importance of movie in our life essay

Essay on Impact of Cinema in Life for Students and Children

500 words essay on impact of cinema in life.

Cinema has been a part of the entertainment industry for a long time. It creates a massive impact on people all over the world. In other words, it helps them give a break from monotony. It has evolved greatly in recent years too. Cinema is a great escape from real life.

Furthermore, it helps in rejuvenating the mind of a person. It surely is beneficial in many ways, however, it is also creating a negative impact on people and society. We need to be able to identify the right from wrong and make decisions accordingly.

Advantages of Cinema

Cinema has a lot of advantages if we look at the positive side. It is said to be a reflection of the society only. So, it helps us come face to face with the actuality of what’s happening in our society. It portrays things as they are and helps in opening our eyes to issues we may have well ignored in the past.

Similarly, it helps people socialize better. It connects people and helps break the ice. People often discuss cinema to start a conversation or more. Moreover, it is also very interesting to talk about rather than politics and sports which is often divided.

Above all, it also enhances the imagination powers of people. Cinema is a way of showing the world from the perspective of the director, thus it inspires other people too to broaden their thinking and imagination.

Most importantly, cinema brings to us different cultures of the world. It introduces us to various art forms and helps us in gaining knowledge about how different people lead their lives.

In a way, it brings us closer and makes us more accepting of different art forms and cultures. Cinema also teaches us a thing or two about practical life. Incidents are shown in movies of emergencies like robbery, fire, kidnapping and more help us learn things which we can apply in real life to save ourselves. Thus, it makes us more aware and teaches us to improvise.

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Disadvantages of Cinema

While cinema may be beneficial in many ways, it is also very damaging in various areas. Firstly, it stereotypes a lot of things including gender roles, religious practices, communities and more. This creates a false notion and a negative impact against that certain group of people.

People also consider it to be a waste of time and money as most of the movies nowadays are not showing or teaching anything valuable. It is just trash content with objectification and lies. Moreover, it also makes people addicts because you must have seen movie buffs flocking to the theatre every weekend to just watch the latest movie for the sake of it.

Most importantly, cinema shows pretty violent and sexual content. It contributes to the vulgarity and eve-teasing present in our society today. Thus, it harms the young minds of the world very gravely.

Q.1 How does cinema benefit us?

A.1 Cinema has a positive impact on society as it helps us in connecting to people of other cultures. It reflects the issues of society and makes us familiar with them. Moreover, it also makes us more aware and helps to improvise in emergency situations.

Q.2 What are the disadvantages of cinema?

A.2 Often cinema stereotypes various things and creates false notions of people and communities. It is also considered to be a waste of time and money as some movies are pure trash and don’t teach something valuable. Most importantly, it also demonstrates sexual and violent content which has a bad impact on young minds.

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Why We Watch Movies

The ritual of cinema adds to its appeal..

Posted June 21, 2021 | Reviewed by Davia Sills

It is illuminating to consider how religion and belief have been transformed into seemingly secular activities in the modern world. One way to approach this is to identify our rituals, to think about what people do at night, in the darkness beyond the demands of labor and domestic life. We are thus led to the spaces we set aside for communal behaviors that are unique from prosaic life. These sacred spaces are separate from the everyday, the profane. As Émile Durkheim wrote over a hundred years ago, sacred spaces are those in which powerful, transformative events take place for individuals as part of a collective.

Rituals, like a sacrifice, occur in the enclosed space of the ritual arena. In these spaces, different rules apply. They bring about different ways of relating to the community, to ancestors, time, and fundamental notions of meaning and significance. In this essay, I claim cinema is such a sacred space and discuss how and why it works so effectively.

Movies and the power of ritual

Myth and ritual are central to how every society collates, creates, and perpetuates the core of its significances, values, aspirations, origins, goals , and ethical lineaments. Over the last 80 years, cinema has become a reliable, effective medium for telling stories. In other words, cinema is a preeminent mode for the generation of participation in the myths of our times. The emotional intensity of the ritual, of contact with mythology, is what draws belief, salience, and importance into the encounter.

In movies , the scale of human action takes on mythic proportions. Not only in size but also in terms of the importance of gesture, storyline, character, emotions, settings, and scenes. Archetypal characters bring to life finely-wrought scripts wherein storylines illustrate moral reflections, aspirational narratives, and the dramatization of historical events. The finely selected dialogue in movies is so crucial that it resembles the manifest content of dialogue in dreams . Freud of course claimed that every word uttered in a dream is of utmost importance since the medium of dreams is visual, and thus any words that sneak through the censor must be vital.

The art of filmmaking is extremely difficult; one look at the credits tells you hundreds of people and hundreds of thousands of dollars have gone into any given movie. The layers of censors from investors to editors to distribution companies (and so many more) make every scene highly improbable. Relative to the stories of all the people in the theater and the people who made the film, the production necessary to make a film demonstrates that it functions at a higher level of proportionality. Granted, not all movies are effective and worthy of the treatment I describe here, but many are—those are the movies to which I apply these reflections.

It is also the atmosphere of cinema that creates a form of ritual space. The movie theater, a room with no windows suffused with darkness but for the light burning through translucent celluloid. We sit among strangers with whom we share emotional reactions to shared events. By sharing reactions, we share and reinforce a cultural lens.

The communal setting of the ritual arena of theater itself elevates the event. It confirms us as a community and builds our shared history and interpretation of reality out further and further. Light flickers on the screen, which is 45 to 65 feet wide and as tall as 30 feet. Cinema is larger than life; that is how it can represent life to us in a mimetic ritual of drama . We understand something about ourselves by becoming other, by being taken in by the story and coming out the other end in a slightly different form.

Then there is the narrative, the aesthetic charm poured into the dramatic form. That distillation of life into moments, sieved into distinct tales of definite memorability. The overwhelmingly melodramatic format of the journey, the love triangle, the conflict, etc., pushes us to identify with the characters. We are brought into an empathetic mood. Some movies bring us into the community of the characters such that plot development resembles nothing so much as gossip.

Time is transformed in the cinematic state; for us, it is an escape , a vacation, a portal out of the world and the uncontrollable nature of time. The liminality of being out of time in a dark room doing nothing allows for separation from so much that binds us. We are freed from speaking, from the dense maze of active interactions that make up public life. Here we are voyeurs who participate emotionally even when nothing is asked of us. The filmmaker does it all: through montage, a story comes together; through casting, we are directed to recognize characters; through lighting and sound, we are immersed in environments. All we have to do is keep our eyes and ears open. If we give our attention , the screen creates the illusion of four dimensions. It offers them to us; it takes them all up and drags us in its wake.

After the liminal space of the ritual of cinema, we walk out of the room discombobulated, sensitive to light and motion. We reaggregate ourselves after having become part of a different reality. We reflect upon what we saw and heard, in groups or in internal dialogue. The movie becomes part of our memory ; sometimes we get confused about whether the stories we remember come from cinema or stories we’ve heard about people. We take the movie in through the sacred space of the theater and leave with its messages.

When the ritual is over, when the crow and the raven are silent, we return to each other with stories and characters, memories of events that never happened. We want to share them further; we recommend movies, talk about their virtues and failures, and interleave them into our memories of all the other movies and stories we have lived through. The myth has been received, the experience has become a part of us.

Durkheim, Émile, 1915. The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life, a Study in Religious Sociology. London : New York :G. Allen & Unwin; Macmillan.

Turner, V. W. 1969. The ritual process: Structure and anti-structure. Chicago: Aldine Publishing Company.

Rami Gabriel, Ph.D. , is Associate Professor of Psychology at Columbia College Chicago, where he is a founding Fellow of the Research Group in Mind, Science and Culture.

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• Essay On Impact Of Cinema On Life

Essay on the Impact of Cinema on Life

500+ words essay on the impact of cinema on life.

Cinema is a motion picture, or to put it simply, it means movies. Most of us love watching movies and wait eagerly for the next new release. These movies take us on an entertaining journey to a whole new world. From the time it came into existence, cinema has had a great impact on our lives. Cinema is also a great medium of education. From bringing different cultures and traditions across the globe together to raising awareness about important issues, cinemas educate us in many ways.

Origin of Cinema

Cinema is short for cinematography. Cinematography is the illusion of movement seen on a screen. This illusion of movement is a result of recording and then projecting several still photographs rapidly on the screen. This medium of mass communication and entertainment is a product of 19th-century science. Unlike most scientific inventions, the cinema doesn’t have just one inventor. Several scientists of the time, like Edison and the Lumiere brothers William Friese-Greene, worked to invent motion pictures and the cameras that recorded them.

The Edison company invented a device called the Kinetoscope, which allowed a person to view moving pictures through a peephole. In 1895, the Lumiere brothers invented a device called the Cinématographe, which could project moving pictures onto a screen. The Cinématographe was a three-in-one device, it was a camera, a projector and a film printer.

The first films were short, lasting a few minutes and did not have synchronized sound or dialogues. But with more scientific innovations, production houses started making feature-length movies with colour and synchronized sound. Roundhay Garden Scene, which was recorded by English photographer Louis Le Prince is believed to be the first motion picture ever made. The motion picture was recorded in Leeds, England, in 1888. The first Indian cinema was Raja Harishchandra, which was recorded and shown to the public in 1913.

Impact of Cinema on Our Lives

Cinema is mainly a medium of entertainment and communication. It is also a great medium to educate the masses. A movie has the power to bring distant, unseen lands, their culture and traditions before the audience. It can help raise awareness about social and cultural issues and help people understand the difference between good and bad. It can be inspirational and push the audience towards achieving their goals and dreams. Cinemas are also great stress relievers. It helps transport the audience to a distant, make-believe land that helps them forget their troubles for a little while.

While it has its merits, cinema does have several disadvantages too. There are several ways in which it could affect our lives negatively. It is up to the individuals to choose what to watch.

Impact of Cinema on Students

Young children are very impressionable and pick up things quickly. While the educational part of films is a good influence on them, the negative aspects can be a bad influence. Movies can also fuel their imagination and creativity and introduce them to new concepts. It can also inspire them and push them to work hard towards achieving their goals. At the same time, some movies can have a negative impact on students. So, parents and educators should ensure that movies shown to young children and students should be properly vetted and age-appropriate.

In conclusion, cinemas have had a vast impact on our lives. From educating and entertaining us to opening our minds to new possibilities and inspiring us, movies have changed our lives in several ways. The best way to ensure cinema doesn’t have a negative impact is to appreciate and learn the good aspects while leaving out the bad.

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Essays About Movies: 7 Examples and 5 Writing Prompts

Check out our guide with essays about movies for budding videographers and artistic students. Learn from our helpful list of examples and prompts.

Watching movies is a part of almost everyone’s life. They entertain us, teach us lessons, and even help us socialize by giving us topics to talk about with others. As long as movies have been produced, everyone has patronized them.  Essays about movies  are a great way to learn all about the meaning behind the picture.

Cinema is an art form in itself. The lighting, camera work, and acting in the most widely acclaimed movies are worthy of praise. Furthermore, a movie can be used to send a message, often discussing issues in contemporary society. Movies are entertaining, but more importantly, they are works of art. If you’re interested in this topic, check out our round-up of screenwriters on Instagram .

5 Helpful Essay Examples 

1. the positive effects of movies on human behaviour by ajay rathod, 2. horror movies by emanuel briggs, 3. casablanca – the greatest hollywood movie ever (author unknown).

• 4.  Dune Review: An Old Story Reshaped For The New 2021 Audience by Oren Cohen

5. Blockbuster movies create booms for tourism — and headaches for locals by Shubhangi Goel

• 6. Moonage Daydream: “Who Is He? What Is He?” by Jonathan Romney
• 7. La Bamba: American Dreaming, Chicano Style by Yolanda Machado

1. My Favorite Movie

2. movies genres, 3. special effects in movies, 4. what do you look for in a movie, 5. the evolution of movies.

“​​Films encourage us to take action. Our favourite characters, superheroes, teach us life lessons. They give us ideas and inspiration to do everything for the better instead of just sitting around, waiting for things to go their way. Films about famous personalities are the perfect way to affect social behaviour positively. Films are a source of knowledge. They can help learn what’s in the trend, find out more about ancient times, or fill out some knowledge gaps.”

In this movie essay, Rathod gives readers three ways watching movies can positively affect us. Movie writers, producers, and directors use their platform to teach viewers life skills, the importance of education, and the contrast between good and evil. Watching movies can also help us improve critical thinking, according to Briggs. Not only do movies entertain us, but they also have many educational benefits. You might also be interested in these  essays about consumerism .

“Many people involving children and adults can effect with their sleeping disturbance and anxiety. Myths, non-realistic, fairy tales could respond differently with being in the real world. Horror movies bring a lot of excitement and entertainment among you and your family. Horror movies can cause physical behavior changes in a person by watching the films. The results of watching horror movies shows that is has really effect people whether you’re an adult, teens, and most likely happens during your childhood.”

In his essay, Briggs acknowledges why people enjoy horror movies so much but warns of their adverse effects on viewers. Most commonly, they cause viewers nightmares, which may cause anxiety and sleep disorders. He focuses on the films’ effects on children, whose more sensitive, less developed brains may respond with worse symptoms, including major trauma. The films can affect all people negatively, but children are the most affected.

“This was the message of Casablanca in late 1942. It was the ideal opportunity for America to utilize its muscles and enter the battle. America was to end up the hesitant gatekeeper of the entire world. The characters of Casablanca, similar to the youthful Americans of the 1960s who stick headed the challenge development, are ‘genuine Americans’ lost in a hostile region, battling to open up another reality.”

In this essay, the author discusses the 1942 film  Casablanca , which is said to be the greatest movie ever made, and explains why it has gotten this reputation. To an extent, the film’s storyline, acting, and even relatability (it was set during World War II) allowed it to shine from its release until the present. It invokes feelings of bravery, passion, and nostalgia, which is why many love the movie. You can also check out these  books about adaption . 

4.   Dune Review: An Old Story Reshaped For The New 2021 Audience by Oren Cohen

“Lady Jessica is a powerful woman in the original book, yet her interactions with Paul diminish her as he thinks of her as slow of thought. Something we don’t like to see in 2021 — and for a good reason. Every book is a product of its time, and every great storyteller knows how to adapt an old story to a new audience. I believe Villeneuve received a lot of hate from diehard Dune fans for making these changes, but I fully support him.”

Like the previous essay, Cohen reviews a film, in this case, Denis Villeneuve’s  Dune , released in 2021. He praises the film, writing about its accurate portrayal of the epic’s vast, dramatic scale, music, and, interestingly, its ability to portray the characters in a way more palatable to contemporary audiences while staying somewhat faithful to the author’s original vision. Cohen enjoyed the movie thoroughly, saying that the movie did the book justice. 

“Those travelers added around 630 million New Zealand dollars ($437 million) to the country’s economy in 2019 alone, the tourism authority told CNBC. A survey by the tourism board, however, showed that almost one in five Kiwis are worried that the country attracts too many tourists. Overcrowding at tourist spots, lack of infrastructure, road congestion and environmental damage are creating tension between locals and visitors, according to a 2019 report by Tourism New Zealand.”

The locations where successful movies are filmed often become tourist destinations for fans of those movies. Goel writes about how “film tourism” affects the residents of popular filming locations. The environment is sometimes damaged, and the locals are caught off guard. Though this is not always the case, film tourism is detrimental to the residents and ecosystem of these locations. You can also check out these  essays about The Great Gatsby .

6. Moonage Daydream:  “Who Is He? What Is He?” by Jonathan Romney

“Right from the start, Brett Morgen’s  Moonage Daydream  (2022) catches us off guard. It begins with an epigraph musing on Friedrich Nietzsche’s proclamation that “God is dead,” then takes us into deep space and onto the surface of the moon. It then unleashes an image storm of rockets, robots, and star-gazers, and rapid-fire fragments of early silent cinema, 1920s science fiction, fifties cartoons, and sixties and seventies newsreel footage, before lingering on a close-up of glittery varnish on fingernails.” 

Moonage Daydream  is a feature film containing never-before-seen footage of David Bowie. In this essay, Romney delves into the process behind creating the movie and how the footage was captured. It also looks at the director’s approach to creating a structured and cohesive film, which took over two years to plan. This essay looks at how Bowie’s essence was captured and preserved in this movie while displaying the intricacies of his mind.

7. La Bamba:  American Dreaming, Chicano Style by Yolanda Machado

“A traumatic memory, awash in hazy neutral tones, arising as a nightmare. Santo & Johnny’s mournful “Sleep Walk” playing. A sudden death, foreshadowing the passing of a star far too young. The opening sequence of Luis Valdez’s  La Bamba  (1987) feels like it could be from another film—what follows is largely a celebration of life and music.”

La Bamba  is a well-known movie about a teenage Mexican migrant who became a rock ‘n’ roll star. His rise to fame is filled with difficult social dynamics, and the star tragically dies in a plane crash at a young age. In this essay, Machado looks at how the tragic death of the star is presented to the viewer, foreshadowing the passing of the young star before flashing back to the beginning of the star’s career. Machado analyses the storyline and directing style, commenting on the detailed depiction of the young star’s life. It’s an in-depth essay that covers everything from plot to writing style to direction.

5 Prompts for Essays About Movies

Simple and straightforward, write about your favorite movie. Explain its premise, characters, and plot, and elaborate on some of the driving messages and themes behind the film. You should also explain why you enjoy the movie so much: what impact does it have on you? Finally, answer this question in your own words for an engaging piece of writing.

From horror to romance, movies can fall into many categories. Choose one of the main genres in cinema and discuss the characteristics of movies under that category. Explain prevalent themes, symbols, and motifs, and give examples of movies belonging to your chosen genre. For example, horror movies often have underlying themes such as mental health issues, trauma, and relationships falling apart. 

Without a doubt, special effects in movies have improved drastically. Both practical and computer-generated effects produce outstanding, detailed effects to depict situations most would consider unfathomable, such as the vast space battles of the  Star Wars  movies. Write about the development of special effects over the years, citing evidence to support your writing. Be sure to detail key highlights in the history of special effects. 

