Clicker Social Enables TV Addiction
TV binges sometimes happen alone, but friends' viewing habits can be the force behind them. istockphoto.com hide caption
I love TV, and peer pressure has helped me justify more than a few binges. So I was happy to see that Clicker has added a social element to its arsenal. It takes ideas from Facebook, Twitter and foursquare, allowing users to share what they are watching and where it can be found online.
For the unfamiliar, Clicker is like TV Guide for the online watcher. Although it looks like Hulu, Clicker doesn’t actually host videos. Instead, it's a kind of aggregator that provides well-organized links to around 650,000 episodes and 30,000 films, giving you multiple options of where to watch. Most of the videos come from standbys like Amazon, iTunes or Hulu, but it’s also pointed me to online content I hadn’t known about. For instance, I discovered free episodes of Seinfeld over at TBS.com.
Now with Clicker Social, you’re asked to proclaim just how deep your TV addiction goes.
I’ve signed up for a profile, though my binges tend to be quiet affairs. I might be like the majority of Twitter users and remain silent, not sharing my TV viewing habits with the community. Part of me just wants an excuse to watch more than I should.
So far, there isn't much temptation to be had. I haven’t found anyone I know, and seeing what strangers are watching hasn’t influenced me yet. But I'm aware that my history puts me at risk. I once got through a season of Dexter in just a few days, partly because a friend had just done so. If my friends start signing up for Clicker Social, my productivity could be in serious trouble.