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May. 2nd, 2012
Spoilers are still not good
May. 2nd, 2012 07:29 pmScientists investigate spoilers, find that -- SPOILER ALERT -- people who are spoiled have more fun!
I think this is possibly true in the context they studied it in: a book no one cared about. In that case, the spoiler can intrigue you and change your reading experience so you can check and see if you can find the clues. That makes reading more engaging, and can maybe make you want to read something you weren't going to read.
But it's different when you're already engaged in something! When you've read six Harry Potter books, you don't want someone to tell you how the seventh ends when you're halfway through. You want to read it yourself, and it's ruining the experience if someone just tells you before you have the chance to.
So I think spoilers are probably still bad, unless used as a teaser.
An interesting spoiler for Game of Thrones when I'm not watching it, to get me hooked: Good!
Incautiously shouting spoilers for the upcoming episode of The Vampire Diaries before it airs in my timezone: NOT GOOD.
I think this is possibly true in the context they studied it in: a book no one cared about. In that case, the spoiler can intrigue you and change your reading experience so you can check and see if you can find the clues. That makes reading more engaging, and can maybe make you want to read something you weren't going to read.
But it's different when you're already engaged in something! When you've read six Harry Potter books, you don't want someone to tell you how the seventh ends when you're halfway through. You want to read it yourself, and it's ruining the experience if someone just tells you before you have the chance to.
So I think spoilers are probably still bad, unless used as a teaser.
An interesting spoiler for Game of Thrones when I'm not watching it, to get me hooked: Good!
Incautiously shouting spoilers for the upcoming episode of The Vampire Diaries before it airs in my timezone: NOT GOOD.