoted fans.
Topics Netflix
Proma Khosla is a Senior Entertainment Reporter writing about all things TV, from ranking Bridgerton crushes to composer interviews and leading Mashable's stateside coverage of Bollywood and South Asian representation. You might also catch her hosting video explainers or on Mashable's TikTok and Reels, or tweeting silly thoughts from @promawhatup.
