If you can't go two hours without checking your phone while sitting in a theater to watch a movie that you paid to watch, you might have a problem. Earlier today new AMC CEO Adam Aron said that instead of enforcing the no-texting policy more strongly, that they're considering allowing audiences to use their phones in certain theaters. Needless to say, the reaction wasn't overly positive from the JoBlo community and one person who shares your viewpoint is Alamo Drafthouse founder/CEO Tim League, who released a statement cautioning that this action could hurt the theater industry.
First off, I'd like to say that I am very excited for Adam Aron to be taking the helm at AMC. I am a fan of the Starwood Hotel and Resort brand and the customer experience that his former company consistently delivers. Bringing that leadership focus to our industry will undoubtedly yield positive results and drive healthy, innovative competition.
That said, I disagree with his statements on texting in a movie theater. Innovation in this direction could seriously hurt our industry.
My first objection stems from cinema's relationship with directors and producers, the content creators. Auteurs focus for years to complete their films. We as exhibitors rely completely on these creators for our content and have an unwritten obligation to present their films in the best possible way: on a big screen with big sound and a bright picture in a silent, dark room. You can only be immersed in a story if you are focused on it. If while watching a film you are intermittently checking your email, posting on social media, chatting with friends, etc., there is no way you are fully engaged in the story on screen. I find that to be disrespectful to the creators, those who make the very existence of cinema possible.
My second objection stems from the generalization of millennial behavior.
"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." – Adam Aron, quoted in Variety.
22-year-olds aren't alone; heavy cell phone use is far more widespread. Today, 68% of U.S. adults have a smartphone, a staggering increase from 35% just five years ago. I spend a great deal of my life on my phone, too. I check news, social media and email obsessively. If there is the slightest of lulls in my day, a 20 second pause in an elevator, for example, I impulsively break out my phone and check something. I always carry an external battery because I can't make it through the day on the standard power. I am not alone. According to some reports, the average American checks their phone over 100 times a day. This isn't just a millennial behavior, it is a global attention span epidemic.
Regardless of your age, turning off your phone and focusing on a good movie is much-needed therapy. This time of focus in a darkened room is core to the experience of cinema. Only with this focus can you lose yourself completely in the story and really fall into the magic spell of the movies.
Plenty has already been written about glowing screens and unchecked chatter driving people from the cinema experience, so I won't belabor that point further. And I'm fine with "second screen" experimentation with regards to alternative content, gaming, interactive screenings, etc. But when it comes to our core business, creating a special environment for our customers to experience new stories for the first time, there is absolutely no place for the distraction of a lit phone screen.
At the Alamo Drafthouse we are actively engaged in trying to make sure cinema remains a compelling destination for young people, and I agree this should be a focus for the whole industry. I just don't believe that this line of experimentation is the right tactic. A firm policy against talking and texting in the cinema is about respect: for the filmmakers and fellow cinephiles of all ages. Outside of this issue, however, I look forward to being challenged and inspired by what innovations and enhancements Adam Aron brings to the cinema experience.
Going to the theater can be a wonderful experience if the stars align and you're blessed with a great considerate audience combined with exceptional picture and sound; there's nothing else quite like it, but unfortunately there are so many factors which can adversely affect that experience, including people using their phones throughout the movie. Typically a polite request will shut that behavior down, but every so often you encounter some jerk who seems to think that it's their right to disturb a theater full of paying customers. While I'm sure that Adam Aron has the best of intentions by suggesting this proposal, I worry that it would only increase the amount of people who feel entitled to use their phones in theaters because "it's allowed."