The aforementioned phrase refers to the disruption of viewing content on a particular streaming platform. This interruption manifests as a pause in the programmed show or film, often accompanied by a notification or query, such as “Are you still watching?”. This mechanism is triggered after a sustained period of inactivity, designed to conserve bandwidth and resources. An example would be pausing a show on the platform for 2 hours with no interaction prompting the “Are you still watching?” screen.
The practice serves multiple purposes. Resource allocation is optimized, preventing unnecessary strain on servers by ending inactive streams. Data consumption is reduced for the user, particularly relevant for those with limited bandwidth or data plans. From a historical perspective, this functionality arose as streaming services matured, facing increased demand and the need for efficient infrastructure management to maintain quality of service for all subscribers.