the Informer

Some of the greatest television shows are the ones that make you keep coming back each week and watching it live as it airs, just the way the network wants it.

One such show is “Lost,” the ABC drama that entered its final season this week, with a two hour premiere. Unfortunately I had classes to go to, so for the duration of the entire episode, I had to stay away from the one thing that is so difficult to stay away from: Twitter.

That’s one of the biggest problems with event shows such as “Lost,” social media explodes with commentary on the episode. Going back and looking at posts from the night’s episode, I can tell had I not avoided the constant stream of updates, I would have had my experience ruined by people talking about specific plot points.

So what is the etiquette for spoiling TV shows? In the age of the DVR and Hulu, more and more viewers aren’t tuning for when the show first airs. And for a show like “Lost,” a spoiler can sort hamper one’s enjoyment of unraveling the mystery.

The best way to approach is to wait few days before discussing it, or chat about it outside of where anyone can see your posts.
Saying something that spoils the plot of a television show online right after it airs is like walking out of a film, passing the line for the same film and talking about the big twist at the end.

And it’s not just me, the guy who can’t watch it live, who can be spoiled. East coast viewers see prime time three hours before people on the West coast, so anyone who has to wait those three hours has to, in order to have their viewing experiences unspoiled, sign off social networking sites for a long time.

It’s hard to not see the therapeutic affect that not being able to go on Facebook or Twitter for that long time, however.

I can’t say it was nice to take that break from Twitter, as I would find myself unlocking my phone, looking at the Twitter application and realizing I couldn’t really open the application.

Sometime later, it hit me: live television is the ultimate intervention for Twitter-addicts like me. I don’t see myself not watching “Lost” live when I get the chance, but realizing that I’ll be able to not be so dependent on the constant stream of different point of views.

It’s even nice to realize that the Internet will still be there even after you’re not connected.