It's a sad world we live in.

yeah, well it's even sadder when you're in the minority of teenagers who care about plot or substance in a film.

They're kids. Let them live.
You're not going to have a lad be a critic for each and every movie he sees. Let them enjoy an action piece and just reminice on how "owrsome" that persecution was, or how scary the child acted.

Not about how the plot revolutionizes the fim industry, or how it was badly shot.

...I'd know.
I've lost a few outings with friends in that way.

and the kids will probably choose a movie that they have heard of which means that for the most part the advertising dollars are certainly not going to waste.

I'm a teenager and movie fan and this is the sad truth. Everytime I wanna see some good PG-13 movie I always see kids from my school talking and texting non stop. Once I tried to stop them, they made fun of me the next day. I seriously wanted to shut them up and enjoy the movie. I hate my generation.

At least there's a few of you out there who actual go to the movies to watch a movie.

I'm with you on that. I'm a teenager also and people seem to judge me for actually taking films seriously. Well sorry for actually caring about a film's plot and characters! That's what movie theaters are for anyway, to watch movies. If they want to talk to each other or text, they could do that anywhere else.

i was never cool enough to randomly choose a movie at the theater

Is it just this generation or has it been the same with others?

I'm 17 and I am a huge critic of movies, I care what I go see. Movies are my life, my friends call me crazy how much I hate on movies, but I am just giving my opinions. Movies are the biggest part of my life. I go out of my way to see movie I have never heard of because they tend to be better. Also if you talk to me during a movie your gonna get smacked.

very few teenagers actually appreciate cinema as an art. but you have to realize that hollywood is beginning to place less and less emphasis on the art which is starting to transcend to the ideas of the younger generations...i am with you on this one.

I can't really blame Hollywood for the movies produced. They have massive focus groups, they cater to their audience. That is how it should be in my opinion. So let them continue to produce movies we deem unwatchable... Thankfully there are plenty of movies still being made worth our time and money. "Indie" is the new Hollywood for people who enjoy movies... sure it produces a lot of crap, but it also produces some of the best movies around.

that's true but wait until indie movies start getting screwed by this lack of appreciation for film as an art form. i'm not saying that inglorious basterds or any other tarantino film are "art" films, but as a result of all this g.i. joe and transformers 2 crap, if IB does poorly in the box offices weinstein company is potentially screwed. of course this is all speculation, but a result of declining appreciation of film as an art form, the real art in the industry is steadily becoming affected.

I haven't thought of Tarantino as art in many years =]

I don't see what the problem is. So what if they don't care about what movie they see. They are kids. Kids want to get together with their friends and socialize. At least they are actually willing to spend money on movies instead of illegally downloading them.

The problem is that a lot of them ruin the theater-going experience because they talk, most of the time loudly, use their cell phones, and get in and out of their seats. They are just as bad as the annoying kids that parents can't control.

I bitch-slap those fuckers.

They're probably the same age as me though, so oh well...

I'm kind of a tight-ass with my money, so I only go to the theatres if I know it's going to be good.

Although I can testify that this is true. Most of my friends do it this way

Hm. I love going to the movies. And so do all my friends, and we all care about what we watch. I mean, screw that sh*t, why would we PAY for something we don't care about. I suppose it may just be that my friends are intelligent as opposed to... others... But honestly, their spending their own money, so they can waste their own time. I on the other hand with shush and throw popcorn at anyone who tries to interrupt my movie going experience.

Things like this is why they pump out generic horror/spoof movies one after another and so on.

THEY'RE TEENAGERS. LET THEM BE STUPID AND CARELESS.

I was stupid and careless as a teenager (which wasn't *that* long ago); but i still gave a shit about what music and films i listened to and watched. And i didn't regard anything printed as "irrelevant". Same went for all the other people knew, throughout secondary school, throughout uni.

This survey isn't suggesting these teenagers are "stupid" in any fun, they'll-grow-out-of-it sense. This is actually just stupidity. I mean, this is beign presented as a MAJORITY of teens that don't care what they watch or listen to? That regard the things they do want as somehow rightfully theirs purely because they can get it, even if they don't pay? That aren't interested in any news, or apparently anything printed?

That's some weird, weird teenagers in the US (and elsewhere, i suspect)... that's not "being a teenager", or being disaffected (you have to give a damn about something to be disaffected) - that's just straight up odd, and suggests a lot about the way in which they're growing up.

It's pretty sad.

Welcome to generation ADD.

I hate it when these types of reports give teenagers like me a bad name. Most teens I know still buy CDs and consider print media relevant, as well as watch good movies. It's mainly the 11 - 13 age demographic that swallows crap like "[insert genre here] Movie". Although I'm part of the very small number of people in my school that has seen a movie like "Oldboy", almost everyone I know has seen great movies like "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Public Enemies"

I annoy my girlfriend because she says I get very "statistical" about the movies. Honestly, the tomatometer saves brains, eyes, and lives from terrible films most of the time. But only if you think movies like Slumdog Millionaire were good! I believe I'm doing my part to save my generation from cinema dullness!

I can't remember the last time I went to a theater without knowing what I was going to see beforehand. It was probably that movie "Something New". God, what a mistake that was..

Well I don't see a movie as a social gathering and I'm a teen. If I wanted to go to a social gathering I'd go to an orgy.

WTF So, do you follow ancient greek religious practices or do you just never go out?

What about all the R rated movies that kids sneak into? Anyone think of that? If kids don't care what movie they're buying tickets for my guess is that's why.

At least they're socializing and not using those darn tweety pages or facey spaceys.

