Men under 25 said they had seen 24 percent fewer movies this summer than they did in the summer of 2003, reports the New York Times (via Adrants and MediaBuyerPlanner). According to the OTX study, the drop in movie going was much smaller for women and for other age groups.
Young men 13-25 have shifted that leisure time to IMing and video games. The study also found that people who were attending movies less often were doing so because of the cost.
Having neglected the adult audience in favor of the youth market in recent decades, studios now find themselves losing ground in this important demographic.
Young men also complained loudest among respondents about the movies themselves. Only 35 percent reported that there was an "excellent selection" of movie choices, down from 60 percent two years ago. Women and other age groups also reported a decline, though not as precipitous.
