Young Moviegoers Are Totally Ok With Texting In Theaters

Well, I guess this means I’m officially old. I detest any cell phone use while out to see a movie but apparently them youngins’ think it’s just swell. The Hollywood Reporter conducted a poll to figure out how Americans discover and consume entertainment and found out social media is huge (obviously) and that a lot of people would prefer a theater in which you were not only allowed, but encouraged, to text. And to them I say, “Get off my lawn!”

THR asked the market research firm Penn Schoen Berland to help them conduct the poll on entertainment. The write, “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.”

The first part certainly makes sense to me. You see what your friends and family are talking about and if it sounds interesting to you, you’ll probably give it a try. But why are people on Facebook while they’re watching television or movies? It just sounds distracting to me.

The findings were based on a survey of 750 social network users ages 13 to 49. But “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,” they write. Coincidentally, there’s a concert hall being built in Washington state that is planning on allowing texting during their performances.

Again, I don’t get it but maybe I’m just the old fart who doesn’t understand technology. Are we going to have to have texting and no-texting showings now? I know there’s still a lot of people who are opposed to cell phone use in theaters but if the trend continues I wouldn’t be surprised if things eventually went that route.

“Millennials want their public moviegoing experience to replicate their own private media experiences,” said pollster Jon Penn.“Having dedicated social-media-friendly seats, or even entire theaters, can make the moviegoing experience more relevant and enjoyable for them.”

Where does your opinion fall on this issue? Do you like texting during a movie, have tolerance for others who do it, or despise it completely?

(via /Film)