How attentive are you when you're watching something?

[fimdash 1,196]

Hey all, I was just wondering how much attention you pay when you're watching a movie or a TV show. I usually pay pretty close attention, and I'll see other people who constantly walk away from the screen or text their friends while watching something. It surprises me because I feel like you're not truly watching if you're constantly being distracted and doing other things while watching. It takes away from the viewing experience, and it makes it hard to get a good sense of the narrative. So yeah, let me know how much attention you guys pay when watching something.

[Pinkie D Pie 1,036]

It all depends on what I'm watching. Like when I'm on a computer I'm usually not really paying attention to whatever is on TV. However I pay very close attention to movies, especially those based off of books, so I can compare the two and see how different they really are.

[Nerdy Luigi 2,065]

I don't pay too much attention, but It's still like I'm actually there. 

Like, not mentally there, but physically there. Pretty much, like I'm the camera-person.

[Dr. Eggnog 203]

I pay close attention.

 

It's a pet peeve of mine when I see people have something on and they're doing other things while watching, and they'll say "it's alright, I won't get lost or miss anything important".  Where's the guarantee that the most important parts of the story are the ones you'll enjoy the most?  I don't think it's worth having something on if you're not going to pay attention throughout.  I also don't like it when people leave the TV on just to have something on in the background.  Not really a big deal, it just bugs me.

[repsol rave 2,963]

usually when i watch a movie i just turn it on and watch, but when a friend texts me i'll text back. i don't think it takes away from the experience a whole lot and i find it pretty selfish to ignore a friend because i'm watching a movie

[fimdash 1,196]

I pay close attention.

 

It's a pet peeve of mine when I see people have something on and they're doing other things while watching, and they'll say "it's alright, I won't get lost or miss anything important".  Where's the guarantee that the most important parts of the story are the ones you'll enjoy the most?  I don't think it's worth having something on if you're not going to pay attention throughout.  I also don't like it when people leave the TV on just to have something on in the background.  Not really a big deal, it just bugs me.

Dude, same here man. It also bugs me when I'm showing a friend a movie that I love, and he's just on his phone almost the entire time. I'll then ask him what he thought about certain scenes and he'll barely be able to answer my questions. It's a shame

[Soundgarden 2,758]

If I'm watching something on my computer, I get distracted very easily. I usually do quick alt tabs every few minutes to check if I got any notifications. I can't help it :S

[DITR 180]

I pay very close attention. It annoys me when I see me dad and my step-mom turn on the T.V just too ignore it. They tell me they do it because they don't like it when there's no noise in the background, or something like that

[Lume WMj 228]

Not very much, to be honest... I'm easily distracted by most things - especially by my own thoughts.

 

When I'm watching a movie on the computer, for example, I often have to go back to a certain part and watch it at least twice because I was thoughtful about something else and completely drifted away from the immersion... The same thing happens when someone enters the room or the phone starts ringing: I completely lose focus. :c

[Moonlight 7,286]

Depends on what the TV Show or movie is. I never use a show for background noise, so I'll probably be paying close attention. If it's interesting, I'll watch; if not, I'll still watch but I'll stare boringly at it.

[nanobyte 27]

depends on what it is, if i really like it and enjoy it, then hell yeah i'm glued to that screen like white on rice.

however, if i'm not really enjoying it and using it as a time waster, then i'll probably get distracted.

[-BleachedOne- 233]

I'd say I'm more in the "pretty close" category at this point. It honestly depends on what it is, though it's becoming more universal for me. For example, I've been watching Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ for the past month or two, and because it's subbed, I have to force myself to pay attention to the subs AND what they're doing, or I lose track of what's going on. I've found myself paying more attention to the audio as well, especially in most of the English dubbed series I watch.

