You know when something miniscule grinds your gears? When something that has no real importance in the grand scheme of things? Like, of course an increase in unhoused youth is infuriating, but so is when they forget to give you a straw when you order at a drive-thru. They are not similar in any way, but they still create an abundance of internal anger. Currently, I am becoming increasingly angry at Disney+ in this exact way.
Now, I am aware that Disney+ remains on eggshells with the increasing removal of projects from the streaming service. Not to play devil’s advocate, but I keep thinking about smaller shows that would air on networks or cable back in the day that still have yet to receive DVD releases. There is precedent for this stuff, as infuriating as it may be. Yet, my main annoyance Disney+ is far more juvenile than artists’ works being unviewable.
The Disney+ and Hulu merger has seemingly been successful. Having a treasure trove of programming in the same place was initially overwhelming, but I’ve grown to appreciate the never-ending list of things at my fingertips. As one of the laziest people ever alive, not having to switch between apps has become quite wonderful. I can catch the newest episode of High Potential and my eleventh rewatch of Wish in the same place. What a gift to be alive!
When it comes to TV shows, having the “Continue Watching” tab available is always a treat. If I forgot I paused a movie or if I want to jump right back into a show I’ve long neglected, the tab is available to help me. Yet, when users might try on a new show for size or decide on giving up mid-movie, a mess is created. The “Continue Watching” tab sits there, hauntingly mimicking the user as if to say “You’re never done!”, just like Ghostface continues to mock Sidney Prescott.
“Continue Watching” has become commonplace among all major streamers in the digital landscape. It becomes a stepping off point for those looking for something to turn on and an essential tool in letting users figure out where they left off. If it wasn’t for “Continue Watching”, I likely would have rewatched the same episode of Grey’s Anatomy incessantly completely on accident.
However, sometimes I don’t want to finish a ding-dang show. Or maybe I just wanted a “sneak peek” to see if I’d enjoy something and realized, quite quickly, it wasn’t for me. In a few key instances, I didn’t watch enough of the credits to warrant the removal of the program. So, they sit. And they dirty up my feed. It feels as though I’m a digital hoarder, trying to log all of my viewed programs. What is the purpose? Why create more clutter where there doesn’t need to be?
In the same way all streamers carry a “Continue Watching” tab, every other major platform also includes the option to delete a series from the list. Gosh darn it, I’m sick of this season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars. I watched all of Will & Harper, I don’t need to see the credits. Heck, I clicked something accidentally three months ago, get it away from me!
Yet, Disney+ doesn’t have that feature. Instead, I must have The Mandalorian S3E4 look me in the eye every day I log in. When I boot up my TV to start watching, I know that the poster for Becoming Karl Lagerfeld will stare me down because I quickly realized it wasn’t for me. Why must they sit there, sadly hoping to be clicked?
I once read an article (I don’t have a bibliography attached, so don’t get your hopes up.) that mentioned unread emails are not eco-friendly. The more unread or unnecessary files that are sitting in an inbox, the more server space that’s needed, which means more energy and land being used. From the moment I read that, I have been adamant about deleting emails with the swiftness of a SWAT member. So, not to pull the “Disney+ is killing the environment card”, but I can’t imagine having a “Continue Watching” tab filled with gobbledegook is doing any favors for our dying planet.
For the sake of cleanliness, my sanity, and the whales: Disney+, please let us delete items from our “Continue Watching” tab.