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I used to be Netflix’s ideal viewer: the type who bought into the hype, tracked the trailers, and streamed a new release on day one. I would wax lyrical about a show on social media and blitz through the episodes just to avoid spoilers. I was the quintessential early adopter, a viewer who helped generate buzz and served as a massive tick on a corporate engagement metric.But no more.Now, I refuse to watch shows the moment they drop. Instead, I opt to wait for a formal renewal before watching even a single minute of the first episode. Cynical? Perhaps. But I am simply sick of getting burned by an industry that treats its audience as mere data points on a spreadsheet.Why should I invest my time and energy into a new series that might vanish after one season? Why willingly invest in a story destined to have a beginning and a middle, but no end? I choose to do neither. Instead, I sit tight, ignore the hype machine and take a more measured approach to my viewing habits.This shift boils down to two main reasons.1. I no longer trust that a show won’t get canceledStreaming services have trained me to expect betrayal. In television, few things are more frustrating than learning your favorite show — one you’ve invested weeks, months, or even years into — has been axed with zero warning or explanation. It recently happened with "The Boroughs," the elder sci-fi drama that Netflix canceled after just one season, despite it hitting No. 1.
