The rise of the internet, including streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, and online shopping platforms such as Amazon, is ruining the social life of high school students.
To understand how the internet has taken over teenage fun, it is critical to understand how the internet has also impacted industries.
According to CNCB, malls were often where teenagers would hang out on weekends. Department stores took up the majority of most malls. Unfortunately, many department stores (Sears, Lord & Taylor, Toys “R” Us, Payless ShoeSource, etc) have all closed in the past decade. Stores like Macy’s, J.C. Penney, Dillard's, and Nordstrom are following suit.
Many of these stores are converting to online-only. This parallels the fact that e-commerce retail sales are predicted to jump to 32% of all retail sales by 2030.
However, this does not mean that the internet will completely lead to the downfall of malls in America. Many upscale malls are beginning to adapt to the changing American consumerism by offering more forms of entertainment rather than shopping, including indoor putt-putt, skiing, and laser tag.
The rise of the internet has also affected the film industry.
Accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, streaming services have skyrocketed, as reported by NBC News. Since 2019, annual box office sales have been down more than 22%
There are several reasons as to why young adults are opting to stream movies as opposed to watching them in theaters. One: Movie tickets are expensive. Teenagers oftentimes don’t have a ton of disposable income that could go towards buying a movie ticket. Two: Streaming is more convenient. It is more convenient to watch a movie from the comfort of your own couch than it is to watch the movie in theaters.
However, these aren’t valid reasons to avoid movie theaters. The argument that movie theaters are too expensive is invalid because teens spend that money on other things.
For example, think about how many students come to school with Starbucks every day. Two trips to Starbucks are roughly around the cost of one movie ticket. Additionally, while streaming may be more convenient, it eliminates the social aspect of going out to the movies with friends. The experience tends to be more enjoyable than the movie itself.
Some may ask: What is the issue with the digital world replacing in-person socializing among teenagers?
Starburst Magazine explains how the rise of streaming services has increased binge-watching culture in America, influenced by social media, streaming services can use direct-to-consumer advertising.
This has proven to have significant effects on the health of high school students.
Increased by the 2020 pandemic, face-to-face socializing between teenagers fell by over 45%, according to Effective School Solutions.
Between the ages of 7 and 21, kids learn norms and social skills, ranging from physical, analytical, creative, and social. These are critical skills for people to have as they enter the world as adults. When kids spend less time face-to-face, these social skills suffer.
All in all, the digital age of American society is having a negative impact on teenagers' mental health and development, and specific industries like the movie theater industry and shopping malls.
While movie theaters and malls will eventually adapt to the rise of the internet, the lack of face-to-face interactions between teenagers will have a detrimental effect on society in the long run.
If nothing changes, the internet will continue to take over forms of high school entertainment, creating generations of antisocial, teenage robots.