Movies are always made to be appreciated by viewers, but whether or not they enjoy them varies, depending on their preferences. In your essay, write about what you look for in a “good” movie in terms of plot, characters, dialogue, or anything else. You need not go too in-depth but explain your answers adequately. In your opinion, you can use your favorite movie as an example by writing about the key characteristics that make it a great movie.

From the silent black-and-white movies of the early 1900s to the vivid, high-definition movies of today, times have changed concerning movies. Write about how the film industry has improved over time. If this topic seems too broad, feel free to focus on one aspect, such as cinematography, themes, or acting.

For help with your essays, check out our round-up of the  best essay checkers .

If you’re looking for more ideas, check out our  essays about music topic guide !

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Essay on Impact of Cinema in Life for in English Children and Students

Table of Contents

Essay on Impact of Cinema in Life: Cinema is an extremely popular source of entertainment worldwide. Numerous movies are produced each year and people watch these in large numbers. Cinema impacts our life both positively and negatively. Just as everything else in this world, cinema also has positive as well as negative impact on our life. While some movies can change our thinking for good others can invoke a feeling or pain or fear. Despite having a regulatory mechanism, movies these days display a good amount of violence and other illegal and immoral activities. While these activities don’t have much effect on matured adults, it could however adversely affect children or teenagers. Kids in their tender age are unable to make right decisions and are easily influenced by what is shown in the cinema.

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It exposes us to different types of art and helps us learn about how people from various backgrounds live. In a sense, it brings us together and makes us more open to diverse art forms and cultures. Movies also provide valuable lessons for real life.

Long and Short Essay on Impact of Cinema in Our Life in English

Here are long and short essay on impact of cinema in life in English, of varying lengths to help you with the topic in your exam or other activities.

You can choose any Impact of Cinema in Life Essay as per your need and interest during your school/college essay writing competition or in a debate, discussion with your class mate on topics relevant to the subject.

So, go through this page and select the one essay which is best for you:

Essay on Impact of Cinema in Our Life 200 words

Since the beginning of the human existence, man has been searching for different ways for recreation. He has been looking for something that gives a little break from his exhausting schedule of day to day life. Cinema has come forward as a great way of recreation since around a century. It has been one of the most loved pastimes since its inception.

Initially theatres were the only way to get access to the cinema but with the popularity of television and cable TV, watching movies became easier. With the advent of internet and mobile phones, we now get access to the cinema on our mobile screens and can watch them just about anywhere and anytime.

Everyone today is more or less connected to the cinema. When we see certain incidences shown in movies that we can relate to we naturally let them influence our mind-set and thought process. We even idealize certain characters and scenarios from the movies. We want our personality and life to be just like the life of the movie character we idealize. Some people get so hooked on to these characters that they become an integral part of their life.

Thus, we can conclude that cinema has a great influence on the lives of the people and society. It is rightly said that we are more or less carved out from the type of movies we see, songs we hear and the books we read.

Essay on Impact of Cinema on Students Life 300 words

Exploring the world of cinema has been a craze for the young generation ever since the initiation of the movies. They follow it like a passion and thus the young generation mostly the teenagers are the ones largely impacted by cinema. This is mainly because it is an age wherein they are about to step into the real world with dozens of notions and at times unreasonable optimism, and the films play a prime role in catering to them.

Positive Impact of Cinema on Students

• All kinds of movies are made to cater to the interest of different types of audience. There are movies that include educative content. Watching such movies widens the knowledge of the students and has a positive impact on them.
• Students need to juggle between their studies, extra-curricular activities and competitions. Amid such mad rush and rising competition, they need something for relaxation and movies are a good way to relax.
• Students can also bond well with their family and extended family as they plan to go out with them to watch cinema.

Negative Impact of Cinema on Students

• While cinema may be educative, watching too much of it can prove to be a waste of time for the students. Many students get addicted to the movies and spend their precious time in watching movies rather than studying.
• Certain movies contain inappropriate content such as violence and other A-rated scenes that have a negative impact on the students.
• Watching too much cinema and other video content can weaken the students’ eye sight and also hamper their power to concentrate.

Whatever a movie maybe about, one should not forget that a movie is a portrayal of writer’s imagination unless it’s a biopic. One should not madly follow them. Students must to realize that it isn’t necessary for their lives and situations to have resemblance with the movie. They should understand and know the difference between the reel life and real life and try to inculcate only the positive aspects of cinema.

Essay on Impact of Cinema on Society 400 words

Cinema has been a major source of entertainment for the people of every age group around the world. Different genres of movies are produced and these influence the public in different ways. Since movies are explored by all, they influence the society immensely. This impact can be both negative and positive.

Positive Impact of Cinema on the Society

Here is a look at the positive impact of cinema on the society:

• Cinema has a major influence on the society. So it can be used as a major tool for creating public awareness. Bollywood films like Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Taare Zameen Par and Swades have helped in bringing about positive changes in the society.
• Certain good movies and biopics can genuinely influence the viewer’s mind positively and can motivate him or her to work hard in life.
• Movies and songs can give rise to the feeling of patriotism in the viewers.
• A movie is always a good sort of entertainment. It lets you forget all your problems and can take you to an all new world of imagination, which can be beneficiary at times.
• Films at times can also widen your scope of knowledge according to their genre. A historic film can improve your knowledge in history; a sci-fi movie can touch you with some knowledge of science and so on.
• Good comedy movies have the power to make you laugh and can thus enhance your mood.
• Adventure movies can arise in you a spirit of adventure and motivation.

Negative Impact of Cinema on the Society

Here is a look at the negative impact of cinema on the society:

• Most of the movies nowadays show violence which can affect the public in a negative way. It can indirectly contribute to violent thoughts in one’s mind especially in the youth.
• Certain content shown in the movies is not appropriate for some people. It can actually mess up with their mind.
• People at times fail to differentiate between the movie and reality. They get so engrossed in it that they somehow start to believe that the reality is the same as portrayed in the movie which can have undesirable side effects.

It is a world in which everyone has their own different perspective which may not be right from the view of the others. Certain movies can thus hurt the feelings of certain audience. Some movies have hurt the religious sentiments of people and even resulted in riots.

Thus, we can conclude that movies can have a great impact on the viewer’s mind. It becomes the moral duty of the team to prepare the content that is appropriate and has a positive impact on the society.

Essay on Influence of Cinema on Youth 500 words

It is a well-known fact that one can learn and remember things easily if it has got both audio and visual aids instead of just audio. Keeping this thing in mind, many study sessions are taken where students are taught with the help of videos. Cinema has been popular since its inception. People came to realize that students can remember more through videos than just from verbal sessions as they observed kids remembering dialogue of the movie they watched a week ago but nothing from the lecture they attended in the morning.

Young Minds are influenced by what they see

Humans have this tendency of adopting the way of talking, walking and behaving of the person they are with for a long time. A person always leaves a mark in other person’s head according to his behaviour.

This notion is more popular among the people belonging to the teenage and also among the kids of age less than 13 years as they have massive grasping power. They want to mimic and copy everything they see in the cinemas, hairstyles, fashion, actions, body language, way of talking, everything. They think that by doing all this they can become popular and cool which seems to be important for today’s youth.

Cinema has a Major Impact on the Youth

Cinema is basically considered as the best among all means of entertainment. Young people watch cinema to get relax and entertained though along with this they learn a number of new things. The normal human tendency is to apply these things in their lives too. That is why it is very important that they grab only the positive points from the cinemas.

As youth is the future of any nation so it is essential that they build a positive mindset. It is thus essential for them to watch good quality of cinema that helps them grow mentally and makes them more knowledgeable and mature. Not only the actions and body language but their level of command on the language is also influenced by the cinema.

Moreover, many movies don’t just entertain, but also provide lots of information regarding different aspects of life. It also helps the young to develop an open-minded mentality which can be very helpful for their progress in lives.

Negative Impact of Cinema on Youth

Cinema has both negative and positive impact on the youth. In the form of action, showing various ways of killing people is a common sight in the movies these days. These things affect the people watching it at a psychological level. They create a mentality among the youth that to show power you need to fight with few, kill few or dominate few. This is a very wrong notion.

Not just this, even the adult scenes, including sex are misguiding for the youth who have not even been provided sex education to understand what is wrong and what is right. Showing excess of nudity and lust can make them do things that they are not supposed to at their age. Moreover, too much time and money is also wasted on viewing cinema.

Hence, cinema impacts the youth in various ways. However, it depends on their maturity and understanding on what they adopt the most.

Essay on Advantages and Disadvantages of Cinema 600 words

Cinema is a source of entertainment for millions of people around the globe. It serves as a tool against boredom and an escape from the monotonous life. A good movie offers a relaxing and entertaining experience. It takes you to a new world of imagination, away from all the troubles. It has the power to refresh and rejuvenate your mind. However, it also has certain set of disadvantages attached to it. Here is a look at the advantages as well as disadvantages of cinema:

Advantages of Cinema

Here is a look at the advantages offered by the cinema:

• Social Advantages

Among the teens the trend of watching movies is followed as a passion. Looking at the type of movies a person prefers to watch one can judge his preference and personality. Movies help in socialising as they offer a common ground of discussion. You can always discuss about the content you have watched while sitting in a group or at parties. It offers as a good conversation starter. It is an interesting topic unlike politics and sports that many people find boring.

• Inspires Imagination

Movies at times show the weirdest imagination of the writer. It shows the world that is unseen and unexplored with advanced graphic technology which can help us enhance our imagination too.

• Reflection of Art and Culture of Different Parts of the World

Different movies have varied plots that are set around varied cultures and people belonging to different places across the globe. This helps one broaden his or her knowledge about people living in different parts of the world and their way of living.

• Improvises Thinking Capacity

Success stories and biographies can inspire people to not give up in life. There are certain scenes in the movies wherein cases of emergency such as fire, bomb blast, robbery, etc are shown. We may not know what to do in such moments in real life if we ever come across them. Movies can help improvise our thinking capacity and help us understand how to act in such situations.

Disadvantages of Cinema

• Creates False Notion

Movies contribute greatly towards forming false notion in people especially kids. Situations and societies in every part of the world are different. People are different on screen and in reality. However, many individuals fail at realize the gap between the movie world and reality which causes problems.

• Waste of Money and Time

Movie is a mere representation of the writer’s thoughts and imagination and they are not always worth our time and money. What’s the point in investing into something if it isn’t worth our time and we feel disappointed at the end of it?

• Violent and Adult Content

To make a movie fetch more profit unnecessary scenes of violence, action, nudity and vulgarity are added to it, making it inappropriate for the kids and young adults. It can have a negative impact their mind.

Movies have at times proved to be over addictive for certain people. Not every movie is worth watching. There are so many other productive and interesting things to do in life other than unnecessarily wasting hours on useless movies. The involvement in movies up to certain extent is alright but undue craze for cinema and wasting money for overhyped movies is not preferable.

There are always two aspects of a thing – a positive one and a negative one. One must watch movies and let them impact oneself to a limit to avoid all the negative aspects of it. As it is rightly said, everything done in limit is beneficiary. Similarly, investing time into movies that are worth watching is fine but getting addicted to them should be avoided, as it would not only waste our time but we’ll also miss out other things that are actually worth our time.

Essay on Impact of Cinema in Life FAQs

What is the impact of cinema on youth.

Cinema can influence youth by shaping their beliefs, values, and behaviors through the stories and characters they see on screen.

What is the impact of cinema in India?

In India, cinema is a powerful cultural and entertainment medium that reflects the diversity, traditions, and societal issues of the country.

What are the benefits of cinema?

The benefits of cinema include entertainment, education, cultural representation, and a platform for storytelling.

What is the impact of cinema in our life?

Cinema impacts our lives by providing a source of entertainment, inspiration, and a means to connect with diverse perspectives.

In India, cinema is a significant part of the cultural fabric, influencing society, and addressing important issues.

What was the impact of cinema as a means of mass communication to the society?

Cinema, as a means of mass communication, has the power to inform, entertain, and shape public opinions on various topics.

Why is cinema important in our daily life?

Cinema is important in daily life as it offers relaxation, escape from reality, and a window to different worlds and experiences.

In India, cinema has a profound impact on culture, society, and the way people perceive and connect with their surroundings.

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Film and Society: How Films Impact Society and Popular Culture

There’s no question that watching films can help us escape our everyday lives. However, all kinds of films impact our society and popular culture. Here are some great examples of films that have changed our lives outside the theater in tangible ways.

Fight Club inspired fight clubs in real life

Fight Club (1999) told the story of a man who vents his frustrations about his boring, mainstream life by joining an underground fight club. Since the movie’s 1999 release, real life fight clubs have sprung up across the United States— like New York’s underground fight circuit . In fact, the Fight Club way of life has spread beyond the US and across the globe; take the Moscow and Thai fight circuits , for example.

The Thin Blue Line shook our faith in police

The Thin Blue Line (1988) is a true crime documentary that focused on corruption in the justice system and in the case of death row inmate Randall Dale Adams, in particular. Adams was accused and convicted of murdering a police officer, and the case against him relied upon police testimony. The film proved to be powerful enough to help overturn Adams’ conviction, only days before his execution was set.

The Day After Tomorrow brought global warming to life

The 2004 film The Day After Tomorrow was a scary enough—albeit scientifically inaccurate—force making global warming matter to members of the general public. A survey conducted three weeks after its release by Anthony Leiserowitz, a researcher from Yale, revealed that 83 percent of people who saw the movie said they were “somewhat” or “very concerned” about global warming, while only 72 percent of people who hadn’t seen it agreed.

V For Vendetta inspires hacktivist group Anonymous

The dystopian version of London seen in V for Vendetta shows the mask-wearing revolutionary V inspiring the masses to fight back against the conservative fascist government regime. He manages this by taking over the state-run television and radio channels (and by blowing things up). Anonymous uses the same Guy Fawkes mask worn by the character V to represent their group. The basic idea of the mask in the movie was that the group is collective, and that we are all part of it in some sense so long as we stick together and fight; Anonymous uses the mask as a symbol of anonymity for anyone fighting any kind of injustice anywhere.

All the President’s Men

All the President’s Men (1976) told the story of how Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, two reporters for the Washington Post, investigated the Watergate scandal. The film was so inspiring that journalism schools across the US experienced higher enrollment numbers after its release. The film also affected political attitudes about the press; research showed that liberal viewers felt more positive about the press after seeing the movie while conservative viewers felt more negative. Specifically, when given the statement, “there should be laws that control some of the things reporters write and talk about,” Democrats disagreed overall and Republicans agreed overall.

Bowling for Columbine and Kmart

In his 2002 documentary Bowling for Columbine , Michael Moore confronted executives at Kmart because they sold guns and ammunition. After the shoot and before the film’s release, Kmart stopped selling these items .

Bambi causes a drop in hunting

The film Bambi (1942) depicted a mother deer being killed by a hunter before her baby’s eyes. After the film was in theaters, deer hunting in the US was cut in half . Furthermore, the psychological effect that comes from anthropomorphizing “cute” animals got its own informal name from the movie: the Bambi effect .

JFK prompts more transparency in government

Oliver Stone’s JFK (1991) presented a high-level conspiracy theory about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and a plot to cover it up. The film triggered not only a lot of public and official backlash, but also lasting reform: the assembly of the US Assassination Records Review Board and the creation of the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992.

Super Size Me takes on McDonald’s

Super Size Me (2004) showed what eating nothing but McDonald’s for one month does to the human body—and it wasn’t pretty. Not even two months after the film screened, McDonald’s took away the “super-size” option , and although they said the decision was unrelated to the film, that seems unlikely given the timing.

Jaws takes a bite out of beach vacations

Jaws (1975) depicted a killer great white shark terrorizing a beach community one summer. Although shark attacks are and always have been rare, the movie caused beach tourism to drop off on both coasts for some time.

Blackfish makes us see Sea World differently

Blackfish (2013) told the harrowing and depressing story of orcas living in captivity. This proved to be bad news for SeaWorld which had to respond ; the company ended up ending its orca breeding program and changing the way that orcas perform for the public.

Films of any genre, from documentary to drama, can have a dramatic impact on real life. Chances are excellent that you’ve seen at least one film that has changed the landscape of our popular culture, even if you’re not aware of it. These films that have changed our lives outside the theater in tangible ways are excellent examples of the important role film plays in the world at large.

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The Role of Television and Movies in Our Life Essay

Nowadays, mass media and television have taken the separate cultural domain. It reveals through a wide impact of television and movies on democratic life. Mass communication has penetrated the awareness and outlook of society on the culture. Thus, people become dependent on TV programs and movies that do not always reveal useful information. Some mass media researchers believe that television and movies should be more realistic and reveal the violence and profanity. Others insist on the fact that the main function of TV is to eliminate brutality from real life. My strong belief is that television should introduce people with cardinal virtues by broadcasting educational programs and movies with clear language and moral messages due to numerous reasons.

First of all, the movies revealing violent and cruel attitudes toward people contribute to the increase of the crime rate. Many researchers figured out the consequences of watching television violence and found out that children suffer from it in most cases since it provokes aggression towards others (Dorpat, Th 30). The increase of the children’s aggression level evokes an indifferent attitude to the violence in reality. Some people while watching movies depicting violence and brutality are eager to witness bad “guys” be punished and, hence, they take pleasure from watching the cruelties. The nature of violence lies in a person’s psychological perception of violence as the cause of the conflict between people. In other words, people are unlikely to accept the good features of negative characters in the movies (Rosenberg, M. B. 18). The same concerns children who always emulate their parents’ habits believing there is only one way to punish the evil. As a result, children’s outlook on good and evil is significantly distorted and in the future children will not be able to distinguish between the actual evil and a slight offense. Moreover, violence is included in the tradition of American movies.

