Do you find yourself endlessly scrolling through streaming services without watching anything?

Welcome to the new normal.

Streaming platforms are duking it out for subscribers, but viewers are struggling with too many choices.

The never ending search for something great to binge…has ironically led to us watching nothing at all.

Here’s what’s happening:

Streaming platforms have created the ultimate exercise in choice overload. When there are too many options, many people end up choosing nothing.

You’ll learn:

• Streaming Platforms Are Leaving Viewers Stuck In Analysis Paralysis

• Decision Fatigue Psychology 101

• Too Many Streaming Services Is Hurting Consumers

• Strategies To Help You Stop The Scroll

Streaming Platforms Are Leaving Viewers Stuck In Analysis Paralysis

Decision fatigue is real and streaming services are killing viewers with choices.

A UserTesting survey found that Americans spend over 110 hours annually browsing streaming services with no intent to watch anything.

That’s 4.5 days of someone’s life.

Most of us have also given up trusting what these platforms think we’ll like. So we scroll.

There’s also an overwhelming temptation to find illegal streaming alternatives online. Sites promising free content are often just scams waiting to steal your information. That’s why fraud prevention software like https://mtpick.com was developed. Consumers needed a resource that could identify and filter out risk so they can transact safely online. Streaming services need to provide something similar so viewers can browse in peace.

Additionally, a Deloitte survey found that 39% of streamers cancelled at least one streaming service within the last six months.

Where did the “dream” of streaming go?

Streaming has turned into a nightmare for the average consumer.

Decision Fatigue Psychology 101

Ok but…

Why does more choice make everything worse?

It has to do with how our brains work.

Every decision we make robs us of a finite amount of willpower. Add thousands of shows spread out over multiple streaming platforms. Pretty soon our brains say “forget this.”

Enter decision fatigue.

Psychologists discovered decision fatigue while studying how supermarkets controlled consumer choice. Strategies like these grocery store tricks became proven tactics to create subtle anxiety and get customers to buy more.

Streaming companies have applied these same tactics…twisted them into something toxic.

When decision fatigue sets in:

• Viewers get overwhelmed trying to find what they want
• Feel anxious about picking “wrong”
• Feel unsatisfied after making a choice
• Simply watch nothing at all

It’s decision paralysis on steroids.

Too many choices make us stressful and insecure about the decisions we make.

Deciding what to watch shouldn’t be stressful.

And it used to feel that way…not so long ago.

Americans now spend an average of 16 minutes every day just trying to decide what to watch. Let that sink in.

You spend more time choosing what to binge than you do actually bingeing.

Too Many Streaming Services Is Hurting Consumers

How many streaming services do you subscribe to?

The average home now subscribes to 3.73 streaming services.

Each service has different navigation systems, exclusive shows only available on that platform, and entertainment suggestions based on an algorithm that knows you better than yourself. Trying to stay on top of what’s worth watching is a job.

You know when that new hit series everyone is talking about drops?

You gotta hope your streaming service has it. Then hope it’s within your budget.

Several issues come from this insanity:

You have to hunt down content.

Content is constantly migrating from service to service. You start watching a series on one platform, but by next season it moves to another. Keeping up requires setting alerts for your favorite shows.

Algorithm suggestions don’t work.

You only get suggestions from shows that platform thinks you’ll like. You have no idea what else is out there that you may enjoy.

All of your subscriptions start to add up.

If you want access to everything you have to subscribe to every service. You’ll go months without using half of them.

Good content is overlooked.

There is so much content being pumped through these platforms that good stuff gets lost. Shows and movies that could be binge-worthy never make your playlist because the algorithm “thinks” you won’t like it.

Streaming was supposed to eliminate cord-cutting to expensive cable packages. Now we’re right back where we started.

Shelling out loads of money each month for a handful of services that we spend way too much time browsing through.

Something has gone terribly wrong with modern day entertainment.

Strategies To Help You Stop The Scroll

The key to winning the battle against decision paralysis? Changing your mindset.

Let go of the need to find something perfect and embrace rules that prevent you from browsing forever.

Below are a few tips that have worked for me:

Decide how long you’ll give yourself to browse content

I set a 5 minute window when trying to find something to watch. If I don’t decide by then I pick the best movie or series I see and commit.

No going back and second guessing yourself.

Seek Recommendations Elsewhere

Relying on algorithms to give you watching suggestions is boring at best. Ask your friend if they’ve seen anything good lately. Look up movie reviews online. Allow others to do the browsing for you.

Limit yourself to a few services each month

Rather than subscribe to every platform out there. Choose 1-2 services each month and watch everything you want on those. Once you’re ready, rotate to the next service.

Not only will you save money. But you’ll drastically reduce the amount of entertainment options you have to choose from.

Create A Weekly Watchlist

As you hear about new movies or shows throughout the week. Drop them in a watchlist. When you’re ready to watch something, your decision has already been made.

Simply choose from your watchlist.

Something good is better than nothing

Sure we all want to watch that new blockbuster movie that just dropped. Or watch the very latest hit series. But if you’re wasting hours browsing through entertainment options…you’re losing.

Remember

Watching something mediocre for 2 hours is better than browsing for 2 hours and watching nothing.

Conclusion

We’ve all felt it.

Streaming services have left us stuck in analysis paralysis and it needs to stop.

Scrolling through streaming platforms for hours on end is frustrating, stressful, and watching doesn’t feel enjoyable anymore. At some point deciding what to watch took away from the actual act of watching. When did we let this happen?

Here’s how to fight back:

Limit your browsing time. Seek recommendations from outside sources. Accept that “good enough” is good enough. Stop jumping from service to service.

Until streaming platforms figure out how to combat choice overload, it’s up to us to change how we view entertainment.

Stop scrolling and start watching something.

You’ll probably find something great in the first five minutes.