Why was it more fun to choose a video from Blockbuster than it is to scroll through Netflix?

[Sundaygirl01]

I just watched an episode of Derry Girls where the girls go to Blockbuster to choose a video and it reminded me how much I used to enjoy doing that back in the day. Sometimes I used to get 2 or 3 films, spend the whole day/night watching them and then post them back the next day.

Why is it that when I scroll through Netflix I can’t find anything I fancy?! It’s such a different experience and it is more convenient but just not so exciting.

Because you didn't do it multiple times every day from the comfort of your sofa/bed, it was an activity in itself to go and see. You didn't know what was going to be in there as there wasn't constant advertising from all directions. It also didn't just show you things you might be interested in based on previous habit.

It was the novelty of watching something different, now it's all available all the time it's not exciting, I used to love going to pick a video!

DH & I talk about this a lot as we used to love going to Blockbuster on a Friday night. I think it was the whole experience and the fact that you had to make a careful choice.

With Netflix, if you put something on and get bored you just pick something else. I have fond memories of us browsing together, bantering about which film we should choose and putting a lot of thought into it.

They also sold snacks, so again you’re enjoying looking around and choosing popcorn or Doritos etc.

It was just more of an experience. A ritual. You actively had to go and choose. Now it’s just a passive click of the button.

I completely agree, it's the same with browsing in a library or book store compared to looking on Amazon for Kindle books. It's not the same.

I don't think it's the novelty value either. I just think it's harder to see everything at once. In a bookshop or video shop you had the view of loads of shelves whereas on a screen you can see maybe 10-20 covers at once? And I never really know what the section I want is called, I just used to look at them and feel like ooh yes I want something like that. I don't have that on online stores.

And if you want to read the description you have to click on it and wait for it to load etc.

the same with browsing in a library or book store compared to looking on Amazon for Kindle books. It's not the same

I came on this thread to say exactly this. I love my kindle to the extent that I never read paper books anymore as it's easier to hold and I can read in bed without the light on, but I still go into bookshops and libraries for a browse and end up making a mental list of all the books I will buy on kindle.

I completely agree, it's the same with browsing in a library or book store compared to looking on Amazon for Kindle books. It's not the same.

Thirded.

It made it more of an event, didn’t it? We also used to go across the road to buy choc dips from Threshers to eat while watching the film.

I used to love going to the video shop!

I still love libraries, book shops and the DVD section of charity shops.

I gave up Netflix recently, I found the endless scrolling too tedious.

It's more scrolling.

You seem to scroll for everything now - clothes, gifts, holidays, insurance quotes you name it.

Used to make an event of it and the kids used to love charging around finding films.

And then there were the obligatory Maltesers.

😄

There’s too much choice on Netflix and Amazon, so you don’t spend as many minutes or even seconds becoming vested in this or that movie or book. You never discover enough about each offering to be able to weigh up the relative merits of all that’s available. It’s a skim across the surface, at best. It becomes a chore ensuring you’ve seen the entire variety and whittling down to a top 3 or whatever. When you scroll across a screen, the end is never in sight.

With Blockbuster and libraries/bookshops, you walk in and instantly you’re aware of the limits of the task of searching - there are four walls, the ends are a few steps away. It’s liberating. You can easily hone in on this or that wall, narrow down to whatever category you want, you can scan front covers and whittle down to a select few. You can pick things up. The entire process takes longer and it forces us to slow down. Looking at the choices on a screen is too quick and easy and superficial and consequently wholly unsatisfactory.

I disagree! I used to find it stressful — I’m a bit of a deliberator.

When I think of browsing at the video store my main memory is of needing the loo, which I think was a stress response brought on by choice overwhelm 😆

Now I very rarely have time to watch anything so when I do, I still make a careful choice but the pressure is off.

Yes I love a book shop too! Much prefer looking at real books than scrolling.

I think it was the whole "expedition" element that made a trip to Blockbuster fun. And not knowing if they'd have the video you wanted in stock, also having to stick with your choice once home.