The profanity was especially increased over several decades of the last century. Instead of movies and TV programs overwhelmed with cuss words and the usage of abusive language, media should be directed on the education of the society. The fact that the current TV viewers are more likely to watch programs overwhelmed with scandals and obscene language should make the government to think over the future of the television media. Those surveys constitute low educational level of the society and moral degradation of the population. The situation is aggravated by the growing tendency to use cuss words by TV reporters. Television journalists are free to use taboo words such as “hell” or “damn” during the news programs holding at dinner time, the time when children are likely to be at home (Gans, H.J. 244). Therefore, government policy must be directed on the elimination of the scandalous TV shows that distort the social and moral outlooks of the society on the culture of language and behavior. That is why, people should be culturally active advocating the main moral principles. In addition, violent movies and Hollywood movies propagate the unhealthy way of life where all heroes used to smoke and to drink spirits. Currently, smoking and dissipated way of life are out of date. Besides, more programs on healthy lifestyle tend to be introduced on TV.

The exposure to the nudity and sexual scenes may lead to the early sexual contacts that can hamper the healthy development of a teenager. Nowadays, the youth is stressed with a growing amount of sexual scenes so that they get used to the growing amount of the sexual crimes. Consequently, children do not analyze what they watch on TV but perceive it as the reality. The outcome of such perception may lead to blurring the limits between the real world and the movie world as well as to the corruption of children’s innocent mind (Gauntlett, D & Hill 277). Instead, some scientific and educational programs should be provided that would cultivate the teenagers’ right outlook the sexual relationships.

However, nudity as an art should not be conflated with erotic scenes and pornography, if we talk about nudity as cult of the human body beauty. Nudity is also presented in works of famous architects and painters who glorified the beauty of male and female bodies. In this respect, nudity has nothing in common with sexual scenes and violence and has the right to be shown on TV.

In conclusion, I believe that television’s main function is to cultivate the moral values of the younger generation, which is obsessed with TV programs and movies. Hence, the television should be directed on the healthy development of the children’s personality and to the cultivation of the positive outlook on the reality. In addition, adults should be more conscious of what they watch and should not overuse it as the main means of entertainment. The government, in its turn, should take more attention to the development of mass media and set up a more strict censure on TV programs due to fact that television has the greatest impact on the current society.

Works Cited

Dorpat, Th. L. Crimes of Punishment: American’s Culture of Violence. US: Algora Publishing, 2007.

Gans, H.J., Deciding What’s News: a Study of CBS Evening News, NBC nightly news. US: Northwestern University Press, 2004.

Gauntlett, D & Hill, A. TV Living: Television, Culture, and Everyday Life. London: Routledge, 1999.

Rosenberg, M. B. Nonviolent Communication: a Language of Life US: PuddleDancer Press, 2003.

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IvyPanda. (2021, November 13). The Role of Television and Movies in Our Life. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-role-of-television-and-movies-in-our-life/

"The Role of Television and Movies in Our Life." IvyPanda , 13 Nov. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/the-role-of-television-and-movies-in-our-life/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'The Role of Television and Movies in Our Life'. 13 November.

IvyPanda . 2021. "The Role of Television and Movies in Our Life." November 13, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-role-of-television-and-movies-in-our-life/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Role of Television and Movies in Our Life." November 13, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-role-of-television-and-movies-in-our-life/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Role of Television and Movies in Our Life." November 13, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-role-of-television-and-movies-in-our-life/.

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Essay on Impact of Cinema in Life

All of us just like watching movies and some of us are just crazy about a new release. It is one of the best sources of entertainment and we prefer watching movies on our weekends. Somehow it affects our life as well as society in many ways.

Short and Long Essays on Impact of Cinema in Life in English

Find here some essays to know more about the Impact of Cinema in our Life .

Impact of Cinema in Life Essay 10 Lines (100 – 150 Words)

1) Cinema is a great source of entertainment for humans.

2) It plays an important role in bringing different cultures together.

3) Different issues of society can be raised through cinema.

4) Some movie inspires us and provokes us to achieve our goal.

5) It helps us to know many unfamiliar incidents and information.

6) It also helps in reducing stress and improving mood.

7) Many science fiction movies positively affect children.

8) Cinema also shows bad things like alcohol, smoking, etc which negatively affect children.

9) Cinema is also responsible for promoting vulgarity, which is not good for youths.

10) All types of emotions are shown in the cinema, therefore, we need to select the appropriate one.

Essay 1 (250 Words) – Impact of Cinema in Life

Introduction

Cinemas are not only the best ways of entertainment but they also teach us and we learn a lot from them. Either it is a good habit or a bad one because they show everything and it is up to us as what we choose. I can say that it has really affected us and its impact can be easily seen in our society as well as on us. All of us love watching movies and really can’t imagine a life without cinemas.

Impact of Cinema

It will be not wrong if I say we have developed a lot and one of the best ways to analyze our development is cinema. You can watch a 90’s movie and then watch the latest release and the difference will be just in front of you.

Impact of Cinema on Students

Students learn things quickly and whenever a character gets popular; its dialogues and name get automatically popular among students. Some movies are all about imagination and a writer writes a story and a director makes the story survive in the society in the form of a movie. Sometimes they also make movies on science fiction and this helps students to enhance their imagination and create something new. I can say that students get affected a lot with these movies, they lean all good and bad habits from it.

Impact of Cinema on Normal People

They show different types of social issues in a movie and it directly affects people. It helps them to think and take some action. One of the very best examples is our police, past in the history police had a very bad image of taking a bribe or behaving like a don, etc. But thanks to movies the image has changed and now people know that it is not every police officer the same. Due to some people, the whole system was degraded.

It shows that movies play a very important role in our life. People easily get the effect with them and get manipulated with movies. This is the reason why some movies get banned and some of them are strongly opposed. Overall, I can that they are good and one should really learn from them.

Essay 2 (300 Words) – Some Positive and Negative Aspects of Cinemas

I love watching movies and sometimes a thrilling story brings goosebump whereas sometimes it also makes me cry. Depending on the story, directors make it look real and that is called a cinema or movie. Movies are of different types some are carton movies whereas some are real story-based, etc. We can relate some of the stories with our day to day life.

Positive Aspects of Cinemas

Many movies or stories are inspiring and they affect us in many ways. We learn a lot from it; actually you can say that movies are the mirrors of society. Sometimes the stories inspire us whereas sometimes it also fills with happiness.

• We learn new ideas from movies because they show some virtual technologies which inspire us to make them and give us new ideas.
• We also know the latest trend, either it is fashion or something else, it is very first seen in movies and then it goes viral.
• Some movies inspire us a lot and sometimes it also changes our lives and fills us with new hope.
• Some movies are made as a satire on the taboos in our society which helps us to change our mentality and bring a change in society.
• Movies are also known as stress busters because we just forget our own stuff and live in another story, which sometimes also makes us laugh as well as sometimes makes us cry.

Negative Aspects of Cinema

There is no doubt that movies are good in many ways still there are some factors which affect us and our society directly, I have mentioned some of them below;

• Some people get addicted to movies and this is not a good thing because everything should be in a limit. Overdoes of anything is harmful to health.
• They show everything in a movie like Drugs, Alcohol, etc; sometimes youngsters and students get prone to these things and it badly affects their life.
• Movies are of different categories and some adult movies badly affect children. So, parents always have to keep an eye on children to be safe.

Nowadays moves are not only just a medium of entertainment but they also educate and bring change in our society. There are thousands of movies that have helped people and have also filled new hope in them. Really our film industry is doing a very good job and we should respect them.

Essay 3 (500 – 600 Words) – What is a Cinema and How it is Affecting Us?

There are different mediums of entertainment in our life, sometimes we like to read a book whereas sometimes we watch a movie. Movies are one of the best and never-ending fun for most of us. We like spending our time watching a movie.

What are Movies and How it Came into Existence?

Movies are short stories dealing with some people. Sometimes they are based on some true stories whereas sometimes they are simply based on imagination.

It was Roundhay Garden Scene the first motion picture ever made in the year 1888 and it was Raja Harishchandra which was the Indian movie made in the year 1913. We can easily see the impact of our society in the movies of that era.

Movies can be termed as the mirrors of society and they show what’s going on in society. Some movies are satires on some bad cultures or something wrong happening in our society; whereas some movies are simply directed to entertain us.

How Movies Affect our Society

Movies play a very important role in building our society; there are many movies that reflect what’s going on in society: the caste system, dowry, killing of the girl child, etc. Many movies were made to teach society and really, they helped a lot to bring some change.

When people see, feel, and understand, it automatically helps them to change. Today there is a drastic change in the ratios of the girls’ literacy rate, the killing of a girl child, etc. Movies have played a major role in abolishing these taboos from society.

How Movies Affect our Youth

Movies have also played a very important role in changing our mentality. Our youth is fastly adopting western culture, attire, we can say everything. Nowadays movies are the main source of knowing other cultures. Hollywood movies are so famous in India and we also want to be like them.

So, I can say that our youth is fastly accepting another tradition and it is not a good thing. Everything should be in a limit; one should not forget his roots and traditions. Our youth should understand the importance of their own culture.

It is good to learn new things but one should also think about his own culture. Our youth is orienting towards the west and movies have badly affected our culture. For example, if there is a tradition of opening shoes out of the home means one should understand the science behind it. Actually, our shoes carry lots of bacteria with them so it is a better option to open them outside.

How Movies Affect our Life

It is human nature that we don’t like to follow a strict rule; we try our best to figure out an easy way of doing a particular work. As a result, we are skipping some of our rituals.

Electronic media has played a very important role in developing our society either the growth is social or personal. We have changed a lot and day by day learning new things just because of these mediums. These mediums have made easy access to movies as a result anyone can watch a movie anywhere.

We have developed technologies, and also want to look smart and sophisticated. The new hairstyle or hair colour gets viral within a day and people rush towards the shops to buy similar things. I can say that this was never seen before. This is the impact of cinemas in our life.

It is quite good to change but one should not forget his own tradition and culture. Our moves should also promote our tradition. Movies have both positive as well as negative impacts and we should teach our children to learn good habits.

FAQs: Frequently asked Questions

Ans . Cinema literally means a place where films are shown.

Ans . The cinema came into existence in the world in 1895.

Ans . Cinema begins in India in 1913 when the first silent film Raja Harishchandra was made.

Ans . Dhundiraj Govind Phalke is known as the father of Indian cinema.

Ans . The name of India’s first talkie film was Alam Ara.

Ans . The youth tries to implement the same in their life whatever they watch in the movies.

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5 very real benefits of watching movies

By Grace Jennings-Edquist

• X (formerly Twitter)

Although streaming services provide on-demand entertainment that would've been unthinkable even a few years ago, seeing a film with friends remains an important ritual for many of us.

In fact, if you're like most Australians, you're spending more time in the cinema than you did 10 years ago.

It's not just that we're going to the movies more often. We're also just as interested in film culture as we've ever been. Online searches for "Oscars nominations" have almost doubled in the past ten years, Google Trends data shows.

So what's behind our ongoing love of movies? And is it just about being entertained, or do we get something deeper from the films we watch?

Going to the movies is not only about blowing off steam and having a laugh, explain the five experts interviewed for this article. Watching a film can also be a way of appreciating art (in a format more accessible to many of us than a gallery) and learning lessons about ourselves and the world.

Here's how.

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Films help us learn

"We can learn a huge amount about certain moments in time or certain perceptions of moments in time" from watching films, says Adrian Danks, lecturer and associate dean of media in the School of Media and Communication at RMIT University.

In other words, films can shape the way we're making sense of the world we're living in right now — regardless of the period they're set in.

Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman, an Oscars Best Picture nominee about a black police officer who infiltrates the local Ku Klux Klan branch, for example, uses footage from Trump-era rallies at the film's conclusion, positioning the film as a meditation on contemporary politics.

"It's obviously a film set in the 1970s and it's able to bring some of those issues or relationships to connect to something that's happening in the current moment," says Dr Danks.

How "fiction can explore historic events in different ways to a documentary" is a theme that has underpinned the career of Robert Connolly, the Australian director whose credits include Romulus, My Father (2007) and Balibo (2009). The former uses the story of a father-son relationship to say "something about that period of time, the immigrant experience, in that part of Australia," he tells ABC Everyday.

Mr Connolly points to Oscars nominee Roma — another biographical memoir, in this case inspired by filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón's upbringing in 1970s Mexico City — as an example of "an amazing film" that tells a real-life story in different ways to a documentary. The movie follows the story of a family's relationship with its live-in maid to raise issues concerning race, culture and class that remain relevant today.

Films can drive social change

Films have always inspired social change due to their ability to teach viewers about experiences outside their own perspective, inspire empathy, and raise politically charged questions.

"That's kind of their role, to be provocative," says Dr Danks.

In 2004, The Day After Tomorrow helped increase awareness on climate change, Yale researchers found . The 2013 documentary Blackfish sparked public outcry that culminated in SeaWorld announcing the closure of its controversial orca show, and in Australia, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert (1994) was pivotal in introducing LGBT themes to mainstream audiences.

More recently, calls for action on racial hegemony and sexual harassment in Hollywood (see: the #OscarsSoWhite and #TimesUp movements) sparked new debates about racial and gender equality.

This led to audiences becoming "much more attuned to a non-binary understanding of gender, of different sexualities, of the importance of diverse communities," explains Scott McQuire, a media and communications professor in the School of Culture and Communication at the University of Melbourne.

"There's now an awareness that if you want diverse stories told, it's not just about hiring different actors," says Dr McQuire.

"You've got to have a diverse group of writers and other people involved in production."

Oscars Best Picture nominee Black Panther reflects that progress. According to #OscarsSoWhite creator April Reign , it "shatters the notion that black films can't travel".

What does all this mean for viewers?

When we buy a ticket to a film made by a diverse team, telling a story of a group of people not often represented on screen, we're encouraging Hollywood to continue making diverse films, says Dr McQuire.

Films help us process difficult life lessons

"Of course stress relief is a key function of films, and it's a major function for large audiences of blockbuster films," says Dr Danks.

But the therapeutic benefits of films can extend further.

Jillian Lynch, a psychotherapist based in Sydney, says films provide "an opportunity for viewers to recognise themselves in a character or some part of a film's narrative in order to undergo change".

Dr Lynch completed her PhD thesis on 'cinematherapy' — the practice of psychotherapists and psychologists using film in their clinical practices as an adjunct to therapy (a practice well known to anyone who's bought tickets to a comedy for some light relief or switched on a tragic love story to cry to after a relationship breakdown).

In other words, films can be "a safe space" where we can find alternative role models to identify with, and observe those characters' behaviours as they tackle challenges similar to our own.

Some viewers also find metaphors or symbols in films that help them grapple with major life challenges.

Dr Lynch's research found the symbol of the ring in Lord of the Rings, for example, has been used by recovering addicts as a way of understanding their struggle. (Frodo is "on that journey to destroy that ring, to overcome that ring, and he never does, he never overcomes it," one interview subject told Dr Lynch. "Even though he's able to get away from it, it still tempts him, it's still there.")

Films are (still) a social experience

Box office ticket sales are on the rise globally — and the fact we still pay $20 to go to the movies, despite the popularity of streaming services, shows just how important movie-going remains to our social lives, explains Dr McQuire.

"The other growth area has been what you'd call 'para-cinematic exhibition experiences' — movie events in bars, or rooftop cinemas," says Dr McQuire. "There is a real flourishing of this sort of thing."

Even where we do stream movies at home, we increasingly find ways to connect with friends and communities over films — including on social media, online forums or pop culture websites.

Streaming has also facilitated some films to find a more mainstream audience than they otherwise would have.

"A film such as Roma, which otherwise might have been seen by considerably less people — through streaming is being seen by audiences from around the word. And that's certainly been critical to its popular recognition," says Dr Danks.

Films help us appreciate art

Films are often seen primarily as a form of entertainment, but it's worth remembering cinema is also an art form.

Because the medium can be understood as a "combinatory art form" (a type of art that combines other mediums) watching a movie can allow us to appreciate elements of, say, costume and sound design, architecture and theatre.

Simply watching a film can be a way of appreciating art and heightening your cultural awareness — in a format that is more accessible to many of us than a gallery.

Movies are simply "easier to take in" than books or other forms of storytelling, says Ian Davidson, president of the Australian Council of Film Societies.

When we watch a film, we're not just being entertained: We're also admiring something beautiful; learning about the world and ourselves; connecting with communities; and contributing to positive social change.

And, as Mr Davidson points out, "it's all over and done with in two hours."

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Impact of Films: Changes in Young People’s Attitudes after Watching a Movie

Nowadays films occupy a significant portion of the media products consumed by people. In Russia, cinema is being considered as a means of individual and social transformation, which makes a contribution to the formation of the Russian audience’s outlook, including their attitudes towards topical social issues. At the same time, the question of the effectiveness of films’ impact remains an open question in psychological science. According to the empirical orientation of our approach to the study of mass media influence, our goal was to obtain new data on the positive impact of films based on specific experimental research. The task was to identify changes in the attitudes of young people, as the most active viewers, towards topical social issues after watching a specifically selected film. Using a psychosemantic technique that included 25 scales designed to identify attitudes towards elderly people, respondents evaluated their various characteristics before and after watching the film. Using a number of characteristics related to the motivational, emotional and cognitive spheres, significant changes were revealed. At the same time, significant differences were found in assessments of the elderly between undergraduate students and postgraduate students. After watching the film, postgraduate students’ attitudes towards elderly people changed in a positive way, while undergraduate students’ negative assessments only worsened. The revealed opposite trends can be explained by individual differences of respondents, which include age, educational status as an indicator of individual psychological characteristics, the experience of interaction with elderly people and, as a result, attitudes towards elderly people at the time before watching the movie. The finding that previous attitudes mediate the impact of the film complements the ideas of the contribution of individual differences to media effects. Most of the changes detected immediately after watching the movie did not remain over time. A single movie viewing did not have a lasting effect on viewers’ attitudes, and it suggests the further task of identifying mechanisms of the sustainability of changes.

