It’s Time to Clear Out Your Streaming Watchlists
Have you ever come across a show and thought, “I have to add this to my list,” just to find out it’s already there? With so much content, it’s easy to create a lot of subtle clutter. (If on average a person has 82.7 websites bookmarked , imagine what our watchlists look like.) Here’s how to reset your list and find the shows you’ll actually watch in 2021.
Evaluate your watchlists
There were over 150 ads on my Netflix watchlist at one time. Some programs even appeared more than once – thanks to a separate season or addition to the collection – and I found myself sorry to leave the ones I never watched. It was like digital accumulation.
Excessive programming on your watchlist distracts attention from the show you really want to watch, so take Mari Kondo’s approach and apply it to your streaming life: if the idea of watching a show no longer brings you joy, it’s time to take it away. from your list. Here are some simple steps:
- Review all programs on your watchlist.
- Delete shows and movies that you don’t like.
- Organize your list if possible (for example, Prime Video lets you customize sorting ).
- Keep organized by deleting content as you browse.
Don’t add to your list until you remove something first
Streaming platforms have a suggestion feature based on your previously viewed programs. Most of them have several options – for example, “because you watched” and “you might like” – which are good, but can provoke your addiction to keeping the show. (For example, I used to add programs to my list and very rarely return to them.) Select a day once or twice a month to clear your watchlist before adding anything new.
Delete the shows you’ve already watched
I finished Netflix’s Royal Gambit a month ago, but it still sits at the top of my watchlist. However, there is no reason to keep watched shows, so just get rid of them. Hulu makes it easy to clean up, for example, by simply removing the option to press the play button on shows that are no longer available. When I select Epic Conversations from my list, Hulu displays the show description without a play button, which means I must delete it along with any other shows without a play option. Be careful though, as it could be a device or show issue on hiatus , so don’t use it as a perfect guide for what to remove from your list.
Be sure to watch the shows from your list
Think about the number of times you’ve heard “you saw” or “you need to see” —it’s natural to add these things to your watchlist to put them off until later. But the next step is more important: you have to really watch it . Instead of going through the platform’s recommendation section, if you have a complete watchlist, always choose the one you’ve previously saved. This way, you will always watch what you wanted to see (or at least a previous version of what you wanted to see, with good intentions, sometime). Once you’re done, remove it from your list. It’s time to move on and keep your watchlist clean.