Changes and trends based on perceived lifestyles reflected in movies

Abstract

The impact of movies on society has been studied by researchers and film professionals for decades. However, less attention is focused specifically on changes and trends regarding perceived lifestyles reflected in movies. This paper aims to collect and examine the various trends that have emerged as a social impact of lifestyles through their portrayal in movies (and in some cases, television shows, that are becoming more and more prevalent form of entertainment). As Movies are universally accessible and popular media, they have the potential to influence the values, lifestyles and attitudes of consumers. The relevance and importance are further enhanced by the fact that through the cultural consumption they aid us in familiarizing, understanding and processing the social changes, new lifestyles and current problems. The logical structure of this paper follows the trends as major themes and their emergence in movies. The themes examined – mainly through the systemization and analysis of literary sources and approaches – were health awareness, addictions (tobacco products, alcohol and narcotic drugs in particular), environmental awareness and sustainability, privacy and relationships (through the representation of men and women in various lifecycle stages and the young adults’ perception of sex), and the geek subculture. The research scope of the paper focuses on the western movie releases of the past years, mainly of the United States of America, because they represent the greatest global influence and reach of the movie industry – with constant releases and popularity all over the world. The results of the paper showed that these aforementioned themes reflected in movies have the capacity impact individuals’ values, lifestyles and attitudes. Furthermore, the paper will be useful for any researcher who wishes to gain a deeper understanding of the non-advertisement based – as in not product placement, merchandising or other forms of advertisement in the immediate environment of movies – marketing content that has an impact through popular movies on society and consumer behavior.