1. Introduction

With the development of information technology, a person’s immersion in the field of mass media is steadily increasing. A significant portion of consumed media products is occupied by cinema. According to sociological surveys, going to the cinema is the most popular way of spending leisure time in Russia today ( http://www.fond-kino.ru/news/kto-ty-rossijskij-kinozritel/ ); the audiences of cinemas are growing, the core of which are 18-24 years olds, as well as the frequency of visits—every tenth Russian goes to the cinema several times a month ( https://wciom.ru/index.php?id=236&uid=1785 ; https://wciom.ru/fileadmin/file/reports_conferences/2018/2018-04-03_kino.pdf ; http://www.fond-kino.ru/news/portret-kinoauditorii-rezultaty-monitoringa-za-i-kvartal-2019-goda/ ), the opportunities and frequency of Internet viewings is expanding, while interest in TV shows is also increasing. The importance of the role that cinema plays in Russia is also confirmed by the close attention currently being paid to the development of the cinema industry: the priority topics of state financing are defined (e.g., “Law and order: the heroes of modern society in the fight against crime terror, extremism and corruption”, “On the continuity of military generations, on the successors of military traditions”, "Images, patterns of behavior and creative motivation of our contemporary—a man of labor, in the military or a scientist"), while state programs are being launched to open new cinema theatres in small towns. Сinema becomes a “tool for broadcasting state ideology to the masses” (according to S. Zizek [ 1 ]), and is also being considered as a “means of individual and social transformation” (according to T. Kashani [ 2 ]) [ 3 ]. As a result, films are expected to form beliefs, influence opinions and change attitudes, including towards topical social issues.

However, the question of the efficiency of films remains open in psychology. In general, this is a key issue for mass communication research: how much emotion, cognition and behavior are changed under the influence of mass media [ 4 , 5 ]. There are various concepts about this: from “theories of a minimal effect” to “theories of a strong effect” [ 6 ]. Thus, for example, cultivation theory considers that mass communication contributes to the assimilation of commonly accepted values, norms and forms of behavior [ 7 ]; and a meta-analysis of studies leads to the conclusion that there is a relationship between the broadcast mass media image of reality and people’s attitudes towards it [ 8 , 9 ]. Despite criticisms, cultivation theory is currently being developed [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. On the other hand, supporters of the opposite viewpoint point out the weak effects of mass communication, caused, for example, by the fact that people are becoming more and more subject of their mass media activity as a result of a wider variety of sources of information now and expanding their choices [ 14 , 15 ].

It seems difficult to identify a single mechanism of mass media impact on the human psyche and behavior and to obtain an unambiguous answer to the question about its efficiency [ 6 ]. This is due to the interconnection of various factors that mediate the influence of mass media (personal experience, realistic content, depth of identification with heroes, personality traits, etc.) [ 16 , 17 , 18 ], as well as those factors that constantly impact persons besides those in the media. Therefore, our thoughts and ideas about this issue are largely based on empirical research data, and are not limited to one theory [ 19 ].

When referring to research of cinema, we can find data on the diverse effects of film exposure. It should be noted that the effectiveness of the impact is determined by what it is directed at: it is more difficult to change human behavior than to influence opinions or attitudes [ 4 , 6 ]. In this regard, there is still a debatable problem on the influence of the media on the aggressive behavior of people [ 20 ]. This research focuses on the potential of pro-social, "humanistic" impact of films and their effectiveness in solving topical social issues. The studies reveal the influence of films on people’s beliefs and opinions, stereotypes and attitudes. Movies can have a significant impact on gender and ethnic stereotypes [ 21 , 22 ], change attitudes towards certain groups of people and cause newly formed opinions on various issues. For example, HIV films contributed to sympathy to people living with HIV [ 4 ], TV series with transgender characters contributed to positive attitudes towards transgender persons [ 23 ]; the portrayal of mental disorders in movies had an effect on people’s knowledge about and attitudes toward the mentally ill [ 24 , 25 ]. Also, viewing an empathy-arousing film about immigrants induced more positive attitudes toward them [ 26 ], and watching a movie offering a positive depiction of gay men reduced homophobia [ 27 ]. Other films influenced people’s attitude towards smoking and their intentions to quit [ 28 , 29 ], while a series with a positive donation message helped viewers to make decisions about their own donation [ 30 ]. It has been shown that emotional involvement in viewing, evaluated using surveys drawing on theories of social learning and social representations, increases the effectiveness of influence [ 30 ]; immersion in narrative, that correlates with the need for cognition, and is characterized by a shift of focus from the real world to the depicted one, explains the power of impact within the framework of transportation theory [ 31 , 32 ].

Cinema can change people’s opinions on specific issues without affecting more stable constructs: for example, the film “JFK” dedicated to the Kennedy assassination influenced judgments about the causes of this crime, but generally did not change the political beliefs of the audience [ 33 ]; at the same time, the movies “Argo” and “Zero Dark Thirty” changed viewers’ opinions about the U.S. government that reflected in an improvement in sentiments about this government and its institutions [ 34 ]. Movies create images of other countries and stimulate interest in them. For example, European films shaped young viewers’ ideas about other European countries—such results were obtained in a study of the role of films and series in the daily life of young Germans through interviews and focus groups [ 35 ]. Another study showed that whether the movies were violent, scary or happy, the more the viewers were immersed in the stories, the more favorable impressions they had of the places featured in them [ 36 ].

Various positive effects of films on children and adolescents were revealed. Dramatic films taught teenagers about social interaction with the opposite sex and adults [ 37 ], had a positive impact on their self-concept [ 38 ], and, as shown by experiments, increased ethnic tolerance [ 39 ]; humanistically oriented movies improved skills of children in communicating with peers, increased their desire to help and understand others [ 40 , 41 ].

One of the prime examples of positive impact is Cli-fi movies, which clearly show what we can expect in the near future, and offers ways to think about what can be done to avoid the darkest predictions. Thus, after watching the film “The Day After Tomorrow” (2004), viewers recognized their responsibility for the Earth’s ecology and the need to change consumer attitudes towards nature [ 42 ]. In general, the screening of films on climate issues increases the number of online requests and media discussions on these issues [ 43 ].

It should be noted that when analyzing the impact of films, conclusions about their effectiveness are the result of different methodological approaches, which have varying advantages and limitations. Content analysis reveals the images, attitudes, stereotypes broadcast by films (e.g., stereotypical portrayals of India [ 44 ], or images of scientists and current scientific ideas [ 45 ]) on large data sets; however, questions remain about effectiveness, strength and sustainability of the impact on the audience. The influence of films can be investigated through a survey of viewers; based on this, conclusions are drawn about the links between a person’s attitudes and his/her viewer experience, such as in the study of gender attitudes and their correlations with teen movie-viewing habits [ 21 ]. In experimental studies, exposure effects are detected using pre- and post-film questionnaires; however, the time interval between testing and a film screening, such as a few weeks before viewing the film or a several days after [ 26 , 27 , 29 ], can lead to distortion of the results that are caused by the influence on the viewers’ attitudes of other factors besides the film; moreover, usually it is not investigated whether new attitudes are retained over time. Often the effects of films are analyzed in experimental conditions where participants watch only short cut scenes from existing films [ 24 ], which limits the extrapolation of the results.

According to the empirical orientation of our approach, the goal was to obtain new data on the positive impact of films based on a specific experimental study. The task was to identify changes in young people’s attitudes towards topical social issues after watching a specifically selected film. Participants had to watch the full version of an existing fiction film. They were tested just before and immediately after watching the movie in order to avoid the influence of other variables on viewers’ attitudes. Repeated testing (two weeks after the first viewing) was intended to reveal the sustainability of the changes caused by the film.

In the process of developing the design of the work, it was specified what attitudes would be studied. The choice was determined, first of all, by the social relevance of the topic, but outside the focus of the media in order to reduce the impact of other media sources, and on the other hand, by the availability of a suitable film. Important topics as ethnic stereotypes, attitudes toward people with disabilities, etc. were considered. However, the choice of the topics had to be restricted for various reasons. For example, identifying attitudes toward certain professions (e.g., engineer), whose prestige has significantly declined in Russia in recent decades, was difficult due to the lack of relevant films popularizing them. At the same time, despite the availability of humanistically oriented films dedicated to people with disabilities, the identification of changes in attitudes to them was complicated by the need to take into account additional factors caused by increased attention to the topic and active discussion in various media, which could distort the influence of a film.

Given the limitations and opportunities for the implementation of research tasks, the subject of this study the attitudes towards elderly people. At present, attention to the topic concerning elderly people is growing in Russia, but there is still a prevalence of negative stereotypes [ 46 ]. A characteristic manifestation of age discrimination against the elderly—ageism—is a biased attitude towards them, especially among young people, as well as a low assessment of their intellectual abilities, activity and "usefulness" for society.

Studies show that the mass media have a significant impact on negative attitudes towards the elderly [ 47 ]: children have already demonstrated the same stereotypes of the elderly that were depicted in the media [ 48 ], while young people at large viewed the elderly in general as ineffective, dependent, lonely, poor, angry and disabled, which corresponded to the negative representations of elderly people in the most popular teen movies that cultivated their stereotypes [ 49 ]. Research of TV films from the 1980s–1990s revealed the stereotypes of elderly people as being social outsiders [ 50 ], but at the same time a display of positive prejudice contributed to an increase in tolerance towards them within society.

Improving the attitudes of young people towards elderly people is an important social and educational task, the solution of which involves the use of diverse opportunities. Various social projects can be implemented for this purpose, for example, "friendly visitor" types of programs in which young people visit the elderly [ 51 , 52 ], but also mass media, including films, which have a high potential for impact [ 53 , 54 ]. It was found that watching documentary films had a positive effect on both knowledge about aging and attitudes towards the elderly [ 55 ]; these films significantly improved empathy towards elderly people among university students [ 56 ].

We suggested that fiction movies, popular especially among young people, could contribute to changing existing biased attitudes towards elderly people. Based on this, the hypothesis states that there is a connection between watching a positive film about the elderly and changes in young people’s attitudes towards them in a positive way.

2.1. Participants

A total of 70 individuals participated in this study. Group one contained 40 students of The State Academic University for Humanities (25% male and 75% female). The average age was 19 (M = 19, standard deviation SD = 2.4). Group two consisted of 30 postgraduate students from Russian Academy of Sciences (47% male and 53 % female). The average age was 24 (M = 24, standard deviation SD = 1.6).

All subjects gave their informed consent for inclusion before they participated in the study. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the local ethics committee (Review Board).

2.2. Materials

2.2.1. film.

The film—“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” (2011), the main characters of which were elderly people, was chosen to be shown to the respondents ( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1412386/ ). Prior to this, a qualitative analysis of empirical material revealed the impact of this film on the attitudes towards elderly people among Russian viewers of different ages. Their reviews on the film, taken from Internet resources devoted to cinema, indicated cognitive effects, expressed in positive changes of ideas about the elderly; the film was perceived quite optimistically and gave hope [ 19 ]. It was supposed that the movie that humorously shows various situations happening to the elderly heroes would also affect the opinion of young people about elderly people, as it allowed to look at them from new viewpoints, to see that age is not an obstacle to having a full life, and even, conversely, open up new prospects.

2.2.2. Measures

To achieve the goal of the study, a psychosemantic approach is used, which is the most appropriate for studying a person’s attitudes towards various objects of reality by reconstructing individual meanings [ 57 ]. This approach allows us to determine the differences in evaluations of the same object (caused by mass media as well), made by different groups of respondents at different times. For example, changes in the stereotypes of viewers were revealed in relation to representatives of another nation (Russians about the Japanese) during viewing of a TV show [ 57 ]. In this work, the psychosemantic technique was used, developed specifically to identify attitudes towards the elderly (based on the Kelly’s Repertoire lattice method) [ 46 ]. The technique included 25 7-point scales, according to which respondents rated elderly people. For comparative analysis, the modern youth were evaluated by participants with the same scales.

The respondents also noted the frequency of watching movies ("every day"/"several times a week"/"several times a month"/"several times a year and less"), and evaluated the level of enjoying the film shown ("did not like"/"rather did not like than liked"/"rather liked than disliked"/"liked").

2.3. Procedure

The study was conducted in three stages: the respondents filled out the psychosemantic test before watching the film, then immediately after viewing and again in 2 weeks. During stage 3, only group one participated in the study.

The respondents did not see the film before participating in the study.

2.4. Statistical Methods

In accordance with the data characteristics, non-parametric comparative methods were used. To determine the differences in the assessments before and after watching the movie, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used. To determine the differences in the assessments between different groups of respondents, the Mann-Whitney U test was used. The IBM SPSS Statistics 20 statistical software package was used for data processing.

3. Results and Discussion

As a result of the preliminary data analysis of the group one (students), significant differences were obtained in the assessments given by them to the elderly before and immediately after watching the movie (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p < 0.05). However, the analysis of the combined sample (students and postgraduate students) did not reveal such significant differences. Therefore, it was decided to compare the assessments of these two groups of respondents. It appeared that the evaluation of elderly people differed among students and postgraduate students before the film was shown (18 of 25 scales, Mann—Whitney test, p < 0.05). This result could be explained by the individual differences of the participants (students and postgraduates), which led to the necessity to correct the hypothesis and form additional research tasks, including the comparison of groups. Further analysis was carried out separately for each group of respondents, but not for the united group.

Significant differences shown by respondents of the group one before and immediately after watching the film (students) were found in 12 out of the 25 scales ( Table 1 ).

Changes in assessments of the elderly people after watching the film (students).

Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Only the significant differences are represented: b—based on negative ranks, c—based on positive ranks. * inversive scales: a higher rating means a more negative attitude

The group of students revealed changes associated with ideas about activities. The respondents saw the elderly as having less initiative, and being purposeless and weak. Moreover, they defined elderly people’s way of life as more passive, having no desire for knowledge or for living a full life. The results immediately after watching the film demonstrated that the audience perceived the elderly as being those who strived less to learn new things and perceived them to be less positive and more limited in their interests. Also, the changes of assessments related to the emotional sphere were discovered. The elderly were characterized as even more unrestrained and conflict-prone with a tendency towards depression and showing no emotions.

Comparative analysis of assessments of elderly people before and after watching the film, given by respondents of the group two (postgraduate students), showed significant differences on 14 of the 25 scales ( Table 2 ). Postgraduate students evaluated the elderly, unlike students, more positively after watching the film. Changes on 9 common scales (purposeless - purposeful, cheerful - prone to depression, passive - initiative, conflict - peaceful, traditional - modern, etc.) for students and postgraduate students turned out to be of different directions. After watching the film, the elderly seemed to be more purposeful, active and successful, responsible and with a good sense of humor. There were changes in assessments of the emotional sphere (more cheerful, peaceful) and cognitive (more intelligent) in references to novelty and life in general (the strive to learn new things, the desire for a full life).

Changes in assessments of elderly people after watching the film (postgraduates).

Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The significant differences are only represented: b—based on positive ranks, c—based on negative ranks. * inversive scales: higher rating means more negative attitude.

Thus, the data revealed changes in attitude towards the elderly people after watching the film. According to a number of their characteristics related to motivational aspects—regulatory, emotional and cognitive spheres—significant changes were revealed, but the tendency of these changes was unexpected. After group one (students) watched the film, a tendency of worsening assessments was found. It was also determined that before the film, students described the elderly more negatively as being less intelligent and interesting, more conflict prone, angry and aggressive than young people (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p < 0.01). This generally negative attitude can be explained by a special view of quite young people on the "old age". But why, despite the attempt of the filmmakers to make the image of the elderly positive enough, did the film fail to change students’ attitude? Instead, it made the image of elderly persons even less attractive. Meanwhile, there was an opposite trend in group two (postgraduate students). Their assessments of elderly people after watching the film changed for the better. The postgraduate students, unlike undergraduate students, had already demonstrated a more "adequate" view on the elderly before watching the film. Despite a number of negative assessments, the elderly were seen by them as smart and striving for a full life, sociable and interesting.

Comparison of the two groups of respondents confirmed significant differences between students and postgraduate students in the evaluation of the elderly after watching the film ( Table 3 ). The assessments given by undergraduate students and postgraduates differed significantly on 21 out of 25 scales.

Comparison of groups of undergraduate students and postgraduates by assessments after watching the film.

Mann-Whitney U test. The significant differences are only represented.

The opposite tendencies found in assessments after watching the film could be explained by differences in individual characteristics of respondents, which were not initially considered in our study as factors mediating the impact of the film: age of respondents (more subtle differentiation), educational status, as an indicator of individual psychological characteristics and experiences of interactions with elderly people. The suggestion of differences between students and postgraduates by personality is consistent with the results of other studies [ 58 ], and is indirectly confirmed by the fact that only about 1 out of 40 students become postgraduate students (data for Russia). In our study, differences between students and postgraduate students already manifested in differences in their attitudes towards the elderly before watching the film.

Then the film, which showed some negative aspects of life for elderly people (loneliness, needlessness, diseases, fears, physical limitations “comic” behavior), despite the optimistic ending, could strengthen the negative attitudes of very young people (students) towards the elderly, whose images might not yet be fully formed. On the other hand, postgraduate students might have a more complex view on elderly people, because of age and more diverse interactions with the elderly, for example, in scientific work. In this case, their perceptions of the film could be focused on its positive ideas, strengthening their previously formed positive image of an elderly person. In addition, postgraduate students, who have chosen the scientific career path, most likely have a high level of analytical skills that contributed to more complex perceptions of the world and a deep assessment of the phenomena that could affect their attitudes towards the older generation and the interpretation of their images in the movies. At the same time, the characteristics of the film itself, as well as the cultural differences between its creators and viewers, might cause additional negative impacts on students’ perceptions. Comedy, as a genre, could have an opposite effect. Younger people perceived the desire of older characters to give their lives new meanings in their own way and they saw a futility in these attempts. Respondents with more experience could be more tolerant to the specifics of the genre, and their perception of the film was more complicated and implemented in a broader context.

Thus, comparison of the results of the analysis for both groups of respondents suggests that the different changes in viewers’ attitudes towards objects of reality that occur after watching a movie can be explained by differences in the attitudes before watching the film. This effect can also be explained by the degree of identification with the characters [ 31 , 59 , 60 ], which is influenced by the previous attitudes of the viewers. For example, a study of the impact of films on attitudes towards migrants showed that greater identification with the characters induced more positive attitudes toward immigration, but only when previous prejudice was low or moderate [ 26 ]. In this regard, the various effects of the film on students and postgraduate students could be caused by the different degrees of their identification with the characters of the film, despite the fact that a large difference in age with the characters could complicate this process for all participants in the study. The conclusion that previous attitudes mediate the impact of the film complements the ideas of the contribution of individual differences to media effects [ 61 ]. In addition, this conclusion has practical value: in order to achieve the desired impact of films, it is necessary to identify the viewers’ individual attitudes before a screening.

