I mean, sure, it makes sense that you have convinced yourself you are a fundamentally anti-social person in this context, I get the feeling and vibes but I don’t buy it is actually true.
The reason movie theater ticket sales are going down is people are falling apart, it is pretty simple.
If you are burned out, watching a movie on your tv and not stressing out about driving to a movie theater and buying tickets and finding parking etc… is going to be much more attractive. That doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t much prefer to go out to the movie theater instead if you felt up for it.
I think you may be confusing your own joy at introversion with a wider process of the social fabric of society being torn apart here, most people do not just want to sit at home and be lonely, to such an extreme degree that if the process of going to the movies was easy and affordable and they had the energy just the idea of being in a room with other people excited about something is enough to tip the scales in favor of going out to the movies not even factoring in that the experience would do justice to their favorite thing 100 times better.
If people by and large do not desire that experience, and I can’t stress this enough, it isn’t because movie theaters are obsolete or people didn’t fundamentally desire to watch movies in big groups on awesome screens and sound systems, it is simply what the social fabric of society tearing apart looks like in the medium of cinema as people retreat from public spaces.
I want to be clear too, I am not throwing shade at you for preferring to watch movies alone at home, I am just saying that is not what the majority of humans want and indeed for most humans replacing group activities with watching movies alone is NOT an actual ful replacement for the activity. Maybe for you it is, and that is ok, but I am very skeptical most people feel the way you do even if the narrative you are conveying is a popular one in conversation about movie theaters.
Why are you equating a poor movie going experience with being antisocial and introverted? This resort to ad hominem is unnecessary just because we are having a discussion. I get plenty of regular social interaction, it just doesn’t involve theaters. They’re a pretty minimal interaction space, anyway, if you’re behaving as you should in that space. People can get out and enjoy each other’s company for cheaper and with a better overall experience in myriad ways. While I agree that there need to be more third spaces, the theater won’t be it, if for the expense alone. I remember a time when it was a good way to enjoy some A/C for a couple of hours for relatively cheap. It’ll cost $20+ just for the ticket to sit in a dirty chair.
The tickets don’t need to be that expensive, movie theaters are the cheapest group human experience possible since all you are doing is providing a room, electricity and a movie. If you don’t count the human labor, I guessss live theater or standup comedy is cheaper?
Every other type of entertainment including serving alcohol or food to people is actually much much more complicated and costly.
People, including introverts, desire being around humans and experiencing genuine human group interaction even if it isn’t direct. People often describe it as people watching or going out to dinner alone, don’t make the mistake of people only desiring one kind of direct connection with socialization.
A movie provides a context for people to come together and it is a very open and inviting context that doesn’t pressure you into uncomfortable situations while still letting you experience something together with other people, that hasn’t changed.
The major thing that has changed is again, people are falling apart and so have cut out going to the movies.
How can I enjoy company with my friends more than seeing a movie we were both hyped for in theaters and hollering or gasping along with the rest of the crowd? If I am into movies, that is like the prime movie experience, and newsflash a WHOLE LOT of people are into movies.
I mean, sure, it makes sense that you have convinced yourself you are a fundamentally anti-social person in this context, I get the feeling and vibes but I don’t buy it is actually true.
The reason movie theater ticket sales are going down is people are falling apart, it is pretty simple.
If you are burned out, watching a movie on your tv and not stressing out about driving to a movie theater and buying tickets and finding parking etc… is going to be much more attractive. That doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t much prefer to go out to the movie theater instead if you felt up for it.
I think you may be confusing your own joy at introversion with a wider process of the social fabric of society being torn apart here, most people do not just want to sit at home and be lonely, to such an extreme degree that if the process of going to the movies was easy and affordable and they had the energy just the idea of being in a room with other people excited about something is enough to tip the scales in favor of going out to the movies not even factoring in that the experience would do justice to their favorite thing 100 times better.
If people by and large do not desire that experience, and I can’t stress this enough, it isn’t because movie theaters are obsolete or people didn’t fundamentally desire to watch movies in big groups on awesome screens and sound systems, it is simply what the social fabric of society tearing apart looks like in the medium of cinema as people retreat from public spaces.
I want to be clear too, I am not throwing shade at you for preferring to watch movies alone at home, I am just saying that is not what the majority of humans want and indeed for most humans replacing group activities with watching movies alone is NOT an actual ful replacement for the activity. Maybe for you it is, and that is ok, but I am very skeptical most people feel the way you do even if the narrative you are conveying is a popular one in conversation about movie theaters.
Why are you equating a poor movie going experience with being antisocial and introverted? This resort to ad hominem is unnecessary just because we are having a discussion. I get plenty of regular social interaction, it just doesn’t involve theaters. They’re a pretty minimal interaction space, anyway, if you’re behaving as you should in that space. People can get out and enjoy each other’s company for cheaper and with a better overall experience in myriad ways. While I agree that there need to be more third spaces, the theater won’t be it, if for the expense alone. I remember a time when it was a good way to enjoy some A/C for a couple of hours for relatively cheap. It’ll cost $20+ just for the ticket to sit in a dirty chair.
The tickets don’t need to be that expensive, movie theaters are the cheapest group human experience possible since all you are doing is providing a room, electricity and a movie. If you don’t count the human labor, I guessss live theater or standup comedy is cheaper?
Every other type of entertainment including serving alcohol or food to people is actually much much more complicated and costly.
People, including introverts, desire being around humans and experiencing genuine human group interaction even if it isn’t direct. People often describe it as people watching or going out to dinner alone, don’t make the mistake of people only desiring one kind of direct connection with socialization.
A movie provides a context for people to come together and it is a very open and inviting context that doesn’t pressure you into uncomfortable situations while still letting you experience something together with other people, that hasn’t changed.
The major thing that has changed is again, people are falling apart and so have cut out going to the movies.
How can I enjoy company with my friends more than seeing a movie we were both hyped for in theaters and hollering or gasping along with the rest of the crowd? If I am into movies, that is like the prime movie experience, and newsflash a WHOLE LOT of people are into movies.