We are all watching a different show these days. However, whether it’s scripted or not, when the opening credits start, most of us click that little icon at the bottom right of the screen that says Skip Intro. Maybe we’re ready to move on with the story. Maybe it is boredom or too much expectation that makes waiting unpleasant. Or maybe we’re eating and can’t watch titles three times in one sitting. In any case, the phenomenon of credit evasion is very recent thanks to Big Tech’s prominent role in show business. A recent article in Economist reported that the trend started when Netflix noticed that its viewers were speeding through the opening credits, so in the spirit of making customers happy, they added the feature. Now it is spread everywhere.
But it comes at a price. As Economist noted that the intro creates a mood and awakens the themes of the show. It also creates a barrier between our busy lives and those that wash over us from the screen. Pushing a button robs us of this experience and the opportunity to slow down the pace of life. As a devoted film and television fan, I find the opening to be just that; but, as a person who also see-watch, I understand why we skip the introduction.
As a therapist, the article is called attention to other behaviors I observe in myself and others: avoidance of unpleasant experiences, be it boredom, anticipation, or distraction from other unpleasant emotions we are unaware of or unable to attend to. This avoidance of experience is the act of resolutely stifling, ignoring, or withdrawing from events occurring within or outside of us.
Of course, going from a two-minute intro to a TV show by skipping a social event because fear being judged by others smoking weed to ward off the grief of loss or binge-watching Netflix to relieve boredom or solitude. However, by focusing on Skip Intro as the key to bypassing the experience, we get a subtle opportunity for practice. awarenesswhich is simply awareness without judgment combined with acceptance of what is happening without trying to push or change it.
Clients aren’t the only ones who engage in experiential avoidance—clinicians do too, because we’re human too: it’s natural to move toward pleasure and away from discomfort. However, just because this does not naturally develop or evolve to us, and a brief introduction can be an opportunity to gain a percentage in the skills of tolerance, vigilance and self-control. Everything in our world is in a state of flux, whether it’s our job, our age, or even our hourly mood and energy levels. Our well-being depends on our ability to be open to, aware of, and engaged with this reality. Our awareness of what is coming up provides a window for flexibility, adaptation, and ultimately growth.
Consider that for most of us in the West, access to food is easier than in human history, so obesity is the problem, not hunger. Our devices are designed in such a way that a simple click leads to the quick delivery of toilet paper and the goods we need. Our diminished role in producing the necessities of life robs us of our connection to meaning and purpose. In addition to setting the mood, the credits remind us that it takes a small town of people to create our shows—no job.
We’re lucky to be so comfortable, but we’ve also prepared ourselves to make unpleasant experiences a click away. However, just like trying to push a ball under water in a pool, trouble returns. These feelings can be useful – being open to communicating with them can lead to new insights and motivation. So, when we can avoid our unpleasant feelings and difficulties, we also miss opportunities for growth and meaning.
So it’s good to take a minute to slow things down. Try it yourself. See what it’s like to experience your life, whether that car is running quietly, resisting the urge to check your phone, or passively watching TV, sitting through the introduction. How does it change your perspective on observing hate? What arises or dissolves when you observe without judgment? And how does your experience of the show change now that you’re immersed in its world and your own?