 

...on that note, I do believe Gundam ZZ is teaching me Japanese, bit by bit. *blink*

[Quilava 1,290]

  If it's a "new" movie, then I pay pretty close attention to it (for at least 2-3 viewings), if it's one I've watched multiple times, then I'll just have playing in the background. TV Shows, even if it's something I have yet to watch (new ep/show), I tend to just watch from my peripheral vision. Since I very rarely use my TV as an actual TV to watch shows (unless I'm laying down to go to sleep, that's really the only time I use it as a tv, rest of the time it's a monitor), I like to multi-task even when watching shows.

[Wonderbolt_Spitfire 235]

It depends on the the show for me If I'm watching something new like Dr Who or another series I've never seen then I usually watch without looking away. If its something like MLP then I will occasionally look away when I know nothing funny is going to happen.

[wcgunmaxp 6]

i never pay much attention to most television shows around here. news is scary, someone dies, traffic, weather, etc. i mostly pay attention to cartoon movies and tv shows. especially the anime series. if it's good, i'll watch it. 

[Scootalove 10,689]

It depends but, if it is a movie or a TV show I will definitely pay attention to it but not the news. Basically, I watch a movie or show more than the news.

[Zygen 6,066]

It sorta depends on how interesting what I'm watching is, where I'm watching it and stuff like that.

 

If its a really interesting movie or whatever, then I pay pretty close attention(I don't think I can always pay attention to it or anything.)

 

If its nothing that good of a movie, I'll probably be kinda distracted easily.

 

Also if I'm watching something on my computer I tend to check something else occasionally while watching it. So I'm a bit less attentive on here when watching things. Depends though, I try to be attentive. 

[Skye42 59]

Really depens on what I'm watching. I don't watch much tv, cause I have the internet to look up animes and mlp. But if (on the rare occasion) somethings good to watch, I'll watch it without looking away. But I end up using my laptop in the end cause of how I couldn't hear it. =P (I have a big living room, so it's hard to hear with little speakers on the tv. And I don't want to get god damn loud speakers. They're too big and heavy. >_<)

[Lunas Husband 2,777]

If its MLP... yeah I don't look away and its like the world is dead to me.. noting matters other then MLP... sure I have seen all the seasons 33 times in a row... I don't care....

 

But if its anything other then MLP its like ahh I'll look away and do other things.

[RustyChevy 37]

Depends what I'm watching - if it's something I'm seeing for the first time it gets my undivided attention, but if I'm re-watching a movie or something that I've seen several times I'll usually also have a book or the laptop.

 

If I'm watching anything at all with certain friends of mine all bets are off, it's MST3K city.

[Sugar Cube 4,843]

I have a pretty short attention span, so unless it's something that I absolutely love watching like MLP, chances are that I'll start daydreaming the very second the show loses my interest. I often have a difficult time understanding the story and what's going on as a result. It's frustrating at times, because if the show manages to grab my interest again, I'll be clueless about prior events, meaning I'll have to go back and watch whatever I didn't fully grasp. That's what happens when you're space cadet.

[ChoroChii 284]

I'm always on my laptop while watching TV, so it really depends on what I'm doing or watching and how many times I've seen it.

I multitask, so I'm probably also doing something else during episodes I've seen multiple times.

[Sweet Dreams 1,893]

Usually I'm just playing my ipad while I watch tv. But if it's Breaking Bad or MLP, or something I haven't seen before, I pay more attention.

~Sweet Dreams

[MichaelxXxTrixie 433]

If I am watching something that I'm enjoying I pay ultra close attention to it, I tend to watch shows alone a lot because I can't stand everyone else paying ill-attention to what I'm watching.

[Raritas 6,820]

Similar with me, it depends on what I am watching. If it's Youtube, I can usually do other stuff while watching it. But if it's a TV program, like The Walking Dead or MLP for example, I completely zone out at times and focus on the program. I don't feel the need to do anything else while watching TV programs like that. Time flies anyway. I can watch certain shows no stop and then realise 3 hours have pasted.

Edited November 4, 2013 by Raritas