Where's the Popcorn? Why do we Snack while Watching Movies?

When was the last time you watched a movie for fun? Now, were you also snacking on something as you were watching? Most people say "Yes!" From popcorn and candy at the theater to snacks on the couch, eating while watching movies feels natural. But why do we pair food with entertainment so often? Apparently, humans have a combination of psychological, sensory, and social influences that drive this our movie cravings.

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A Cultural and Social Habit

Eating while watching movies is deeply engrained in many cultures. The tradition of snacking at the movies in the United States dates back to the early 20th century when vendors began selling popcorn outside theaters. Over time, it became an expected part of the movie experience (Geiling, 2013). At home, sharing food during a film can also be a social bonding activity or a gesture of hospitality, reinforcing the habit.

A Sensory Distraction

One reason we continuously eat while watching movies is that screens can lure our attention, making us less aware of how much we're consuming. According to a study published in the publication Appetite, distracted eating—such as eating while watching TV—can lead to increased food intake because our brains are too focused on the screen to register fullness cues (Zhou et al., 2017). One example of this phenomenon is when you look down at your popcorn bucket, realizing you are almost done when it was full just a few minutes ago. Don't worry, everyone has probably been there.

Dimming the Lights

A general trend showed that people are more drawn to food in darker light. Restaurants use dark lighting to their advantage. Humans often feel more relaxed in dim lighting, which increases our desire to engage in other relaxing activities like eating. Lighting also influences what people choose to eat. Usually, the dark ambiance triggers us to choose more indulgent, delicious foods like movies snacks (Weiss, 2023).

Sarah Lefebvre, an associate professor of marketing at Murray State University, conducted a study in 2022 on what she calls "sensory compensation." By sensory compensation, she means if sight is compromised in a darker environment, then one's sense of taste will be more intense as a result. Consequently, snacks are not only more tempting in dark environments, but more delicious when combined with all of the other sensory and social factors of movie watching (Weiss 2023).

Conclusion

Eating while watching movies is a multi-sensory, psychological, social, and cultural phenomenon. Snacking while watching movies is quite the opposite of mindless but actually biological and behavioral because of a variety of factors that are quite surprising!

References

1. Geiling, N. (2013, October 3). Why Do We Eat Popcorn at the Movies? Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-do-we-eat-popcorn-at-the-movies-475063/

2. Weiss, H. (2023, August 8). The Science Behind Why We Eat so Much at the Movies. TIME. https://time.com/6302767/movie-theaters-turn-us-into-bottomless-pits/

3. Zhou, S., Shapiro, M. A., & Wansink, B. (2017). The audience eats more if a movie character keeps eating: An unconscious mechanism for media influence on eating behaviors. Appetite, 108, 407–415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.10.02