At the third stage of the study, it was examined whether changes remained over time. Two weeks after watching the movie, respondents (group one) re-took the test.

Significant differences were found only on 4 scales (strives to a full life - lost the meaning of life, craving for spirituality - limited interests, quickly tired – high in stamina, traditional - modern) ( Table 4 ). The continuing changes in the characteristics related to the inferiority and limitations of elderly people’s lives may indicate the most striking and memorable moments in the film that had the greatest impact on viewers. The assessments of the other characteristics did not differ significantly from those that were identified before watching the film. That leads to the conclusion that a single movie viewing, in general, did not have a lasting effect on the viewers’ attitudes toward the elderly. Most of the changes discovered immediately after watching the movie did not remain over time. Studying the mechanisms of the formation of sustainable changes is a task for future research. One of the directions of such research could be to investigate the influence of additional cognitive processing (e.g., discussion after watching the movie) on the viewers’ attitudes towards objects and the sustainability of changes over time.

Changes in assessments of the elderly people 2 weeks after watching the film (students).

Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Only the significant differences are represented: b—based on negative ranks, c—based on positive ranks. * inversive scales: a higher rating means a more negative attitude.

The correlation between the gender of the respondents and changes in attitudes after watching the film was determined by comparing the assessments separately for males and females in each group. As a result, in group one, women were found to have significant differences in ratings on 13 scales, and men in three, two of which were common (no desire to learn anything - the desire to learn new skills, traditional - modern, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p < 0.05). The data showed greater changes in the attitudes among women than among men after watching the film. At the same time, a comparison of the male and female participants in the group two did not reveal such results. The analysis found an equal number of significant differences in assessments (on 10 scales) before and after watching the film (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p < 0.05). Thus, it can be assumed that gender had a lower impact on changes in attitudes after watching a film than other individual characteristics of respondents.

The data on the frequency of watching movies was obtained: 56% of respondents watch movies several times a week and more often, 44%—several times a month and less often. However, there were no differences between these viewers in the assessments before and after watching the film (Mann-Whitney U test, p < 0.05). The degree of general interest in cinema did not affect the change of viewers’ attitudes after watching the film.

It was not possible to determine the connection between liking the film and the changes in attitudes, since the differentiation of respondents by this factor was not found. Only six young people noted they did not like the film, while the others gave it a positive evaluation.

The study has limitations caused due to an assumption of no significant differences between students and postgraduates in the effectiveness of the film’s impact on them. The revealed differences between undergraduate students and postgraduate students led to the initial sample of young people being divided into two samples with smaller sizes already used during the research. In addition, for the same reason, some variables that could more accurately demonstrate the differences between students and postgraduate students and explain the effects of the film were not considered. The respondents’ attitudes before watching the film were taken into account, as well as additional factors on the impact effectiveness, such as the degree of general interest in cinema and liking of the viewed film, which could presumably increase its impacts. But a deeper study, for example, of the processes of identifying viewers with the film characters, probably linked to the viewers’ attitudes before watching, could reinforce these findings.

4. Conclusions

As a result of the study, changes in the viewers’ attitudes after watching the film were identified. Young people changed their assessments of regulatory, cognitive and emotional characteristics of the elderly people after watching a film about the elderly. At the same time, significant differences were found between students and postgraduate students in their assessments of the elderly. After watching the film, students’ negative attitudes towards elderly people got worse, while postgraduate students’ assessments, on the contrary, changed for the better. The revealed opposite trends can be explained by individual differences between the respondents, which include age, educational status as an indicator of individual psychological characteristics, experience of interaction with elderly people and, as a result, attitudes towards elderly people at the time before watching the film. Most of the changes in the viewers’ attitudes detected immediately after watching the movie did not remain over time.

In general, the study confirms the potential for a positive impact, as in the case of improving the postgraduates’ attitudes, but at the same time demonstrates the need to take into account the individual differences of viewers to achieve desired results. In particular, differences in attitudes before watching a movie are probably causes of differences in the effectiveness of the film’s impact. The initially negative attitude towards elderly people among students could contribute to the negative influence of the film on them. The obtained results form the basis of further research and pose the important questions: clarifying the contribution of individual differences to the effectiveness of the impact, forecasting the positive influence of movies on different groups of people and determining the mechanisms of the sustainability of changes.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the engagement and involvement of the research participants.

The research was carried out within a state assignment of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, project №0159-2019-0005.

Conflicts of Interest

There is no conflict of interest.

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Why movies matter (and why we should write some good ones)

Paul Guay | Screenwriter

We are the stories we tell.

And we are the stories we believe.

In 1978, when Superman hit the big screen, we believed a man could fly.

In 2016, when Batman met Superman, we believed a man wouldn’t want to.

What happened in 38 short years?

Reflecting the creation four decades earlier of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Christopher Reeve’s Superman was noble, confident, capable of heroism, capable of love. He inspired us. When he told Lois “I never lie,” we believed him. And we thought not lying was a good thing.

By 2016, when a dark, depressed, divided, self-doubting Superman made his second desultory appearance for director Zack Snyder, the character had been perverted. His powers weren’t a source of joy and wonder; they were the problem . Nobility and confidence were impossible. Heroism and love were the lie.

Do you think the 1938 Siegel and Shuster comic-book hero, the 1950s George Reeves Adventures of Superman TV hero, and the 1970s Christopher Reeve movie hero, read and watched and seen by tens of millions, had no effect on the audiences of their day? Painted no picture of an ideal man? Personified for kids no image of what we might aspire to be?

And do you think the Zack Snyder Jekyll/Hyde Hamlet puppet has no opposite effect on audiences today?

Movies reflect us. And then we reflect them.

When it comes to the realm of ideas, most people aren’t swayed by logical arguments. We’re swayed by the stories we’re told, stories that make sense to us.

Most of us get our ideas of right and wrong from art. More specifically, narrative art. More specifically still, books and TV and movies.

Movies make abstractions real. They show us what is good, what is to be aspired to. And they show us what to hate and fear and sneer at.

For those of us who believe in free markets, freedom of contract, entrepreneurial capitalism, and the liberating invention of money, the most puissant enemy isn’t whoever is running for president this year.

It’s Scrooge. And Shylock. And Robin Hood.

This year, and every four years, we can vote against whichever candidate is going to fetter the economy (and therefore us) more.

But until we counter the damage done by such icons as Scrooge and Shylock and Robin Hood, we don’t stand a chance of stopping the locomotive of politics from regulating and restricting and compelling and forbidding and robbing Peter to pay Paul and then taking its own cut before paying Paul...

And racing toward us faster year after year, shrinking more and more the autonomy of the individual. Politics driven by people who mean well . By people who think they are doing good .

By people who got their ideas of the good, and the bad, from books. And TV. And movies.

We need to slow the locomotive. We need to stop the locomotive. We need to turn the locomotive around, kick it in its parasitic caboose, and propel it back up the track.

And the best way we can do that is to change what people perceive as the good.

We need to seize the moral high ground.

We need to create characters as potent as Dickens’ Scrooge and Shakespeare’s Shylock... stories of self-responsible individuals who live in the real world, where one man’s invention can help millions, where trade is of benefit to both parties, where employment is freely chosen by both employer and employee, rather than in Dickens’ and Shakespeare’s zero-sum horrorshow.

We need to seize Robin Hood from those who misread the legend, who celebrate robbing the rich to give to the poor. We need to tell the story truly -- Robin Hood robbed from those who stole wealth, who attained it through political favors , and gave it back to those it was stolen from: the poor.

We need an Icarus who soars close to the sun... and finds a way to survive and to flourish, to bathe in the light and harness the heat for his own needs and for the needs of those with whom he trades.

We need a Victor Frankenstein who laughs when told “There are some things Man was not meant to know”... who masters nature and channels lightning for his purposes... who creates life and then does not abandon it . Who nurtures it, helps it to grow. Who teaches his creation everything he knows, and who learns from it everything he can.

We need a Pandora who opens many boxes... some filled with dangers, yes, but others with promises, and still others with possibilities. If we believed every unopened box held only evil, we’d never have left the cave. But we did leave the cave, because we opened our eyes and we wanted to see.

Of course there are dangers. But that’s only part of the story. As a wise fictional character, half-human, half-Vulcan, tells us, “There are always... possibilities.”

We need a Superman who makes us want to fly.

My friend Robert Bidinotto, who writes eloquently of the narratives that guide our lives, has listed 100 films of the kind I’m calling for . To look at the titles is to remember the Promethean potential of Man... and to realize once again how magnificent and powerful movies can be.

© 2016 Paul Guay. All rights reserved.

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Exploring the Moral Impact of Movies

What if movies can help us become better people? What if the stories we see onscreen could be parables for our time? What if religions understood more about the moral power of onscreen stories?

For the first time in decades of polling, Gallup tells us that fewer than half of Americans in 2020 were members of a church, synagogue or mosque. Meanwhile, subscriptions to Netflix and other streaming services continue to uptick worldwide even as movie theaters reopen their doors.

Together, these trendlines suggest that many people today may be more likely to be influenced by what they see on a screen rather than what they experience through a religious affiliation. Movies have become one of the most powerful and pervasive languages of our time.

We’re becoming a culture that increasingly congregates around onscreen stories.

Trends such as these can be troubling for religions and people of faith. However, Carl Plantinga, Ph.D., professor of film and media at Calvin University , believes there are many reasons movies can be a force for good — a powerful vehicle for developing moral understanding and spiritual sensibilities.

“There’s been a lot of fear about the power of movies in the past,” Plantinga notes. “But I want to look at the opposite: whether they can play a positive role in our lives that specifically has to do with moral learning as it relates to spirituality. Is it possible that movies can teach us something about what it means to be an empathetic person, for example? Or to understand the injustices of certain kinds of situations? Or what it might mean to be a spouse in a difficult relationship and how to work through issues like that?

“Can movies teach us things that are beneficial to our lives from a moral perspective? I think they can. But the question is what kind of movies? Under what conditions? And in what kind of context can that occur?”

With funding from Templeton Religion Trust, Plantinga is orchestrating an interdisciplinary investigation into such questions. His hypothesis and hope is that by bringing together scholars from psychology, the social sciences, philosophy and film studies to share their knowledge, perspectives and methods, the results will be foundational, empirical insights into how movies influence us — and how much.

More than Just Knowing

Moral understanding is our rulebook-in-motion for how to live as we go along a perpetual journey of reevaluation. While our brains may hold onto hand-me-down cultural or religion-based values such as sharing, truth-telling, nonviolence and compassion, our grasp on them is constantly tested in day-to-day experiences. Sometimes the difference between right and wrong can seem more muddy than obvious. Racism is one example Plantinga points to. We might think we know what racism is, and be against it. But we might not know how to really discern it in our workplace, our neighborhood or even ourselves.

Movies can show us — in advance and without consequences — how certain decisions and actions play out. In this way, they may reinforce and deepen our understanding of what moral virtues can and should mean in our lives.

A Powerful Combination of Thinking and Feeling

Whether in a darkened theater or curled up with our cat on the couch at home, the unique blend of multisensory stimulations that define a movie can capture our attention and stir our emotions for hours.

On the one hand, movies provide an escape from our real-world problems in exchange for those of someone else. And yet, how often do you find yourself running a dialogue in your head as the story plays out about what you might do differently? Or even yelling out loud when you feel outrage or endorse some turn of events?

But under what circumstances are such effects likely to occur? Just what ingredients do screen stories use to engender such deep responses? What variables affect the relationship between the media and the viewer? And how might these variables affect how we respond, both in the moment and later as we incorporate the aftereffects into our everyday lives?

Three Big Areas of Inquiry

The initial phase of Plantinga’s study is a series of seminars in which participants will focus on three facets of the movie-viewing experience:

1. Transfer and Cultivation – how beliefs and responses from screen stories are transferred to the real world and how they may influence moral codes

Is it the general theme that’s transferred, the attitudes toward character stereotypes such as the hero or villain, or the scripts that call for actions in specific circumstances?

While transfer can occur with documentaries, it seems especially prevalent with fictionized stories that activate our imaginations. Seeing complicated situations from the perspective of a character who we know isn’t real, paradoxically, may produce a clearer picture in our minds of what our own responses would or should be.

2. The Role of the Affective Experience – how the moods and emotions created by a film may contribute to moral understanding

Although it’s tempting to stop watching once the credits start to roll, each element of a film matters to the overall effect. Films are incredibly complex, multifaceted creations. Sound effects, music, the pacing of edits, closeups on a character’s face and many more techniques all contribute to the physiological “magic” — the powerful moods and strong emotions that films elicit.

Earlier investigations have often focused on the mostly thinking-based nature of our empathy for fictional characters. But what about the moods and emotions that cause us to feel outraged in response to a depicted moral wrongdoing? Can these and other emotional responses be categorized, further studied and quantified?

3. The Role of the Reflective Afterlife – what kinds of stories and contexts contribute to moral reflection after viewing a film?

Complex ideas and experiences take time to unpack, so the period after a film may be as important as the time spent watching it. And this process often takes place with others. Reflecting on the characters and events in a story is a way of developing moral understanding within community. The implications of a powerful film are often enduringly integrated into our cultural fabric through reviews, social media, fan cultures, and the publishing and teaching practices of academia.

Are some of these more influential than others in helping us distill moral understanding from the movies we see –or could they be? And might there be a role for religion to play in the reflective mix?

From Understanding to Action

As stories leap from screens into our minds, emotions and maybe even our souls, they may well be where many of our modern mindsets now germinate. Movies allow us to share common narratives in our society even as other forms of discourse have deteriorated.

More than mere entertainment, movies can be powerful rallying cries for addressing real-world issues. Some perhaps even function as parables for our time: earthly stories with heavenly meanings, a way to enliven and deepen our spiritual understanding. In this way, maybe even new-release blockbusters may have ancient ties.

“The arts emerged in human history out of religion — their original function was to express religious ideas,” Plantinga reminds. “And fundamental in those religious ideas were spiritual ideals about how we ought to live and how we ought to think about our ethical obligations to others. So it strikes me that even in more secular times, the arts can still harbor some of those functions, just in different ways.”

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How Do Movies Affect Society?

By PoutyBoy in Unreserved Thoughts January 15, 2017

Cinema can be very powerful.

Throughout history, many leaders have used the power of film to help achieve their goals. During WWII, for example, both Hitler and Stalin used movies as propaganda and did so very successfully. Cinema can easily change people’s opinions and their outlooks on life. Good films almost always impact the viewer; just how much varies by movie and person. Individually, people are bound to get affected by movies given that a main goal the cinematic art form has is exactly to impact and send a message. There are also numerous ways in which movies affect society and the modern world we live in: some of them negative, some of them positive. Since the cinema industry is so big and because films have become such a big part of our lives, the overall impact and influence that cinema has on our society is immense.

One of the ways in which films affect society is by expanding our knowledge of history and culture.

Some movies are like history lessons to the viewers, since they show real life past events. An example of this is the Academy Award winner for best picture in 2001 “Gladiator”. Winner of five Oscars and the nominee for seven more, “Gladiator” is a very well-made production and as close to perfect as few other get. Even though most of the plot in “Gladiator” is fictional, for example the love story and the revenge tale, the film does depict real life past situations. It shows life of gladiators, the political situation of Rome at the time, and the overall state at which the world was. People who have seen “Gladiator” surely gained some knowledge from the film and expanded their current understanding of Roman culture.

Films also describe and explore different cultures around the world. A perfect example of this is the four Oscar nominee “City of God” which takes place in the underground world of Rio de Janeiro. The film surely impacts the viewer since it shows certain situations and truths about life in Rio de Janeiro that most people don’t know.

Another huge, and often rather ignored, way that movies affect society is through advertisement of different products.

Often, companies will pay studios to include their products in movies; when so many people watch the production, surely some of them will want to buy the can of Coca-Cola that their favorite character was drinking all throughout. A recent example of this that comes to mind is in the movie “Nerve” starring Dave Franco and Emma Roberts. It’s fairly obvious the film is a huge advertisement for Apple. Millions of people went to see that movie; some of them probably had the desire to buy the new Apple product because they saw how well it was working in the hands of the characters. Unlike ‘Nerve’, however, some productions have found ways to advertise products without shoving them in people’s faces. Research has shown that people want to mimic their idols, so productions will often cast famous actors for the sole purpose of advertisement. If someone’s favorite actor was Johnny Depp, for example, they would subconsciously try to mimic him. If Johnny Depp took only one sip from a Coca-Cola can, fans would subconsciously want to buy a Coca-Cola can to be like their favorite actor, even though it’s a role they are playing and even though it was, after all, just one sip.

People try to mimic things they’ve seen in cinema constantly and in numerous different ways. For example, violence in films can be very influential to many young viewers. People may subconsciously try to be like a character they see in a film they very much like, even if that character has wicked intentions. In 2012 in Aurora, Colorado James Holmes killed twelve people and injured seventy others during the midnight projection of “The Dark Knight Rises”. James Holmes was a long time superhero fan and especially liked Batman. Psychologists still aren’t sure what exactly provoked him to do the shooting, but one of the theories is that he was enraged by the making of “The Dark Knight Rises” as it defiles his favorite comic book. Another well-known theory is that he was inspired to be like the Joker, the villain of the prequel “The Dark Knight”, who wanted to spread chaos and terror through violence. The Joker does not think of ordinary people as real people and James Holmes has said exactly that ‘these were not real people’. Although this is a very exaggerated example, it’s a fact that the violence teenagers all around the world watch in movies makes them want to cause violence. For example, in 1971, the same year the classic “A Clockwork Orrange” came out, the crime rate in America rose. It’s speculated that some people were influenced by the psychopaths in “A Clockwork Orange” and the awful things they were doing and that affected them in a way that they no longer suppressed their desire to do criminal activity.

