👀 Streaming content is deliberately being designed for people who can’t stop scrolling. We’ve all been there: halfway through a Netflix series, phone in hand, only vaguely aware of what’s happening on screen. Perhaps you’re scrolling through Instagram, doomscrolling on Twitter, responding to messages, or shopping online… and Netflix knows you’re not watching. In fact, the streaming giant appears to be actively designing content around this behavior.

You’re not alone: According to a 2023 YouGov study, 91% of US consumers at least sometimes look at their phones while watching TV. In markets like the UAE, India, and Australia, over half admit that they engage in what the industry calls “second-screen viewing” — watching TV while simultaneously using another device. But what’s particularly revealing about recent data is that it isn't just a generational issue. While 18-34 year olds in some parts of the world have the highest rate of frequent phone use during TV time, in others it’s the 35-54 age group leading the charge.

The streaming giant hasn’t just noticed this trend — it’s reportedly optimizing for it. Literary culture magazine n+1 recently published a deep dive revealing that Netflix executives have been giving screenwriters a specific directive: “Have this character announce what they’re doing so that viewers who have this program on in the background can follow along.” The result? Dialogue this, from Lindsay Lohan’s Irish Wish: “We spent a day together. I admit it was a beautiful day filled with dramatic vistas and romantic rain, but that doesn’t give you the right to question my life choices. Tomorrow I’m marrying Paul Kennedy.”

“And that’s what you missed on…” This isn’t subtle exposition — it’s characters literally summarizing their recent experiences and future plans as if narrating a recap. While some might dismiss this as lazy or bad writing, multiple sources suggest that it’s part of a deliberate strategy. Actor and director Justine Bateman claimed in 2023 that showrunners have been given notes from streamers that content “isn’t second screen enough.” More recently, Stranger Things actor David Harbour discussed the phenomenon on BBC’s Miss Me podcast, noting that studios are “asking for ideas that people will kind of ignore so they can be on their phone.”

The question isn’t necessarily whether casual viewing content should exist — there’s arguably a place for both demanding prestige television and easily digestible background entertainment. “There’s comfort in having a familiar show or movie on in the background that your attention can dip in and out of,” writer James Hamilton told The Guardian. “It’d be ludicrous to expect anything to demand everyone’s complete, rapt attention. But none of that means people simply cannot pay attention, or that stories should be intentionally crafted for people who have the show on in the background.” The problem arises if every show had to obey second screen rules, which would then flip the question — not to whether we can focus, but to whether what’s being made is worth focusing on.

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