Netflix's persistent 'Are you still watching?' message interrupts binge-watching sessions after roughly three episodes or 90 minutes of continuous viewing. The prompt appears when viewers haven't interacted with playback controls, creating an awkward pause during marathons of shows like Love On The Spectrum or The Great British Bakeoff.

The company isn't trying to shame subscribers for their viewing habits. Netflix cites two practical reasons: preventing viewers from losing their place in series and conserving internet data when people fall asleep during streaming. This data-saving measure reflects bandwidth concerns, especially during peak usage periods.

Disabling the feature requires adjusting your account settings. Navigate to your profile's 'Playback settings' tab under Preferences and toggle off 'Autoplay next episode.' Mobile users can access the same option through the 'My Netflix' tab and 'manage profiles' section.

Once autoplay is disabled, Netflix stops automatically queuing subsequent episodes, eliminating the judgmental interruption entirely. You'll need to manually select the next episode, but at least you won't face passive-aggressive reminders about your viewing choices.