But it’s not only through violence that people strive to mimic their favorite character and actors. Watching movies that include young people smoking often makes, surprise, surprise, young people want to smoke. Most big movie studios have a tobacco policy in force, which states that PG-13 rated movies must not include smoking or any other use of tobacco in them. That is because the use of tobacco in films affects the teens watching them in a way that they think it’s okay to smoke, since the characters they are seeing smoke. However, almost half of all PG-13 film produced by big movie studios do include tobacco use in them and the studios are obligated to pay a fine when that happens.

But there are some positive effects to this mimicking. People are inspired to be like characters they love and that motivates them to work on themselves. When we see someone we really like on screen, we always subconsciously try to be more like them.

Another way in which movies affect our modern world is that they help the economy grow and prosper.

Take, for example, action figures. For every big blockbuster, action figures are created and distributed. Fans buy them for aesthetic and collectible value. Action figures don’t have any real application or impact on people’s lives, they are just for fun. It doesn’t cost a lot for an action figure to be made, they are mostly all made by either plastic, rubber, or both. But since they have such a high collectible value, fans buy them at ridiculously high prices. That way, people bring money into the country, into companies, and into private manufacturers. And it’s not only action figures, it’s any form of merchandise. Furthermore, the money the theater makes from selling snacks before every screening is 85% of that theater’s total profit. Some of that money goes to the country in the form of taxes. Another example of this is simply the tickets sold for projections. Although most of the money goes directly to the studio that has produced the movie, some of it goes to the country. And it’s not only direct influence to the country’s economy that films have; the industry itself is of huge significance. A lot of people find jobs in the film industry, especially in the US. About 0.1 percent of all people in the USA work in the film industry. Although that may seem like a low percentage, it’s actually higher than that of a lot of other fields. So, because of big productions, it’s not only that money goes to the country and thus the economy is developed, but private manufacturers and companies prosper and there are more workers in the field.

Films can also both improve and ruin the health of individuals. Studies show that adrenaline junkies love going to horror films since being scared gives them real pleasure. However, most of them don’t know that being scared while watching a horror movie increases your heart rate and blood pressure, which can lead to heart attack and even death. For example, a woman died in the theater from heart attack while watching “The Passion of Christ”. And yes, this is a very specific example, but the principle applies on a smaller scale, too. But of course, films can also give benefits to your health. Comedies help lower your blood pressure and can make your blood vessels dilate. There have been studies that show that 15 minutes of intense laughing while watching a movie have the same effect on the cardiovascular system as exercising.

Perhaps the most influential ways in which films affect society is through giving individual people the opportunity to fantasize and inspiring them about who they want to be.

Although this might sound great, there are, as always, some negative sides to it. Take, for example, the five Oscar nominee “The Wolf of Wall Street”. In it, we have the character of Jordan Belfort: a sinister, self-centered, arrogant, and egoistic millionaire. The movie is based on a real story and explores the life of this Wall Street broker. Throughout the movie, there are numerous scenes where we see Jordan spending his money on ridiculous things, doing whatever he wants because he has money, behaving immorally, and actually enjoying his life. By seeing his extravagant lifestyle, viewers may want to be like him.

However, in that particular movie, the character feels absolutely no remorse when it comes to his actions. Jordan feels amazing while spending his money and unlike most other films about greed, there is no lesson to learn from “Wolf of Wall Street”. In the end of the movie, Jordan does go to prison, but he states that he feels at peace there. He doesn’t learn from his mistakes that much and the movie isn’t apologetic about his greed. Someone watching that will see how great it is to be rich and arrogant and might subconsciously think that there are absolutely no downsides to that and may strive towards it.

However, the positives on this one do probably outweigh the negative. Films inspire people to get in the industry and create dreams. Most actors, directors, cinematographers, etc. probably saw some film as children and were thus inspired to create something themselves. This is a very important aspect of how films affect society: they inspire. They inspire individuals to work towards their dreams and inspire them to get into the industry. Not only that, good movies teach valuable lessons. The aim of that is to affect the viewer and to send a message, and so many individuals change their ideals and beliefs because of what they see in films.

Movies are just so damn powerful.

Even though it’s called ‘the seventh art’, cinema is surely the most influential art form. Most people don’t follow sculpture or architecture and don’t get affected by new sculptures or buildings. Movies, however, are everywhere. So many people see movies every day and the film industry is so big and influential. However, movies can affect society in both positive and negative ways. They can help the economy grow, inspire individuals, and expand our basic knowledge of the world around us. Movies can also create violence and bad habits, can make people greedier, and can send a bad message to the public. The effects that films have on society are numerous and two-fold. And as movies are such an impactful art form, big movie studios must be very careful in what they include in their productions, since even the smallest things can affect the viewer. Individuals must be careful about what they take from movies, since even the smallest thing can push them to do something bad or to become someone different. It’s fairly clear that movies affect society very much. Not only that, they shape the modern world we live in and help individuals develop. In the big picture, it might be too early to say in what way. All people can currently do is think critically and not allow films to entirely change who they are.

Some recommended literature, if you’re interested to read more about the history of film, or just browse through some good movie recommendations:

Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How The Sex N’ Drugs N’ Rock N’ Roll Generation Saved Hollywood Down and Dirty Pictures: Miramax, Sundance & The Rise of Independent Film The Sky is Falling!: The Unexpected Politics of Hollywood’s Superheroes and Zombies 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: Updated for 2021 The Film Book: A Complete Guide to the World of Cinema

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• Speech on Impact of Cinema in Life

Long and Short Speech on Impact of Cinema in Life

Cinema is a form of entertainment that is used to tell a story. Cinema helps us in making new friends. Cinema is the invention that has changed the way a story is viewed by people. Many families spend time together watching movies in Cinema. Cinema has changed our point of view towards life as it tells stories that make the viewers think. Cinema is considered to be the most expensive form of art as millions of dollars are spent to create sets, advertisements, etc.

Here we have provided a long and short speech on the impact of cinema in life and along with that we have also given 10 line pointers speech on the importance of cinema in life

Long Speech on Cinema in Life

A warm welcome to everyone present. In my speech on cinema today, I shall discuss its impact on our lives. Cinema, as we all know, is a form of art that is used to show a story. Before cinema was found, people used to watch a story unfold on stage dramas. On December 28, 1895, the world’s first commercial movie screening took place at the Grand Cafe of Paris. We should be thankful to two French brothers who go by the name of Louis and Auguste Lumiere. They were the ones who introduced the world to the art of cinema.

Cinema is a visual medium that helps in telling a story. Cinema is the most collaborative and the most expensive expression of art where millions of dollars are spent to show a story to the audience. Cinema could be anything ranging from a movie, television series, or even small commercial advertising the product. Cinema through many years has had a huge impact on the majority of the population and we surely cannot imagine our lives without it.

Cinema also shows everyone the reality of life. The events that have happened all around the world are usually scripted again and filmed to be shown as a movie in theatres. I do believe that cinema creates a huge impact on society both good and bad. The audience viewing the content should decide on his or her own what shown is as right or wrong.

The advantage of cinema is it attempts to narrate a story to the viewers. Cinema also shows the reality of life. Many incidents are happening all around the world both good and bad and Cinema becomes a medium through which many people can get to know the story and review it on their own.

Secondly, the art of cinema helps us to socialize with people. Here is a small example of the impact of cinema. I believe that many people have read comics or novels? There are many movies and television shows that are inspired by comics and novels. These movies are discussed by many people all over the world.

Strangers from various countries discuss the stories and the theories related to comic book movies on various social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, etc. Cinema plays a huge role in bringing people together which makes a huge impact on society.

The third and most important thing cinema provides is jobs. In the USA alone there are more than 2.1 million jobs available for people with a total wage of 129 billion paid to people every year. Cinema also helps in boosting the economy of the country as many tickets are sold. Cinema also derives its income from the food, drinks, and merchandise sales. Public fundings and revenue earned through advertisement play an important role in boosting the economy of the country.

There has also been a negative impact of cinema in real life. Cinema divides people on different ideas. Due to this different groups are formed supporting different ideas, which causes a rivalry between these groups.

Few creators also use cinema to show unnecessary sexual content to attract many people to watch their content. Crime and violence have also been shown on a larger scale in cinemas by few creators.

A survey showed that the youth consumes the content provided by cinema the most and if sexual content, crimes, and violence are shown, the youth get influenced by the ideas shown. This is one of that is the reason that eve-teasing and sexual harassment cases are increasing day by day.

Cinema is very addictive and many people waste their time watching movies and other entertainment content. The same amount of time could be used to learn a new skill if invested properly.

Cinema has also often objectified women and has shown false cases through its content. We know that in many movies a big actress is signed to just star in a flashy song to advertise the movie. It might be helpful to sell the movie but it objectifies women. Many young people follow the movies and the big movie stars and learn from them and if a movie or a show defines women only by how she looks, this will create a pseudo mindset in which they will start to treat people around them as shown in the movies.

In conclusion, I read out an important quote, “The one who controls his or her mind is the strongest person in the world”. Cinema is an art designed to share different stories with us. Through these stories, we learn and also make friends. As time has passed many people have exploited the art of cinema to earn money.

It depends on individuals to control themselves and not get addicted to the cinema. Parents need to know what their child is watching. Let us all appreciate the art of cinema. Let us all laugh sometimes and also cry sometimes while watching movies but never exploit the art of presenting the story. Thank you for listening.

Short Speech on Impact of Cinema on Life

Greetings to everyone present over here. Today I am going to give a small speech about the impact of cinema on our life.

On December 28, 1895, the first commercial film was shown at the Grand Cafe of Paris and the credit goes to two French brothers by the names Auguste and Louis Lumiere. Cinema is a form of art that helps in telling a story. Before cinema was found actors used to perform a drama on the stage. Cinema is considered to be the most successful form of art in the world.

Millions of dollars are spent to make a set and shoot a movie. It is the most collaborative expression of art where many actors participate to present the audience with a story. Cinema could be anything ranging from television shows to movies. For more than a century, cinema has had a huge impact on the vast majority of the population and I am sure we cannot imagine our lives without cinemas as it’s the only source of entertainment.

Cinema sometimes helps in showing the reality of the world through its movies which many people avoid. Documentaries about the different incidents which occurred around the world are also shown. Cinema creates a huge impact on society in both good and bad ways. It depends on the viewer to view quality cinema.

The advantage of cinema is that it helps in bringing together people from different communities. Many movies cause a sense of excitement in the community which leads to people discussing the story and theories related to the movie. We often see a movie being discussed on many social media platforms like youtube, Facebook, and Instagram. 

I do believe that cinema in a way helps in bringing people from different parts of the world together. Cinema or the film industry provides millions of jobs around the world. The USA alone accounts for providing 2.1 million jobs to people with total pages paid up to 129 billion US dollars annually. The money generated through the ticket sales, selling of popcorn and other food items, and the merchandise sold helps in boosting the economy of the country.

The negative impact of cinema on real life is that in many movies there are scenes that show crime and violence and also unnecessary sexual content. The youth get influenced by this and we see through the news that there is an increase in cases of eve-teasing and sexual harassment cases around the country.

Cinema is also very addictive. A survey shows that many people waste the time-consuming content provided by the cinema. Instead of wasting time watching movies, the same time could be used to develop a new skill which would help them in the future.

I believe that  “The one who controls his or her mind is the strongest person in the world”. We as responsible audiences have should be careful of what we see. Cinema was the art designed to tell a story but it has been exploited by few people to earn money. Let us all respect this form of art and not exploit it. Thank you.

10 Lines Speech on the Importance of Cinema in Life

Cinema is the form of art that is used to tell a story.

Cinema is also a form of communication that connects millions of people through its stories. 

Cinema is the most expensive and collaborative form of art that spends millions of dollars to tell a story. 

The world’s first commercial movie screening took place on December 28, 1895, at Grand Cafe, Paris.

Cinema has a huge impact on the majority of the population.

Cinema helps in showing the reality of life. Many events that happened around the world are scripted and are shared with viewers as a film.

Cinema also provides jobs to many people. A survey shows that the USA provides 2.1 million jobs in the film industry.

There are also negatives of cinema like in many ways many creators objectify women.

Cinema also shows violence and unnecessary sexual content.

 Cinema is very addictive as many people waste their time watching movies.

Focus on the format compiled by the experts for short and long speeches on this topic. Learn how they have focused and balanced the good and bad sides of cinema. Get the idea and compile your own speech to woo the audience. Search Vedantu for speeches on other topics.

FAQs on Speech on Impact of Cinema in Life

1. What are the Cinema's Disadvantages?

While a film can be good in many ways, it can also be harmful in several ways. For starters, it stereotypes a wide range of topics, including gender roles, religious behaviours, and communities. This generates a false impression of that particular group of individuals, as well as a detrimental impact on them.

People also think it's a waste of time and money because most movies nowadays don't show or educate anything useful. It's just garbage content that's full of objectification and lies. Furthermore, it makes individuals addicted because you've probably seen movie buffs swarm to the theatre every weekend just to see the latest film to see it.

2. What are the Benefits of Cinema?

When we consider the positive aspects of cinema, there are numerous advantages. It is thought to be merely a reflection of society. It also makes it easier for people to socialize. It brings people together and helps to break the ice. People frequently discuss movies to start or continue a conversation. Furthermore, rather than politics and sports, which are frequently divided, it is also highly intriguing to discuss. Cinemas bring the world together and make them more accepting of other art forms and cultures in certain ways. Cinemas also provide knowledge about some things that we can opt to live in the real world.

3. What is the role of cinema in society?

Movies are societal stories that depict the current situation and topics that are frequently overlooked by the public. It is a means of communication that also educates individuals, instills moral ideals, and supplies us with facts and information we would not otherwise have access to.

Cinemas have both beneficial and harmful societal consequences. Individuals are inspired, our limited knowledge is expanded, and economic progress is boosted, but it can also make people greedy, spread terrible thoughts and messages, and cause violence and harmful habits.

4. What is the impact of cinemas on our life?

Cinema brings people together and serves as a conversation starter. It expands our view and thinking by enhancing creativity and showing the entire world numerous perspectives. Most significantly, it bridges the gap between cultures, introduces us to diverse forms of art, and enriches our life with previously unseen information and facts. Read the essays compiled by the experts of Vedantu to understand its importance in modern-day life.

Why Is Film Important to Society

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on Published: March 27, 2022  - Last updated: September 30, 2023

Categories Society , Culture , Filmmaking

I would say that film is vital to society. We’ve all watched movies or comedy programs such as The Simpsons, South Park, and Family Guy. Yes, these are fictional shows, but they can be influential to some people. They have pushed the envelope of what is acceptable in television, and many people worldwide love them. But I think film is so vital to society because it gives us a chance to reflect on our own lives and the lives of others who are different and can offer us a new perspective on life.

The Impacts of Film on Society

Most film lovers are fond of motion pictures, but they may find it challenging to articulate why they’re also so important to society.

• For the movie lover : there are many reasons why movies are an essential art form, but movie lovers may find it difficult to articulate them in detail. “Movies are just fun to watch on the weekend” doesn’t quite cut it. They know that movies mean more than just an entertaining weekend pastime. They identify with the world they’ve created in their hearts and minds.
• For popular culture : today, film is considered one of America’s most popular art forms and perhaps even its most significant contribution to world culture. It’s hard to imagine what our lives would be like without motion pictures – those flickering images projected on a screen that have become iconic representations of our inner and outer realities, conveying ideas and feelings from one person or culture to another through space and time.
• For those working in the film industry , motion pictures have become a significant industry in America and other leading production centers over the last century. They create jobs for thousands of people involved in production, screening, distribution, and other related activities. They indirectly create hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs by creating new markets for staples such as popcorn kernels or celluloid raw material used to print films on reels… and much more! Movies also create economic opportunities through tourism (think Hollywood Boulevard) that benefit all kinds of people, like hoteliers, restaurateurs, shopkeepers, and so on…

Entertainment and Pleasure

For some, it’s simply a matter of entertainment and pleasure. Most people go to the movies to have a good time. They want to be transported to another world for two hours, to forget the stress of their job or other worries.

That’s one of the reasons why film is so important as an art form – it offers people a momentary escape from reality, regardless of what kind of movie they’re watching.

Cinema is the most beautiful fraud in the world. Jean-Luc Godard

Of course, a film can also captivate an audience in ways that TV and other media cannot. It may sound obvious, but a film can engage the senses at once in a way that no other medium can.

The sights and sounds, combined with the experience of being in a darkened movie theater with dozens (or even hundreds) of similarly enthralled viewers, make for an immersive experience that’s quite different from watching TV or playing video games alone at home.

Identification and Identity

For others, identifying with the characters in the films they see or a fascination with the craftsmanship that makes high-quality movies possible.

People love their movies, and for good reason. Movies are the only art form that allows us to identify with the characters on an emotional level. We see them as people struggling with real problems and facing real challenges. We live vicariously through them and find our fears, desires, hopes, and aspirations.

Consequently, film can influence public opinion on social issues and change how we perceive ourselves – and sometimes even how we feel about ourselves.

For me, the cinema is not a slice of life, but a piece of cake. Alfred Hitchcock

For many of us, film is an escape from the monotony of everyday life; it provides entertainment that makes us laugh or cry (or both!). For others, it’s about being able to identify with the characters in the movies or being fascinated by the craftsmanship that makes movies possible.

Some see movies as art, while others enjoy watching actors portray fictional characters living their lives in epic adventure stories or romantic comedies.

Even More Effective Today

Movies have always changed the world, but they’ve never been as effective as in our time.

At the end of the 19th century, the motion picture camera and the projector were invented. The first motion pictures, known as “silent movies,” hit theaters in the 1890s. Not long after, film and television became dominant forces in American popular culture.

Film has changed history repeatedly, but it’s never been as influential as it’s today.

Movies have always been an effective way to reflect the world around us. Through comedies and dramas, through stories of love, hope, triumph, and tragedy, films show who we’re as people through the lives of the characters on screen – not just the ones we identify with, but all of them, portrayed by actors who draw us into their world.

The best films encourage us to think about ourselves and how we can improve our lives and society; they show us how to better understand one another through compassion and empathy while encouraging critical thinking about how we got here and the direction we’re headed.

