Ever come across a piece of news that made you want to throw your laptop against the wall? Well, that happened to me today when I took a look at a Variety article in which AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron mulled the possibility of allowing theater patrons to use their cellphones during movie screenings. Aron stated that allowing texting is part of his plan to attract more millennials to AMC theaters stating:
“When you tell a 22-year-old to turn off the phone, don’t ruin the movie, they hear please cut off your left arm above the elbow. You can’t tell a 22-year-old to turn off their cellphone. That’s not how they live their life.”
He followed this statement up by adding:
“What may be more likely is we take specific auditoriums and make them more texting friendly.”
I will admit my bias in this matter. I’ve always hated cellphones with an intense burning passion. People who text and drive, text and walk, and text on the job get on my nerves. Put this thing I hate into something that I love (the movie theater) and I am automatically against it.
Still, I don’t think my dislike for Aron’s plan is unjustified. There is nothing that kills the immersive movie theater experience more than people texting or talking. That bright light draws your attention away from the screen and it is impossible to ignore. Why even pay $7-$12 to see a film if you’re not going to even pay attention to it? All you’re doing is ruining the experience for people who are actually interested in watching the movie by doing something in the theater that you could do anywhere else. Should AMC adopt Aron’s plan, they won’t be getting any business from me (not that they are anyway to be fair. It’s mostly Celebration Cinemas around here).
So what do you think? Am I overreacting? Am I standing in the way of progress? Should I just get with the times? Sound off below!