Class Discussion: Why Do We Still Go To the Movies?

At the beginning of the 2nd 6 weeks we talked about movie theaters and how they were a large part of American culture. Even though they were very popular in1945 when theaters would sell 90 million tickets per week, now they just seem like a waste of money due to all of the modern technologies we have at home like DVDs, on-demand, internet streaming, and cable/satellite TV, so why are movie theaters still a large part of todays culture?

During Mr. Millers lecture we learned that one reason movie theaters are still popular is that it’s a social event. Kids go to the movies to hangout with their friends and to be around other people. Going to the movies is a way to get out of the house, and to hangout with your friends without your parents being around. Another reason is our cultural need to be first. When a movie comes out it goes to the theaters months before its available on DVD, online, or on-demand. We like to be first, so when a movie comes out we feel the need to see it as soon as possible. Another reason is the technology of the theaters. Because people have access to all of this modern technology at home, theaters are adding things that you can't get at home so you'll still want to come to the movies. Theaters have HD screens that completely fill your vision, along with high quality pictures and sound that you just can't get at home.

After discussing this class I realized that these are the exact reasons that I go to the movies. It’s amazing to me that so many people don’t realize why we are usually drawn to movie theaters.