Film Students Struggle to Watch Full Movies, Professors Worry

Professors report students fidgeting, multitasking, and failing to finish assigned films, blaming a lifetime of short-form media consumption.

Published on Feb. 8, 2026

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According to a new Atlantic report, many young film students today don't actually enjoy watching full-length movies, even in marquee programs like USC. Professors describe students struggling to focus during screenings, often sneaking glances at their phones or tuning out, even during pivotal scenes. The problem extends to online homework, with data showing fewer than half of students even starting assigned films and only about 20% finishing them. Professors largely blame students' lifelong exposure to short-form, always-available media like social apps, rather than laziness.

Why it matters

This shift in film students' viewing habits raises concerns about the future of cinema education and the industry. Professors worry that the next generation of filmmakers may lack the attention span and appreciation for full-length, narrative storytelling that has traditionally defined the field.

The details

The Atlantic interviewed 20 film-studies instructors nationwide and found a broad trend of students struggling to watch movies, even in their area of study. At Indiana University, data showed fewer than half of students started assigned films, and only about 20% finished them. Those who did often admitted to multitasking, watching at double speed, or skipping around. The fallout was evident in exams, with students badly flubbing basic questions about canonical film plots.

  • The Atlantic report was published on February 8, 2026.

The players

Rose Horowitch

The Atlantic reporter who conducted the interviews with film professors nationwide.

Craig Erpelding

A film professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison who commented on the shift in film students' viewing habits.

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What they’re saying

“The disconnect is that 10 years ago, people who wanted to go study film and media creation were cinephiles themselves. Nowadays, they're people that consume the same thing everyone else consumes, which is social media.”

— Craig Erpelding, Film professor, University of Wisconsin at Madison (The Atlantic)

The takeaway

This trend among film students highlights the broader challenge of sustaining attention and appreciation for long-form storytelling in an era dominated by short-form, always-available digital media. Professors are experimenting with strategies like "slow cinema" courses to rebuild students' ability to focus, but the long-term implications for the future of filmmaking remain uncertain.