The Hollywood Reporter has the shocking news that kids these days like to send their iTexts and read their Twitters… even while watching movies.
Nine of 10 respondents view social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook as a new form of entertainment, and more than half say social media sites are important tastemakers in determining what to watch and buy. Perhaps more surprising, 80 percent of television viewers visit Facebook while they watch.
“Social media is the connective tissue that enables consumers to multitask during their entertainment experiences by connecting with others and sharing their opinions,” notes pollster Jon Penn of the findings, based on a survey of 750 social network users ages 13 to 49. And film moguls, take note: The poll found that a majority of 18-to-34-year-olds believe using social media while watching a movie in a theater would add to their experience, and nearly half would be interested in going to theaters that allowed texting and web surfing.
“Millennials want their public moviegoing experience to replicate their own private media experiences,” says Penn.“Having dedicated social-media-friendly seats, or even entire theaters, can make the moviegoing experience more relevant and enjoyable for them.”
Another fun fact that one can observe if they go to any movie ever is that these rascally millennials—and, you know, a lot of other people—have already turned most movie theaters into social-media-friendly places; unless you’re somewhere like the Alamo Drafthouse, chances are you’re going to see a whole lot of iPhones glimmering in the dark. It’s annoying as fuck, yes; it’s not the way movies were made to be experienced, yes; it’s also kind of inevitable, I think. The act of watching a movie for our kids and grandkids could be very different, I suspect, than it is for us; this is how we’re starting to see things change.
Yeah, cause “#selfishbratassholekid OOOHH! I LOVE THE HUNGER GAMES!!!!!!!!!” could not possibly wait until after the movie is over to share their opinions.
I used to rage against this (and will still ask patrons sitting in front of me to shut their phones off if they light up during a movie) but I realized what this phenomenon most closely compares to.
Walkmans in the 80s.
At some point, the idea of having a portable tape deck and shutting out the world via headphone was considered highly annoying, hugely antisocial, rude and disruptive. People used to constantly complain about the inconsiderate young people with their walkmans, hiding in their own little worlds, not caring about the people around them.
And now 3/4ths of the people you see out and about have some form of headphone plugged into their head.
Like Erik said – it’s going to be inevitable that texting in the theater is going to become a thing. I don’t have to like it, but that doesn’t change that it’s coming.
I feel kinda shitty for the writers/directors/actors who are likely only having 75% of their efforts go noticed, though.
Just like our non-asshole grandkids will be used to glimmering screens 50 years from now, I’m confident that the asshole grandkids of other people will by then be used to being set on fire by my grandchildren.
This is what makes me watch my movies at home.
Kinda funny that I’m “new media” in that I would never consider going to a movie theater to watch my entertainment but I’m “old school” in that joining facebook/Twatter/AOL 2.0 will never ever happen.
This much is certain: this generation of grandkids, and all those that follow, will be assholes.
I have no problem with people texting during movies, if they just TURN THE FUCKING SCREEN BRIGHTNESS DOWN. In a dark room, there is no reason for your phone to be set on “sun”. Turned all the way down you can see fine, and it’s not nearly as disruptive or distracting.
lots of movies are shitty, or at least mediocre, but it’s one of the few things that teenagers can do that is on their own initiative.
i went to a lot of terrible movies, perhaps only due to a dearth of ideas, while growing up in anchorage, and wouldn’t have minded the internet in my pocket.