There’s nothing better than the consumption of drama and conflict that’s not our own, that which takes us away from the everyday mundane, the monstrosities and complexities of our own relationships and piques our creative energy. What better way to do this, than the broad, visual, sound-prolific, all-encompassing experience of the cinema?
Over the last couple of years (and particularly during the GFC), many Aussies have been debating the demise of the movie cinema due to very enjoyable distractions like the increasingly affordable high-definition television and more recently, 3D TV; gaming; mobile phones and the brilliantly superfluous iPad; and last but certainly not least – the Internet, which 72 per cent of Australian households now have access to.
Interestingly enough – despite all these much-loved and competing activities – according to a 2010 study by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), going to the movies was still our most popular cultural activity last year. This was in comparison to attendance at art galleries, museums, zoos and live performances. In fact, 2010 saw Australian cinemas screen just over 400 films and make the highest gross on record ($1.13 billion).
Does it, and should it, surprise us that the cinema is still so popular?
The movies are one of our most talked about topics of conversation, safe terrain for almost any situation. They can be discussed at work, over lunch, with the boss, or with your mother-in-law. It’s the fuel for conversations without having to resort to often-sensitive discussions about your own life.
Movies are the ideal date with someone you’re a bit socially awkward with – they offer such a distraction that they’re an entirely different experience altogether than the one you’re actually having, which in reality is sitting silently in a darkened theatre with another.
Going to the cinema is considered a fun social or “cultural” outing, and contains many of the ingredients that we love and aspire towards – celebrities, beauty, glamour, and heroism.
And finally, movies for entertainment are exactly what they purport to be – entertaining.
The question now is, will this Aussie cultural preference for the cinema continue?
Our next generation will decide through their choices in the consumption of entertainment. The 2009 Children’s Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities survey – and this is going back a couple of years now – reported that at the time, of the 2.7 million Australian children aged five to 14 years (aka generation Z), 79 per cent used the internet. Online games were one of the most common activities, and some of these kids were online for 20 hours or more a week.
In 2009 an estimated 841,000 children (31 per cent) aged five to 14 years also had access to their own mobile phones. With the much-anticipated National Broadband Network (NBN), activities on those phones are only going to get faster and more prolific (which will mean much more fun). Shared virtual games for use on mobile platforms such as “Words with Friends”, a crossword app, are becoming increasingly popular, even for the older generation Y.
The final answer as to where our cultural entertainment is headed will be seen through the experiences and choices of “gen Z”, Australia’s next wave of entertainment consumers.
