Remember when people used to ask whether you preferred music or movies? Am I the only one who has noticed that this question hardly comes up anymore? It feels like recent times have pushed everyone into choosing both as if picking a side suddenly became outdated.

Today, you’re expected to be up to date on every movie and know every artist, song, and album out there. And if you don’t keep up with both, people act like you’re weird or “slow.” This shift didn’t just happen randomly. Streaming culture made both movies and music extremely accessible, while social media pushes us to be “multi-interested.” TikTok even blends the two pairing movie scenes with trending sounds or promoting songs that were created specifically for films.

Because of all this, people now assume that you should be a major fan of both industries. Say something like, “I don’t watch movies like that,” or “I only listen to music when I’m doing chores,” and suddenly everyone is confused. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) has made it feel abnormal to simply not keep up.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to stay updated and join conversations, but there’s also nothing wrong with not following everything. It’s perfectly okay to skip a movie, or wait till you’re in the right mood to listen to a new album.

Preference is not abnormal. People experience art differently. Some recharge through movies. Some connect deeply through music. Some don’t really care for either and that’s still valid.

Maybe we should bring back the question: “What do you prefer?”
Not because you must choose, but because it reminds us that it’s okay to have a preference at all. Maybe it would even reduce the pressure to fit into everything at once and help people feel comfortable standing out.