Movies have always been an effective way to change the world around you because they’re mirrors that give viewers from all walks of life insights into their own lives – or at least fictionalized versions of them.

That’s what makes them entertaining, both for viewers at home (or at the movies) and for those who make these cinematic masterpieces possible behind the scenes at every step of this journey called life.

Tools for Social Change

When films about war reflect the real world with gritty realism rather than stylized depictions of soldiers marching into battle under waving flags, they can be used as tools for social change.

As you know, film is a potent medium and can be used for social change.

When films about war reflect the real world with gritty realism, rather than showing stylized depictions of soldiers marching into battle under waving flags, they can profoundly affect how viewers think about issues of war and peace. For example, the movie Saving Private Ryan depicted the horrors of World War II with gruesome special effects; the opening scene focused on the gruesome deaths of several characters-many viewers couldn’t watch it!

In contrast, old-fashioned films often showed patriotic feelings about the war. In Sands of Iwo Jima , for example, John Wayne plays an American soldier who wants to defend his country against enemies.

When viewers see realistic depictions of combat on screen, they may be less inclined to support armed conflict to solve problems. This is an excellent example of how movies shape society!

Broaden Horizons

Films can give viewers a different view of society than they’re used to, broadening their horizons and making them think about problems in new ways.

They can offer a different perspective on the lives of people in other societies, providing insight into the lives and cultures of other people. Films can educate us about other societies that are very different from our own.

Films can also serve to change the way people think about specific issues. For example, films like An Inconvenient Truth have been used to educate viewers about climate change and move them to action.

Art Form and Tool

In this way, film is both an art form and a tool for social change.

It can entertain, educate, or explore critical social issues.

Films can make us sit up and take notice, learn about a new culture, experience a different perspective, or open our eyes to a world we know nothing about. We watch movies because they’re entertaining and make us think about issues in new ways.

They don’t just reflect our culture; they change it!

Mirrors of Society

Movies are essential to society because they reflect culture, change culture, and spur economic growth.

Cinema is a reflection of its own society. Shohreh Aghdashloo

• Movies reflect a culture in so many ways. Think about the messages of your favorite movies and how those messages have influenced you. In this way, film reflects culture. For example, a movie that calls for forgiveness will resonate with people who forgive but not with people who don’t forgive.
• Movies also change culture by influencing the beliefs, opinions, and behaviors of the people who see them. For example, a documentary about child abuse may move you to take action against child abuse in your community, whether by volunteering for an organization or donating money. This is how films change a culture.
• Movies promote economic growth by creating jobs for thousands of people from all walks of life and generating billions of dollars in revenue each year that’s returned to the economy through taxes and other expenditures on goods and services related to film production (e.g., construction workers building a set).

Some Filmmakers Who Influenced Society

• Alfred Hitchock
• Steven Spielberg
• Walt Disney
• Martin Scorcese
• Kathryn Bigelow
• Roman Polanski
• Jane Campion
• George Lucas
• Agnés Varda
• Brian De Palma
• Quentin Tarantino

Examples of Films That Influenced Society

• The Sound of Music
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Schindler’s List
• Taxi Driver
• Close Encounters of the Third Kind
• Thelma and Louise

Some Major Film Production Centers

• Indian Cinema: Bollywood
• Los Angeles: Hollywood
• United Kingdom: Pinewood

Why have films become such an essential part of the arts?

Films have become an essential part of the arts because films produce new thoughts and ideas, provoke new emotions, and stimulate our imagination.

Does film influence society, or does society influence film?

I would argue that art imitates life more than the other way around. Throughout the history of film, society has continually shaped film. When movies first emerged, they were mostly made for entertainment purposes. However, movies later became a way for filmmakers to promote certain values like social tolerance and equality.

How did Hollywood influence American culture?

Hollywood influenced American culture by reflecting the values and ideals of democracy and capitalism. For instance, Hollywood films promote the idea that people can do anything they set their mind to – the so-called ‘American Dream.’

How can films help us understand other cultures?

Films can help us to understand other cultures by giving us an up-close and personal look at a foreign culture. Films are an excellent platform for connecting with other people’s experiences that are very different from ours.

Why is Hollywood so popular around the world?

Great question! Hollywood became so popular worldwide because of several factors. These factors include:

• The glamour and popularity of its stars and directors-these people love to travel around the world and have relationships with many people from different backgrounds
• Hollywood films are culturally universal-you don’t need to understand any specific language or culture to understand a movie.
• Hollywood films are entertaining- they draw in audiences, especially younger people.

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Films play an important role in our everyday lives

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Film: HOW TO WRITE ESSAYS THAT UNCOVER THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL IMPACT OF MOVIES

by Aveline MacQuoid on July 2, 2023

in Extras , Film

Movies have long captivated audiences with their ability to transport us to different worlds, evoke emotions, and provoke thought. Beyond mere entertainment, movies hold a significant role in shaping and reflecting the social and cultural landscape of our society. They have the power to shed light on pressing social issues, challenge norms, and influence our collective consciousness. As students and scholars, we have the unique opportunity to delve into the social and cultural impact of movies through insightful essays. In this article, we will explore the art of writing essays that uncover the profound influence of movies on society, and provide valuable guidance on how to effectively analyze their impact.

In today’s digital age, where a vast array of online resources and services are readily available, it is essential to approach essay writing with precision and depth. Just as we seek assistance from reputable sources like Ukwritings dissertation service for comprehensive dissertation support, we can apply a similar approach to crafting essays that delve into the social and cultural impact of movies. By examining the intricate threads of storytelling, representation, and audience reception, we can uncover the layers of meaning and significance that movies bring to our collective consciousness.

The purpose of this article is to offer practical guidance on how to write essays that delve into the social and cultural impact of movies. We will explore various key aspects, such as analyzing themes and messages, examining representation and diversity, and assessing audience reception and influence. By honing our critical thinking skills and sharpening our analytical lenses, we can delve into the rich tapestry of social and cultural issues that movies explore. Together, let us embark on a journey of discovery, unlocking the profound insights that movies offer and capturing their enduring impact on our world.

Analyzing Themes and Messages

Movies have a remarkable ability to convey powerful themes and messages that resonate with audiences on a deep level. When writing essays that uncover the social and cultural impact of movies, it is crucial to delve into the underlying themes and messages they convey. By critically analyzing these elements, we can gain profound insights into the intricate relationship between movies and society. Identifying the themes and messages allows us to explore how movies address social issues, challenge cultural norms, and even provide a lens into historical events. For example, movies for students like “Dead Poets Society” not only explore the power of literature and the pursuit of individuality but also shed light on the rigid educational systems and societal expectations that shape young minds.

As we analyze the themes and messages of movies, it is important to examine the social issues and cultural aspects they tackle. Movies have the power to create awareness and initiate conversations about pressing societal concerns. They serve as a mirror that reflects the triumphs, struggles, and complexities of our world. For instance, movies like “ Black Panther ” have sparked discussions about representation, identity, and social justice. By exploring the themes and messages within such movies, we can gain a deeper understanding of the social dynamics at play and the impact they have on our collective consciousness. It is through these thought-provoking analyses that we can uncover the layers of meaning and appreciate the significant social and cultural influence that movies hold.

Examining Representation and Diversity

In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on representation and diversity in movies. The portrayal of diverse characters and experiences plays a crucial role in shaping our understanding of the world around us. When writing essays that uncover the social and cultural impact of movies, it is essential to examine how movies tackle representation and diversity. Movies have the power to challenge stereotypes, break down barriers, and promote inclusivity. By exploring the diverse range of characters and narratives depicted on screen, we can gain insights into the lived experiences of marginalized communities and appreciate the importance of authentic representation. For example, movies like “Moonlight” and “Crazy Rich Asians” have been hailed for their groundbreaking portrayal of underrepresented communities, shedding light on their stories, struggles, and triumphs.

Examining representation in movies goes beyond mere on-screen visibility. It involves critically analyzing the depth, complexity, and authenticity of the portrayals. Movies have the potential to shape public opinion, challenge biases, and contribute to social change. When movies present diverse perspectives and challenge prevailing narratives, they open up opportunities for dialogue and understanding. By exploring how movies navigate representation and diversity, we can gain a deeper understanding of the social dynamics at play and their impact on viewers’ perceptions. It is through these critical examinations that we can appreciate the transformative power of movies in shaping social and cultural landscapes.

Assessing Audience Reception and Influence

When it comes to writing essays that uncover the social and cultural impact of movies, it is crucial to assess the audience reception and influence of these films. Movies have a significant impact on audience perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors. They can evoke emotional responses, spark conversations, and shape cultural trends. By examining how movies resonate with audiences, we can gain insights into their societal and cultural influence. For example, movies like “Black Panther” not only captivated audiences worldwide but also had a profound impact on discussions surrounding representation and diversity in the film industry, inspiring and empowering marginalized communities.

Understanding audience reception goes beyond box office numbers or critical reviews. It involves considering the social and cultural context in which movies are viewed and how they resonate with different communities. Movies have the power to reflect and reinforce existing cultural values, as well as challenge and subvert them. By analyzing audience reactions and engaging with diverse perspectives, we can uncover the nuanced ways in which movies influence our collective consciousness. By assessing the audience reception and influence of movies, we can gain a comprehensive understanding of their social and cultural impact, allowing us to write insightful essays that explore the profound effects they have on society.

In conclusion, writing essays that uncover the social and cultural impact of movies is a valuable endeavor that allows us to delve deeper into the profound influence of this powerful medium. By analyzing themes, examining representation and diversity, and assessing audience reception and influence, we can unlock a wealth of insights and understanding about the movies that shape and reflect our society.

It is important to approach this task with critical thinking and a keen eye for detail. By exploring the underlying messages and themes portrayed in movies, we can uncover their significance in addressing social issues and cultural norms. Additionally, examining the representation and diversity depicted on screen helps us understand the impact of movies in challenging stereotypes and promoting inclusivity.

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What to know about the crisis of violence, politics and hunger engulfing Haiti

A long-simmering crisis over Haiti’s ability to govern itself, particularly after a series of natural disasters and an increasingly dire humanitarian emergency, has come to a head in the Caribbean nation, as its de facto president remains stranded in Puerto Rico and its people starve and live in fear of rampant violence. 

The chaos engulfing the country has been bubbling for more than a year, only for it to spill over on the global stage on Monday night, as Haiti’s unpopular prime minister, Ariel Henry, agreed to resign once a transitional government is brokered by other Caribbean nations and parties, including the U.S.

But the very idea of a transitional government brokered not by Haitians but by outsiders is one of the main reasons Haiti, a nation of 11 million, is on the brink, according to humanitarian workers and residents who have called for Haitian-led solutions. 

“What we’re seeing in Haiti has been building since the 2010 earthquake,” said Greg Beckett, an associate professor of anthropology at Western University in Canada. 

What is happening in Haiti and why?

In the power vacuum that followed the assassination of democratically elected President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, Henry, who was prime minister under Moïse, assumed power, with the support of several nations, including the U.S. 

When Haiti failed to hold elections multiple times — Henry said it was due to logistical problems or violence — protests rang out against him. By the time Henry announced last year that elections would be postponed again, to 2025, armed groups that were already active in Port-au-Prince, the capital, dialed up the violence.

Even before Moïse’s assassination, these militias and armed groups existed alongside politicians who used them to do their bidding, including everything from intimidating the opposition to collecting votes . With the dwindling of the country’s elected officials, though, many of these rebel forces have engaged in excessively violent acts, and have taken control of at least 80% of the capital, according to a United Nations estimate. 

Those groups, which include paramilitary and former police officers who pose as community leaders, have been responsible for the increase in killings, kidnappings and rapes since Moïse’s death, according to the Uppsala Conflict Data Program at Uppsala University in Sweden. According to a report from the U.N . released in January, more than 8,400 people were killed, injured or kidnapped in 2023, an increase of 122% increase from 2022.

“January and February have been the most violent months in the recent crisis, with thousands of people killed, or injured, or raped,” Beckett said.

Armed groups who had been calling for Henry’s resignation have already attacked airports, police stations, sea ports, the Central Bank and the country’s national soccer stadium. The situation reached critical mass earlier this month when the country’s two main prisons were raided , leading to the escape of about 4,000 prisoners. The beleaguered government called a 72-hour state of emergency, including a night-time curfew — but its authority had evaporated by then.

Aside from human-made catastrophes, Haiti still has not fully recovered from the devastating earthquake in 2010 that killed about 220,000 people and left 1.5 million homeless, many of them living in poorly built and exposed housing. More earthquakes, hurricanes and floods have followed, exacerbating efforts to rebuild infrastructure and a sense of national unity.

Since the earthquake, “there have been groups in Haiti trying to control that reconstruction process and the funding, the billions of dollars coming into the country to rebuild it,” said Beckett, who specializes in the Caribbean, particularly Haiti. 

Beckett said that control initially came from politicians and subsequently from armed groups supported by those politicians. Political “parties that controlled the government used the government for corruption to steal that money. We’re seeing the fallout from that.”

Many armed groups have formed in recent years claiming to be community groups carrying out essential work in underprivileged neighborhoods, but they have instead been accused of violence, even murder . One of the two main groups, G-9, is led by a former elite police officer, Jimmy Chérizier — also known as “Barbecue” — who has become the public face of the unrest and claimed credit for various attacks on public institutions. He has openly called for Henry to step down and called his campaign an “armed revolution.”

But caught in the crossfire are the residents of Haiti. In just one week, 15,000 people have been displaced from Port-au-Prince, according to a U.N. estimate. But people have been trying to flee the capital for well over a year, with one woman telling NBC News that she is currently hiding in a church with her three children and another family with eight children. The U.N. said about 160,000 people have left Port-au-Prince because of the swell of violence in the last several months. 

Deep poverty and famine are also a serious danger. Gangs have cut off access to the country’s largest port, Autorité Portuaire Nationale, and food could soon become scarce.

Haiti's uncertain future

A new transitional government may dismay the Haitians and their supporters who call for Haitian-led solutions to the crisis. 

But the creation of such a government would come after years of democratic disruption and the crumbling of Haiti’s political leadership. The country hasn’t held an election in eight years. 

Haitian advocates and scholars like Jemima Pierre, a professor at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, say foreign intervention, including from the U.S., is partially to blame for Haiti’s turmoil. The U.S. has routinely sent thousands of troops to Haiti , intervened in its government and supported unpopular leaders like Henry.

“What you have over the last 20 years is the consistent dismantling of the Haitian state,” Pierre said. “What intervention means for Haiti, what it has always meant, is death and destruction.”

In fact, the country’s situation was so dire that Henry was forced to travel abroad in the hope of securing a U.N. peacekeeping deal. He went to Kenya, which agreed to send 1,000 troops to coordinate an East African and U.N.-backed alliance to help restore order in Haiti, but the plan is now on hold . Kenya agreed last October to send a U.N.-sanctioned security force to Haiti, but Kenya’s courts decided it was unconstitutional. The result has been Haiti fending for itself. 

“A force like Kenya, they don’t speak Kreyòl, they don’t speak French,” Pierre said. “The Kenyan police are known for human rights abuses . So what does it tell us as Haitians that the only thing that you see that we deserve are not schools, not reparations for the cholera the U.N. brought , but more military with the mandate to use all kinds of force on our population? That is unacceptable.”  

Henry was forced to announce his planned resignation from Puerto Rico, as threats of violence — and armed groups taking over the airports — have prevented him from returning to his country.  

Now that Henry is to stand down, it is far from clear what the armed groups will do or demand next, aside from the right to govern. 

“It’s the Haitian people who know what they’re going through. It’s the Haitian people who are going to take destiny into their own hands. Haitian people will choose who will govern them,” Chérizier said recently, according to The Associated Press .

Haitians and their supporters have put forth their own solutions over the years, holding that foreign intervention routinely ignores the voices and desires of Haitians. 

In 2021, both Haitian and non-Haitian church leaders, women’s rights groups, lawyers, humanitarian workers, the Voodoo Sector and more created the Commission to Search for a Haitian Solution to the Crisis . The commission has proposed the “ Montana Accord ,” outlining a two-year interim government with oversight committees tasked with restoring order, eradicating corruption and establishing fair elections. 

For more from NBC BLK, sign up for our weekly newsletter .

CORRECTION (March 15, 2024, 9:58 a.m. ET): An earlier version of this article misstated which university Jemima Pierre is affiliated with. She is a professor at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, not the University of California, Los Angeles, (or Columbia University, as an earlier correction misstated).

Patrick Smith is a London-based editor and reporter for NBC News Digital.

Char Adams is a reporter for NBC BLK who writes about race.

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Opinion Guest Essay

The Great Rupture in American Jewish Life

Credit... Daniel Benneworth-Gray

Supported by

By Peter Beinart

Mr. Beinart is the editor at large of Jewish Currents and a journalist and writer who has written extensively on the Middle East, Jewish life and American foreign policy.

• March 22, 2024

F or the last decade or so, an ideological tremor has been unsettling American Jewish life. Since Oct. 7, it has become an earthquake. It concerns the relationship between liberalism and Zionism, two creeds that for more than half a century have defined American Jewish identity. In the years to come, American Jews will face growing pressure to choose between them.

They will face that pressure because Israel’s war in Gaza has supercharged a transformation on the American left. Solidarity with Palestinians is becoming as essential to leftist politics as support for abortion rights or opposition to fossil fuels. And as happened during the Vietnam War and the struggle against South African apartheid, leftist fervor is reshaping the liberal mainstream. In December, the United Automobile Workers demanded a cease-fire and formed a divestment working group to consider the union’s “economic ties to the conflict.” In January, the National L.G.B.T.Q. Task Force called for a cease-fire as well. In February, the leadership of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the nation’s oldest Black Protestant denomination, called on the United States to halt aid to the Jewish state. Across blue America, many liberals who once supported Israel or avoided the subject are making the Palestinian cause their own.

