It’s a really nice Friday night. One of those nights that calls for some cliché me time: hot chocolate, warm blankets, and a movie. Except, on a very rigorous college schedule I really don’t want to waste two hours on a movie I may not like.

My solution? I spend the entire time watching trailers and reading about the plot on Wikipedia.

Why? (I imagine some people may dismissively ask)

The millennial generation is all about: speed. Snapchats, Vines, quick shots and quick beats, fast entertainment, and black; it’s all about being cool, fast, and beautiful. In a time of such urgency, two hour entertainments are no longer satisfying. In other words, ‘we’re too busy,’ ‘we don’t have time,’ ‘this is no longer worth our time.’ How do you sell two hour entertainment to a generation that shifts tastes and interests at the speed of light? You give them a sample they won’t forget.

With that in mind, think about the feeling you get when watching a trailer. You may be sitting in an auditorium at a movie you said you have no time for, the lights haven’t gone out yet and people are still filing into their seats like little ants. Depending on the theme of the movie, music of a certain aura starts playing. For the sake of this article let’s say it’s chirpy poppy music to an upcoming romantic comedy - coming out February 14^th. The protagonist of the story is some down-to-earth girl for sure under the age of 30 who’s going through some relatable-everyday-problem. You fall in love with her immediately. In the following minute, the entire story plot is revealed and – because this is a romantic comedy – you already know the end. Despite how predictable the plot is – you may even shake your head and roll your eyes pretentiously to your friend – the quirky nature of this love themed movie makes you feel lovely and light. It makes you feel romantic. You probably want to watch it when no one else is watching you; the marketing team gets paid tons of money to get this job done. Whether or not you end up actually watching it comes down to chance, but it doesn’t take away from that odd satisfaction you felt while watching the trailer.

Let’s say you actually paid the twelve dollars to see the movie – with the same friend no doubt. There’s an 80% chance you come out of the movie thinking, “Eh, that wasn’t all very memorable.” Years later when another friend brings up the movie’s name, you’ve long forgotten you ever watched it. But funny how the trailer worked long enough for you to contribute those twelve dollars to a grand marketing scheme.

So I say to the penniless-college-loan-bound individuals: save the twelve dollars. Watch trailers on YouTube for FREE, and if you really are intrigued on what happened to the protagonist after ____ (insert chosen plot), read about the plot on Wikipedia for FREE.

Coming to theaters near you.