4 ms·

For younger people, restaurants have taken budget away from movies and clothes. Wages aren't a factor. It's true that movie prices have increased, but it's not

For younger people, restaurants have taken budget away from movies and clothes. Wages aren't a factor. It's true that movie prices have increased, but it's not a significant rate of inflation compared to food.

TheAdamAndChe 10y ago
That's an interesting idea. Do you have any data on this? I could believe that some money that would have previously gone to movies is now going to food, but I find it hard to believe that lower inflation adjusted income wouldn't impact movie sales.
- 1123581321 10y ago
  Sure, there are lots of links on Google. Here's one about teens showing restaurant spending increasing significantly and media spending (and some others dropping): http://www.businessinsider.com/how-teens-are-spending-money-2014-2014-10 http://www.businessinsider.com/how-teens-are-spending-money-... This report suggests if wages are falling, the auto category is taking the most significant hit. Discretionary spending (both restaurants and movies) stays steady or increases (the PDF has much more detail): http://home.isr.umich.edu/releases/how-teen-workers-spend-their-money-um-study-shows-trends/ http://home.isr.umich.edu/releases/how-teen-workers-spend-th... This suggests the 2008 recession did change habits, but notes that movies are the only public/external recreation service that's suffered. It blames home viewing being a good enough cheap alternative: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/how-recession-changed-ways-americans-spend-money-n413386 http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/how-recession-change... So there are a few different slices that hopefully help isolate the problem for theaters that just as much or more is being spent on recreation, but it's being spent differently.
  - sogen 10y ago
    > home viewing being a good enough cheap alternative. So giving them a lot of options at home is killing going out to the movies? Makes sense. In the ol' days cable TV was like 6 channels. So kids HAD to go outside and do stuff (play).
tyingq 10y ago
What do teen kids even do these days? I'm older. We had skateboard parks, video arcades, roller skating, community centers, the mall, mini golf, go kart tracks, cheap movies, etc. I don't believe any of those are socially acceptable for teens now. These things are either gone, or only used by younger-than-teens. I guess they just hang out at each other's homes?
- throwaway9475 10y ago
  All of those things still exist (except cheap movies), and people still do them. I think you're just assuming that teenagers all did what you did and that teenagers now just do what all other teenagers do. But as it turns out, teenagers are people with vastly differing interests, and they don't all fit one mold.
  - tyingq 10y ago
    >All of those things still exist (except cheap movies), and people still do them. Yes and no. Video arcades, for example, are not ubiquitous the way they used to be. Similar for rolling skating rinks. > I think you're just assuming that teenagers all did what you did That's an odd takeaway. I'm noting, for example, roller skating was highly popular with teenagers. Maybe not all, but many. If you went to a roller skating rink on Friday night, it was filled with them. That's not the case now.
    - thesagan 10y ago
      I've been wondering the same thing. In my city the malls are not what they used to be, and I don't see the kids there much, now. We only have one roller skate rink left, and I haven't seen a busy parking lot in front for years. Arcades here are gone, and the theaters aren't as busy as they once were (I think... I rarely go anymore. I might be wrong, there.) Local skate park looks empty a lot, too. Yeah... where are they? Gaming indoors?
      - Animats 10y ago
        For some reason, downtown Redwood City, CA has a downtown that works. There's a big open plaza in front of the old courthouse, where the city sometimes shows free movies or has other events. There's a 20-theater multiplex. There's a theater that runs local productions of musicals ("The Producers" closes tomorrow) and cover bands for old rock groups. There's a little space that has jazz and blues. There's a live theater space which runs Asian productions. There's a nightclub. There are about a dozen modestly priced restaurants. All this is in an area about 500 feet square. It's a warm Saturday night, and it's probably full of teenagers right now. It took about 10 years for this to start working. For years after the theater multiplex was built, few people came. Then, somehow, it started working as a public space.

TheAdamAndChe 10y ago

That's an interesting idea. Do you have any data on this? I could believe that some money that would have previously gone to movies is now going to food, but I find it hard to believe that lower inflation adjusted income wouldn't impact movie sales.

1123581321 10y ago
Sure, there are lots of links on Google. Here's one about teens showing restaurant spending increasing significantly and media spending (and some others dropping): http://www.businessinsider.com/how-teens-are-spending-money-2014-2014-10 http://www.businessinsider.com/how-teens-are-spending-money-... This report suggests if wages are falling, the auto category is taking the most significant hit. Discretionary spending (both restaurants and movies) stays steady or increases (the PDF has much more detail): http://home.isr.umich.edu/releases/how-teen-workers-spend-their-money-um-study-shows-trends/ http://home.isr.umich.edu/releases/how-teen-workers-spend-th... This suggests the 2008 recession did change habits, but notes that movies are the only public/external recreation service that's suffered. It blames home viewing being a good enough cheap alternative: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/how-recession-changed-ways-americans-spend-money-n413386 http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/how-recession-change... So there are a few different slices that hopefully help isolate the problem for theaters that just as much or more is being spent on recreation, but it's being spent differently.
- sogen 10y ago
  > home viewing being a good enough cheap alternative. So giving them a lot of options at home is killing going out to the movies? Makes sense. In the ol' days cable TV was like 6 channels. So kids HAD to go outside and do stuff (play).

tyingq 10y ago

What do teen kids even do these days? I'm older. We had skateboard parks, video arcades, roller skating, community centers, the mall, mini golf, go kart tracks, cheap movies, etc. I don't believe any of those are socially acceptable for teens now. These things are either gone, or only used by younger-than-teens. I guess they just hang out at each other's homes?

throwaway9475 10y ago
All of those things still exist (except cheap movies), and people still do them. I think you're just assuming that teenagers all did what you did and that teenagers now just do what all other teenagers do. But as it turns out, teenagers are people with vastly differing interests, and they don't all fit one mold.
- tyingq 10y ago
  >All of those things still exist (except cheap movies), and people still do them. Yes and no. Video arcades, for example, are not ubiquitous the way they used to be. Similar for rolling skating rinks. > I think you're just assuming that teenagers all did what you did That's an odd takeaway. I'm noting, for example, roller skating was highly popular with teenagers. Maybe not all, but many. If you went to a roller skating rink on Friday night, it was filled with them. That's not the case now.
  - thesagan 10y ago
    I've been wondering the same thing. In my city the malls are not what they used to be, and I don't see the kids there much, now. We only have one roller skate rink left, and I haven't seen a busy parking lot in front for years. Arcades here are gone, and the theaters aren't as busy as they once were (I think... I rarely go anymore. I might be wrong, there.) Local skate park looks empty a lot, too. Yeah... where are they? Gaming indoors?
    - Animats 10y ago
      For some reason, downtown Redwood City, CA has a downtown that works. There's a big open plaza in front of the old courthouse, where the city sometimes shows free movies or has other events. There's a 20-theater multiplex. There's a theater that runs local productions of musicals ("The Producers" closes tomorrow) and cover bands for old rock groups. There's a little space that has jazz and blues. There's a live theater space which runs Asian productions. There's a nightclub. There are about a dozen modestly priced restaurants. All this is in an area about 500 feet square. It's a warm Saturday night, and it's probably full of teenagers right now. It took about 10 years for this to start working. For years after the theater multiplex was built, few people came. Then, somehow, it started working as a public space.