This transformation remains in its early stages. In many prominent liberal institutions — most significantly, the Democratic Party — supporters of Israel remain not only welcome but also dominant. But the leaders of those institutions no longer represent much of their base. The Democratic majority leader, Senator Chuck Schumer, acknowledged this divide in a speech on Israel on the Senate floor last week. He reiterated his longstanding commitment to the Jewish state, though not its prime minister. But he also conceded, in the speech’s most remarkable line, that he “can understand the idealism that inspires so many young people in particular to support a one-state solution” — a solution that does not involve a Jewish state. Those are the words of a politician who understands that his party is undergoing profound change.

The American Jews most committed to Zionism, the ones who run establishment institutions, understand that liberal America is becoming less ideologically hospitable. And they are responding by forging common cause with the American right. It’s no surprise that the Anti-Defamation League, which only a few years ago harshly criticized Donald Trump’s immigration policies, recently honored his son-in-law and former senior adviser, Jared Kushner.

Mr. Trump himself recognizes the emerging political split. “Any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion,” he said in an interview published on Monday. “They hate everything about Israel, and they should be ashamed of themselves because Israel will be destroyed.” It’s typical Trumpian indecency and hyperbole, but it’s rooted in a political reality. For American Jews who want to preserve their country’s unconditional support for Israel for another generation, there is only one reliable political partner: a Republican Party that views standing for Palestinian rights as part of the “woke” agenda.

The American Jews who are making a different choice — jettisoning Zionism because they can’t reconcile it with the liberal principle of equality under the law — garner less attention because they remain further from power. But their numbers are larger than many recognize, especially among millennials and Gen Z. And they face their own dilemmas. They are joining a Palestine solidarity movement that is growing larger, but also more radical, in response to Israel’s destruction of Gaza. That growing radicalism has produced a paradox: A movement that welcomes more and more American Jews finds it harder to explain where Israeli Jews fit into its vision of Palestinian liberation.

The emerging rupture between American liberalism and American Zionism constitutes the greatest transformation in American Jewish politics in half a century. It will redefine American Jewish life for decades to come.

“A merican Jews,” writes Marc Dollinger in his book “Quest for Inclusion: Jews and Liberalism in Modern America,” have long depicted themselves as “guardians of liberal America.” Since they came to the United States in large numbers around the turn of the 20th century, Jews have been wildly overrepresented in movements for civil, women’s, labor and gay rights. Since the 1930s, despite their rising prosperity, they have voted overwhelmingly for Democrats. For generations of American Jews, the icons of American liberalism — Eleanor Roosevelt, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Gloria Steinem — have been secular saints.

The American Jewish love affair with Zionism dates from the early 20th century as well. But it came to dominate communal life only after Israel’s dramatic victory in the 1967 war exhilarated American Jews eager for an antidote to Jewish powerlessness during the Holocaust. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which was nearly bankrupt on the eve of the 1967 war, had become American Jewry’s most powerful institution by the 1980s. American Jews, wrote Albert Vorspan, a leader of Reform Judaism, in 1988, “have made of Israel an icon — a surrogate faith, surrogate synagogue, surrogate God.”

Given the depth of these twin commitments, it’s no surprise that American Jews have long sought to fuse them by describing Zionism as a liberal cause. It has always been a strange pairing. American liberals generally consider themselves advocates of equal citizenship irrespective of ethnicity, religion and race. Zionism — or at the least the version that has guided Israel since its founding — requires Jewish dominance. From 1948 to 1966, Israel held most of its Palestinian citizens under military law; since 1967 it has ruled millions of Palestinians who hold no citizenship at all. Even so, American Jews could until recently assert their Zionism without having their liberal credentials challenged.

The primary reason was the absence from American public discourse of Palestinians, the people whose testimony would cast those credentials into greatest doubt. In 1984, the Palestinian American literary critic Edward Said argued that in the West, Palestinians lack “permission to narrate” their own experience. For decades after he wrote those words, they remained true. A study by the University of Arizona’s Maha Nassar found that of the opinion articles about Palestinians published in The New York Times and The Washington Post between 2000 and 2009, Palestinians themselves wrote roughly 1 percent.

But in recent years, Palestinian voices, while still embattled and even censored , have begun to carry. Palestinians have turned to social media to combat their exclusion from the press. In an era of youth-led activism, they have joined intersectional movements forged by parallel experiences of discrimination and injustice. Meanwhile, Israel — under the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu for most of the past two decades — has lurched to the right, producing politicians so openly racist that their behavior cannot be defended in liberal terms.

Many Palestine solidarity activists identify as leftists, not liberals. But like the activists of the Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter movements, they have helped change liberal opinion with their radical critiques. In 2002, according to Gallup , Democrats sympathized with Israel over the Palestinians by a margin of 34 points. By early 2023, they favored the Palestinians by 11 points. And because opinion about Israel cleaves along generational lines, that pro-Palestinian skew is much greater among the young. According to a Quinnipiac University poll in November, Democrats under the age of 35 sympathize more with Palestinians than with Israelis by 58 points.

Given this generational gulf, universities offer a preview of the way many liberals — or “progressives,” a term that straddles liberalism and leftism and enjoys more currency among young Americans — may view Zionism in the years to come. Supporting Palestine has become a core feature of progressive politics on many campuses. At Columbia, for example, 94 campus organizations — including the Vietnamese Students Association, the Reproductive Justice Collective and Poetry Slam, Columbia’s “only recreational spoken word club” — announced in November that they “see Palestine as the vanguard for our collective liberation.” As a result, Zionist Jewish students find themselves at odds with most of their politically active peers.

Accompanying this shift, on campus and beyond, has been a rise in Israel-related antisemitism. It follows a pattern in American history. From the hostility toward German Americans during World War I to violence against American Muslims after Sept. 11 and assaults on Asian Americans during the Covid pandemic, Americans have a long and ugly tradition of expressing their hostility toward foreign governments or movements by targeting compatriots who share a religion, ethnicity or nationality with those overseas adversaries. Today, tragically, some Americans who loathe Israel are taking it out on American Jews. (Palestinian Americans, who have endured multiple violent hate crimes since Oct. 7, are experiencing their own version of this phenomenon.) The spike in antisemitism since Oct. 7 follows a pattern. Five years ago, the political scientist Ayal Feinberg, using data from 2001 and 2014, found that reported antisemitic incidents in the United States spike when the Israeli military conducts a substantial military operation.

Attributing the growing discomfort of pro-Israel Jewish students entirely to antisemitism, however, misses something fundamental. Unlike establishment Jewish organizations, Jewish students often distinguish between bigotry and ideological antagonism. In a 2022 study , the political scientist Eitan Hersh found that more than 50 percent of Jewish college students felt “they pay a social cost for supporting the existence of Israel as a Jewish state.” And yet, in general, Dr. Hersh reported, “the students do not fear antisemitism.”

Surveys since Oct. 7 find something similar. Asked in November in a Hillel International poll to describe the climate on campus since the start of the war, 20 percent of Jewish students answered “unsafe” and 23 percent answered “scary.” By contrast, 45 percent answered “uncomfortable” and 53 percent answered “tense.” A survey that same month by the Jewish Electorate Institute found that only 37 percent of American Jewish voters ages 18 to 35 consider campus antisemitism a “very serious problem,” compared with nearly 80 percent of American Jewish voters over the age of 35.

While some young pro-Israel American Jews experience antisemitism, they more frequently report ideological exclusion. As Zionism becomes associated with the political right, their experiences on progressive campuses are coming to resemble the experiences of young Republicans. The difference is that unlike young Republicans, most young American Zionists were raised to believe that theirs was a liberal creed. When their parents attended college, that assertion was rarely challenged. On the same campuses where their parents felt at home, Jewish students who view Zionism as central to their identity now often feel like outsiders.

In 1979, Mr. Said observed that in the West, “to be a Palestinian is in political terms to be an outlaw.” In much of America — including Washington — that remains true. But within progressive institutions one can glimpse the beginning of a historic inversion. Often, it’s now the Zionists who feel like outlaws.

G iven the organized American Jewish community’s professed devotion to liberal principles, which include free speech, one might imagine that Jewish institutions would greet this ideological shift by urging pro-Israel students to tolerate and even learn from their pro-Palestinian peers. Such a stance would flow naturally from the statements establishment Jewish groups have made in the past. A few years ago, the Anti-Defamation League declared that “our country’s universities serve as laboratories for the exchange of differing viewpoints and beliefs. Offensive, hateful speech is protected by the Constitution’s First Amendment.”

But as pro-Palestinian sentiment has grown in progressive America, pro-Israel Jewish leaders have apparently made an exception for anti-Zionism. While still claiming to support free speech on campus, the ADL last October asked college presidents to investigate local chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine to determine whether they violated university regulations or state or federal laws, a demand that the American Civil Liberties Union warned could “chill speech” and “betray the spirit of free inquiry.” After the University of Pennsylvania hosted a Palestinian literature festival last fall, Marc Rowan, chair of the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York and chair of the board of advisers of Penn’s Wharton business school, condemned the university’s president for giving the festival Penn’s “imprimatur.” In December, he encouraged trustees to alter university policies in ways that Penn’s branch of the American Association of University Professors warn ed could “silence and punish speech with which trustees disagree.”

In this effort to limit pro-Palestinian speech, establishment Jewish leaders are finding their strongest allies on the authoritarian right. Pro-Trump Republicans have their own censorship agenda: They want to stop schools and universities from emphasizing America’s history of racial and other oppression. Calling that pedagogy antisemitic makes it easier to ban or defund. At a much discussed congressional hearing in December featuring the presidents of Harvard, Penn and M.I.T., the Republican representative Virginia Foxx noted that Harvard teaches courses like “Race and Racism in the Making of the United States as a Global Power” and hosts seminars such as “Scientific Racism and Anti-Racism: History and Recent Perspectives” before declaring that “Harvard also, not coincidentally but causally, was ground zero for antisemitism following Oct. 7.”

Ms. Foxx’s view is typical. While some Democrats also equate anti-Zionism and antisemitism, the politicians and business leaders most eager to suppress pro-Palestinian speech are conservatives who link such speech to the diversity, equity and inclusion agenda they despise. Elise Stefanik, a Trump acolyte who has accused Harvard of “caving to the woke left,” became the star of that congressional hearing by demanding that Harvard’s president , Claudine Gay, punish students who chant slogans like “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” (Ms. Gay was subsequently forced to resign following charges of plagiarism.) Elon Musk, who in November said that the phrase “from the river to the sea” was banned from his social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the following month declared , “D.E.I. must die.” The first governor to ban Students for Justice in Palestine chapters at his state’s public universities was Florida’s Ron DeSantis, who has also signed legislation that limits what those universities can teach about race and gender.

This alignment between the American Jewish organizational establishment and the Trumpist right is not limited to universities. If the ADL has aligned with Republicans who want to silence “woke” activists on campus, AIPAC has joined forces with Republicans who want to disenfranchise “woke” voters. In the 2022 midterm elections, AIPAC endorsed at least 109 Republicans who opposed certifying the 2020 election. For an organization single-mindedly focused on sustaining unconditional U.S. support for Israel, that constituted a rational decision. Since Republican members of Congress don’t have to mollify pro-Palestinian voters, they’re AIPAC’s most dependable allies. And if many of those Republicans used specious claims of Black voter fraud to oppose the democratic transfer of power in 2020 — and may do so again — that’s a price AIPAC seems to be prepared to pay.

F or the many American Jews who still consider themselves both progressives and Zionists, this growing alliance between leading Zionist institutions and a Trumpist Republican Party is uncomfortable. But in the short term, they have an answer: politicians like President Biden, whose views about both Israel and American democracy roughly reflect their own. In his speech last week, Mr. Schumer called these liberal Zionists American Jewry’s “silent majority.”

For the moment he may be right. In the years to come, however, as generational currents pull the Democratic Party in a more pro-Palestinian direction and push America’s pro-Israel establishment to the right, liberal Zionists will likely find it harder to reconcile their two faiths. Young American Jews offer a glimpse into that future, in which a sizable wing of American Jewry decides that to hold fast to its progressive principles it must jettison Zionism and embrace equal citizenship in Israel and Palestine, as well as in the United States.

For an American Jewish establishment that equates anti-Zionism with antisemitism, these anti-Zionist Jews are inconvenient. Sometimes, pro-Israel Jewish organizations pretend they don’t exist. In November, after Columbia suspended two anti-Zionist campus groups, the ADL thanked university leaders for acting “to protect Jewish students” — even though one of the suspended groups was Jewish Voice for Peace. At other times, pro-Israel leaders describe anti-Zionist Jews as a negligible fringe. If American Jews are divided over the war in Gaza, Andrés Spokoiny, the president and chief executive of the Jewish Funders Network, an organization for Jewish philanthropists, declared in December, “the split is 98 percent/2 percent.”

Among older American Jews, this assertion of a Zionist consensus contains some truth. But among younger American Jews, it’s false. In 2021, even before Israel’s current far-right government took power, the Jewish Electorate Institute found that 38 percent of American Jewish voters under the age of 40 viewed Israel as an apartheid state, compared with 47 percent who said it’s not. In November, it revealed that 49 percent of American Jewish voters ages 18 to 35 opposed Mr. Biden’s request for additional military aid to Israel. On many campuses, Jewish students are at the forefront of protests for a cease-fire and divestment from Israel. They don’t speak for all — and maybe not even most — of their Jewish peers. But they represent far more than 2 percent.

These progressive Jews are, as the U.S. editor of The London Review of Books, Adam Shatz, noted to me, a double minority. Their anti-Zionism makes them a minority among American Jews, while their Jewishness makes them a minority in the Palestine solidarity movement. Fifteen years ago, when the liberal Zionist group J Street was intent on being the “ blocking back ” for President Barack Obama’s push for a two-state solution, some liberal Jews imagined themselves leading the push to end Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Today, the prospect of partition has diminished, and Palestinians increasingly set the terms of activist criticism of Israel. That discourse, which is peppered with terms like “apartheid” and “decolonization," is generally hostile to a Jewish state within any borders.

There’s nothing antisemitic about envisioning a future in which Palestinians and Jews coexist on the basis of legal equality rather than Jewish supremacy. But in pro-Palestine activist circles in the United States, coexistence has receded as a theme. In 1999, Mr. Said argued for “a binational Israeli-Palestinian state” that offered “self-determination for both peoples.” In his 2007 book, “One Country,” Ali Abunimah, a co-founder of The Electronic Intifada, an influential source of pro-Palestine news and opinion, imagined one state whose name reflected the identities of both major communities that inhabit it. The terms “‘Israel’ and ‘Palestine’ are dear to those who use them and they should not be abandoned,” he argued. “The country could be called Yisrael-Falastin in Hebrew and Filastin-Isra’il in Arabic.”

In recent years, however, as Israel has moved to the right, pro-Palestinian discourse in the United States has hardened. The phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which dates from the 1960s but has gained new prominence since Oct. 7, does not acknowledge Palestine and Israel’s binational character. To many American Jews, in fact, the phrase suggests a Palestine free of Jews. It sounds expulsionist, if not genocidal. It’s an ironic charge, given that it is Israel that today controls the land between the river and the sea, whose leaders openly advocate the mass exodus of Palestinians and that the International Court of Justice says could plausibly be committing genocide in Gaza.

Palestinian scholars like Maha Nassar and Ahmad Khalidi argue that “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” does not imply the subjugation of Jews. It instead reflects the longstanding Palestinian belief that Palestine should have become an independent country when released from European colonial control, a vision that does not preclude Jews from living freely alongside their Muslim and Christian neighbors. The Jewish groups closest to the Palestine solidarity movement agree: Jewish Voice for Peace’s Los Angeles chapter has argued that the slogan is no more anti-Jewish than the phrase “Black lives matter” is anti-white. And if the Palestine solidarity movement in the United States calls for the genocide of Jews, it’s hard to explain why so many Jews have joined its ranks. Rabbi Alissa Wise, an organizer of Rabbis for Cease-Fire, estimates that other than Palestinians, no other group has been as prominent in the protests against the war as Jews.

Still, imagining a “free Palestine” from the river to the sea requires imagining that Israeli Jews will become Palestinians, which erases their collective identity. That’s a departure from the more inclusive vision that Mr. Said and Mr. Abunimah outlined years ago. It’s harder for Palestinian activists to offer that more inclusive vision when they are watching Israel bomb and starve Gaza. But the rise of Hamas makes it even more essential.

Jews who identify with the Palestinian struggle may find it difficult to offer this critique. Many have defected from the Zionist milieu in which they were raised. Having made that painful transition, which can rupture relations with friends and family, they may be disinclined to question their new ideological home. It’s frightening to risk alienating one community when you’ve already alienated another. Questioning the Palestine solidarity movement also violates the notion, prevalent in some quarters of the American left, that members of an oppressor group should not second-guess representatives of the oppressed.

But these identity hierarchies suppress critical thought. Palestinians aren’t a monolith, and progressive Jews aren’t merely allies. They are members of a small and long-persecuted people who have not only the right but also the obligation to care about Jews in Israel, and to push the Palestine solidarity movement to more explicitly include them in its vision of liberation, in the spirit of the Freedom Charter adopted during apartheid by the African National Congress and its allies, which declared in its second sentence that “South Africa belongs to all who live in it, Black and white.”

For many American Jews, it is painful to watch their children’s or grandchildren’s generation question Zionism. It is infuriating to watch students at liberal institutions with which they once felt aligned treat Zionism as a racist creed. It is tempting to attribute all this to antisemitism, even if that requires defining many young American Jews as antisemites themselves.

But the American Jews who insist that Zionism and liberalism remain compatible should ask themselves why Israel now attracts the fervent support of Representative Stefanik but repels the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the United Automobile Workers. Why it enjoys the admiration of Elon Musk and Viktor Orban but is labeled a perpetrator of apartheid by Human Rights Watch and likened to the Jim Crow South by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Why it is more likely to retain unconditional American support if Mr. Trump succeeds in turning the United States into a white Christian supremacist state than if he fails.

For many decades, American Jews have built our political identity on a contradiction: Pursue equal citizenship here; defend group supremacy there. Now here and there are converging. In the years to come, we will have to choose.

Peter Beinart ( @PeterBeinart ) is a professor of journalism and political science at the Newmark School of Journalism at the City University of New York. He is also the editor at large of Jewish Currents and writes The Beinart Notebook , a weekly newsletter.

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