This is just a simple little thought that's been rattling inside my brain for some time now, have movie trailers become pointless in theaters? I don't mean whether the trailers themselves are pointless, obviously not, I mean whether they have become pointless in theaters these days. This is a thought I have while going to see a film in theaters and realizing that I've already seen most of the trailers they're showing online.

YouTube is where most people see trailers for the first time and where most people give a more genuine reaction from seeing it for the first time. When I go to the theater I usually find myself seeing trailers I've already seen and just patiently waiting for the film to start. This is a far cry from the days of seeing the trailers in theaters and learning about an exciting new movie for the first time.

This has put the theaters in an interesting spot, do they stop putting previews in front of movies altogether? I feel like it's too soon to be saying that; many people are not online as often and only learn about a movie from the previews in front of the movie they are currently watching. However, that is becoming increasingly less common.

It would make sense to remove trailers people have already seen and just get to the main attraction, but it still feels like something gets lost by doing that. I know this is purely nostalgia speaking, but I would miss watching the trailers because they act as a small build up to the main feature and I love, out of tradition, seeing trailers on a big screen.

Despite this, I am not most people and most people want to watch the movie and finish as quickly as possible because they are busy with work or kids. Most people usually watch trailers online, because they can pull it up on their computer or phone whenever they want and watch it on their time. This has caused many people to lack excitement for the trailers in theaters.

I think theaters could possibly do away with trailers in the future as more people start watching them online. However, I also think as streaming becomes more prevalent we will see trailers and film move online due to the inevitable downfall of theaters. All visual content will eventually move online only, but I wonder if trailers will get there before films do.

There are a few possibilities that could happen to trailers in theaters, but it is interesting to ponder. The state of theaters is in an interesting position at this time and place. Due to increased online service, more people could be watching online than in theaters. Trailers seem to be embodying an early version of this and what happens to trailers could happen to feature films as well.