When you hear the word “spoiler” you may still think of that wing-shaped part on the back of some cars, but over the last several years the word has taken on a whole new meaning in the entertainment industry. As technology advances, we now have the ability to find out practically the entire plot of any book, movie or television show right from our phones before we even see it. It is almost impossible to visit a website like Entertainment Weekly or Buzzfeed without seeing an article with the words “spoiler alert” above them in regards to a hit show or popular movie.

Now that the random girl from your biology class can spoil that one big plot twist for you in her Facebook status, it’s almost as if there needs to be a set of rules on when it’s okay to let those big plot twists slip. If your friend doesn’t know by now that Bruce Wills was dead the whole time, then they are probably a lost cause, but spoiling the ending the last episode of “The Walking Dead” is down right cruel.

However, there are now entire websites like spoilertv.com devoted to spilling secrets from the upcoming episode of your favorite show or showing off photos from the set of a big blockbuster film that may just give away the entire plot. Why are we so eager to be spoiled? I mean the word “spoiled” means “to ruin or diminish the value of something,” so we are essentially lessening the impact of the story that has been created for us.

It may be that spoiler fanatics just simply like being one of the first people to know what happens, but it seems as if far too many fans are too impatient or even lazy to wait to sit through five seasons of a show or maybe even just two hours of a movie for the pay off.

Despite the outcry from many fans over the ending of “How I Met Your Mother,” I found myself pleased with the comedy’s series finale for the pure fact that after nine seasons and more than a few crazy and some actually dead-on fan theories, the shows creator’s managed to shock viewers with a scene that they shot over 8 years ago. That is a pretty impressive feat for a show to pull off.

Though reading the Sparknotes of all those classic novels may have helped you pass your 10th grade English class, actually reading the latest book series the old fashion way or sticking it out till the every last episode of that show without giving in to those tempting spoiler warnings is always the way to go.