The social media paradox: Movie theaters are young again

Generation Z — those born between 1997 and 2011 and raised on Netflix, YouTube and TikTok — is heading back to the movie theater.

The global film market is enjoying its most active stretch since the COVID-19 pandemic, with five films surpassing $1 billion at the worldwide box office this year and three others crossing $500 million, according to the Economist.

"The generation most at home with digital content is paradoxically drawn to the analog experience of the cinema," the magazine said. "Instead of endlessly scrolling a small smartphone screen, focusing on a large screen in a darkened room and sharing the same experience with other audience members is emerging as a new kind of value."

Overall ticket sales remain below pre-pandemic levels, but global box office revenue is forecast to reach $35 billion this year, up 7 percent from last year. With major releases including "Avengers: Doomsday" and "Dune: Part Three" still to come later this year, analysts expect the numbers to climb further.

Generation Z is increasingly credited as the driving force behind the theater industry's recovery. According to ticketing site Fandango, 87 percent of American Gen Z consumers visited a movie theater at least once last year.

That was the highest attendance rate of any age group. Gen Z averaged seven theater visits per year, outpacing Generation X — those born between 1965 and 1980 — at 6.1 visits, and baby boomers, born before 1965, at 5.7.

"There was once a widespread industry view that Generation Z and millennials would accelerate the decline of movie theaters — that they would prefer to watch Netflix at home or use YouTube and TikTok instead," the Economist said. "But in practice, young people have become the cinema's core customers."

The influence of Generation Z is visible in recent box office results. "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," which opened July 31, earned $360 million in its opening weekend in North America, surpassing the previous record held by "Avengers: Endgame" (2019), which took in $357 million. About two-thirds of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day's" opening-weekend audience were between 18 and 34 years old.

Young audiences have also turned out in large numbers for a range of other titles, including director Christopher Nolan's "Odyssey," as well as "The Drama," "Project Hail Mary" and "Wuthering Heights." The horror film "Obsession" was a particular standout, drawing strong support from Generation Z to gross $490 million worldwide — more than 650 times its production budget.

The trend is not confined to the United States. Young audiences are emerging as the dominant moviegoing demographic in countries around the world.

In India, viewers under 30 account for more than half of Hindi-language box office revenue. In Saudi Arabia, two-thirds of moviegoers are under 34, and in Vietnam, young people make up as much as 90 percent of the audience. In Japan, a surge of young viewers who flocked to see "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle" last summer helped the film set the highest opening-weekend record in Japanese cinema history.

"Paradoxically, social media — once expected to hasten the decline of movie theaters — is now drawing young audiences back to cinemas," the Economist said.

About half of young Europeans say they discover new films through TikTok before going to see them in theaters. When a film goes viral on social media, it triggers a rush to experience it on the big screen.

The phenomenon has precedent. When "Minions: The Rise of Gru" opened in 2022, a viral trend called "GentleMinions" swept social media, with young viewers dressing in suits to attend screenings. When "Minecraft" opened last year, videos of audiences screaming and jumping out of their seats at a particular scene spread widely online.

Platforms for logging and sharing film reviews are also fueling theater culture. Letterboxd, an app for tracking and rating movies, now has about 30 million users worldwide — roughly three times its user base from three years ago. Its most active demographic is 18- to 24-year-olds.

For Generation Z, the movie theater has become a space for shared experiences with friends. According to Fandango, 92 percent of all moviegoers prefer going to the cinema with someone else, and the tendency is especially pronounced among Gen Z, who overwhelmingly favor seeing films with friends.

Many treat a theater visit as a full event, dining or going out for drinks with friends before or after the screening. They are also willing to spend on extras — limited-edition popcorn buckets, reclining seats and premium screens. Fandango data shows that the MZ generation — a term combining millennials and Generation Z — is particularly inclined to combine moviegoing with dining and socializing.

Fandango said Generation Z places high value on the "shared, communal experience" of the movie theater, adding that cinemas are playing an important role as a social space for young people.