Malls are dwindling down to smaller and smaller stores, long white hallways with empty signage are more common than any chain. Movie theatres are getting creative in order to wrangle in new audiences.

Is the joy of the shared experience dying?

What I’m Talking About:

Recently, movie theatres are disappearing across America, and are being replaced by Amazon warehouses or other big industries. Cinemas that aren’t being torn down are reaching obsolescence. Long hallways along the theatres aren’t as crowded as they used to be. And the magic of the theatre-going experience is starting to smell a lot like stale popcorn. 

Where are these magical places that people used to visit to meet their friends and sneak into R rated horror movies or take their kids to the newest animated film?

Where are the malls that were once so crucial in the starting and ending of friendships?

What happened, anyway?

Once I was in an elevator with a friend, leaving a movie theatre, only in there anyway because the only escalator was broken, and a man had joined us, he shuffled his feet and we all waited a moment in silence. After an awkward few seconds had passed he cleared his throat and inquired in a posh english accent,

“Is there not a single surface in this place that isn’t sticky?” 

I think he makes an excellent point. Not necessarily about the cleanliness of the theatre but of how sad it was that so little people would be there to experience it. 

So little in fact, that it didn’t even matter.

Malls are also becoming a thing of the past. Around the holiday season, when me and my father make our way out to any mall we can think of to buy presents, the options seem far more limited. Big malls that used to be the place for teenagers all over the place are now empty and sad. They’re either blank and boring or strangely full of luxury stores.

The main malls being developed now are all outdoor. Which is great… At least until it’s a week before winter break and you have to trudge from store to store through snow and sleet, each store seeming 5 degrees colder and 10 yards farther away than the last, and you’re left shouting over the wind and snow to figure out where your car is. 

People used to meet at places like this. Theatres and malls used to be the pinnacle of human connection. Try watching a teenage movie set in the last several decades… there’s a mall. Watch any romcom ever… there’s a first date at a movie theatre. 

Things have changed. Consumerism has shifted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Online shopping became the thing to do and movies are available to stream soon after their theatrical release, anyway. So why bother?

Malls are only rarely being converted into community gathering places or even apartment buildings. 

If movies aren’t bringing in audiences anymore, that’s fine. However, new group activities should be developed in order to replace the gaps in our society that cinemas and malls once filled. Stop people from aimlessly wandering around and give them an experience, a place to go. 

Why does this matter?

My concern is this new generation. We all seem to have fallen so out of sync with one another. However, we should be more connected than ever. Cell phones make it so easy to reach out to anyone instantly. Social media bridges the gap between strangers and friends in your life. 

But what do these connections really mean?

Having to rely on a device in order to be involved in relationships seems needlessly complicated. I think that it is a major risk to get rid of all of these in person ways of connection. Things change, they always do, but I think that how it’s going so far is looking a lot different.

Being able to be in a social setting and communicate with strangers or even your closest friends well is an important part of life. Isolating ourselves into living in our own worlds can only make strong relationships harder to salvage. 

The disappearance of movie theatres or malls might seem trivial in the grand scheme of things. However, the disruption of these little ways that people come together can lead to more division than there already is. 

And look around, there’s a lot. 

What now?

This upcoming weekend marks the Super Bowl LX. In recent years, the event has been watched by over 120 million people, making it one of the largest events on television.

The Super Bowl also marks one of the only remaining experiences that is so widespread. America and the world don’t have as many large-scale events that truly bring everyone together anymore. It may seem like just a sports game, however, it is one of the main topics of unification, of bonding.

In a world of mass indifference and increasing isolation, it might be what we need.