That’s good news for theaters still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and other industry disruptions. A new study from UCLA found that teenagers’ favorite thing to do is go to the movies.
The latest edition of the university’s Teens and Screens report, which surveyed 1,500 young people aged 10 to 24 across the United States, found out whether cost, transportation or other barriers exist. However, they identified going to the movies on the opening weekend as the most preferred pastime of adolescents. is excluded from the equation.
For this age group, watching movies ranks higher than watching sports, playing video games, streaming movies and TV shows on personal devices, and other forms of entertainment.
However, when cost and other barriers are taken into account, 39.2% of teens prefer playing video games as their preferred activity over watching TV or movies (33.3%) or scrolling through social media (27.5%). Selected.
“The conventional wisdom is that all they care about is social media and YouTube and streaming and binge drinking, and the movie business is dead,” said Yalda Uhls, executive director of UCLA’s Center for Scholars and Storytellers. says.
“I used to buy into the theory that kids aren’t that interested in movies, but the truth is, if you ask them, they really do care.”
Cinemas need as much youthful enthusiasm as possible. Box office ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada are down 11% from a year ago and remain well below pre-pandemic levels, according to ComScore.
Wools, a former film executive, said movie studios tend to ignore the teenage demographic, and that to effectively tap that market, they need to approach young people from a variety of backgrounds and learn about their habits and preferences. He said we need to do a better job of incorporating them. account.
“Do your research,” Uhls said. “If you’re creating content for teens, think about the lived experiences of all teens.”
So what do teenagers want to see on screen?
According to a UCLA report, 36.2% of adolescents prefer fantasy over other genres. 63.5% prioritize stories about friendship and platonic relationships over romance. Additionally, 62.4% believe that sex scenes are not necessary to advance the plot of a TV show or movie. (Only survey participants over the age of 14 were asked their opinion about sex on screen.)
Each of these totals represented a significant increase (at least 39%) compared to last year’s survey.
Meanwhile, only 7.2% of young people enjoyed movies and TV shows about the rich and famous. Meanwhile, 13.9% said they would like to watch movies or series that tackle real-life issues that affect society.
As information about mass shootings, climate change, injustice, politics, war and other real-world issues dominates the news and social media, children need a place to escape, Uhls said. And not just in the form of superhero movies.
“We feel like that’s all we can give them,” Uhls said. “They want to see a broader array.”
On the exhibition side, theaters can attract more teens by offering event screenings, for example by encouraging patrons to attend shows in costume, and by offering group discounts for young people. Uhls said it can attract a lot of people.
“It’s the quintessential movie experience,” Uhls added. “They all love it, just like I did when I was a kid…and if you give it to them, they will come.”