As a 15 year old musician and movie-goer, I would just like to say that illegally downloading music pisses me off more than ANYTHING. Musicians deserve to be paid for their hard work, not have it stolen.

I don't think I've ever gone to the theater NOT knowing what I was going to see and when. I cannot STAND when people and friends text during movies, or even talk for that matter. It bugs me so much. All my friends give me shit for it, like I'm too critical and need to lighten up.

I would also like to add that I'm the only one out of my friends without a MySpace, Facebook, or Twitter.

You guys still go to movie theaters? I just download everything........

:)

Guys, guys ... the so-called 'report' is actually a research note written by one Matthew Robson. Its fairly well-written by 15-year old standards and Robson is clearly a keen observer of trends. However, it is an extrapolation of his own anecdotal experiences, and hardly representative of all teens. It would have been the same if a college student had been asked to share his views on what media means to him nowadays - simply his own take, nothing more. Morgan Stanley blew it all out of proportion, possibly as a PR stunt.

I'm a teen and for me this is completely untrue for my friends and I. But, sadly, it is true for most.

i could have told you that. being a theatre manager, i have to deal with those little bastards on daily basis.

I'm 27 now but I remember doing the same thing when I was a teenager. Me and my friends/girlfriend would just go to the movies because here wasn't anything else to do. I saw so much crap.

As a teen, I ashamed of my peers.

Also as a teen, I download music illegally. Well, at least I fit in with them in some degree...

I think I agree that some current teens do not care what movie they are watching - if they are watching at all. Many I have seen recently would apparently want to pay their cash, sit in the A/C, and chat, text, or talk on their cell phone during the movie - and/or spend more money on overpriced food to throw at others during the movies. This has been my experience probably 75% of the time that I have seen a newer movie in the first two weeks of release that I have seen on a Fri or Sat night prime time slot.

I used to be like this. I like to think it helped set the ground work of what NOT to do with my films in the future.

Kid that authored the report is aged 15 and no reference numbers have been released. The "team leaders" "cited Robson," the child. The inference is the kid went with his gut and MS ran with it. For whatever that's worth.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarch...

People that care about a movie and don't want to be bothered by some stupid teen shining a laser pointer at the screen and talking all through the movie, use bittorrent. Now only if Hollywood would notice the potential market for filling that gap. Instead, we get McG and Michael Bay movies. Truly sad.

I care about movies, don't want to be bothered by some stupid teen shining a laser pointer at the screen and talking all through the movie and DON't use bittorrent.

People who care about movies pay to go see them, or wait and buy the DVD. The people that steal films are usually nerds, geeks and poor, common people, and the sort of folk that I would rather not socialise with. So please, continue to steal your movies, it means that I wont have to be in your presence at the theatre.

im 16 and i agree that most teens dont care what they watch. thats why corporations target them the most. Most teens are stupid in my generation most of their lifestyles are stupid and its gonna suck when they are out of high school.A reason why most teens still go to the movies is because most of them don't know how to work bittorrent. All my friends use limewire and thats only good to get music and crappy at that. movies aren't as easily available on limewire. you can get movie online or watch them at video sites but still mostly crappy quality and pirating video games is even harder than just working bittorrent and i doubt many will ever learn to so those industries are a bit safer. The movie theater will always be filled with annoying ungrateful teenagers

As opposed to annoying teenagers that steal their entertainment. No offence is truly meant with this, but you sound like a bit of a nerd, hanging out on your own, watching pirated movies, playing pirated video games and listening to pirated music, all the while writing off your contemporaries as "stupid". This sounds like the bitter rant of the sort of person who doesn't really get invited on such social outings.

And just because you know how to use BitTorrent doesnt mean that you're in for an easy ride post-high school.

why is this a 'sad truth' as many people have been saying...I'm 18 I love movie's.. my friends are dumb asses, don't think about plots, usually are baked and just want to get action..I'm sorry I'm not fucking 56 alone and researched a movie to the point that I don't rely even need to see the movie. you go to the movies see what starts next and fucking watch it...iv scene Bruno twice already just because it was on at the time of arrival

aka fuck you go make out with a blow up doll u silly 20+ whatever year old's

Oh dear god. I hate my generation.

...shut up go 'lolercopter' you'r generation isn't that bad
I'm sorry were not in the fucking 90's and waiting weeks pon weeks to see a Freddie prince J.r movie KUMAR...

I'm surprised this is considered news. Anyone who has been to a multiplex on a Friday night can tell you that the majority of teens are not there to watch movies. They go there to socialize. I'm fine with that as long as they keep their mouths shut during the actual movie. The only problem is that the studios cater to this audience. As a junior high teacher I get to hear what movies kids want to see and what movies they like. Some examples: 'Disaster Movie' looks awesome! 'Babylon A.D.' rocked! This is why trash is made because the audience doesn't care if it's trash.

Maybe if the twentysomethings would start going to theaters in droves the studios might respond with more movies they like. Until that happens (which it won't anyway), we who love film will just have to wade through the garbage.

Haha. You know, I think you made the most sense in this entire page. Yeah, I'm a teen... but I'm glad to say my entire school isn't stupid and goes to a movie just to hang out. They have the mall for that. And I'm glad I'm the movie fan I am. In my class,senior class, I always talk about which movie is good or not and talk about them. This makes more people to talk about them. So I'm happy with the conversations I've started because maybe people will make better choices with their movies.

P.S. downloading movies suck(unless it's a DVD or digital copy)... who doesn't want to enjoy the sound system and big screen of the movie theater?

And thats why all the danged Teens are talking in my movies, because it's a "social gathering"
If you want to have a social gathering, don't do it where other people are trying to listen and watch a movie!