How To Save The Movie Theater: Put Your Damn Phone Away
Phone usage has become a probem
It’s not a controversial statement to say that the movie theater industry is struggling. For much of the 21st century theater attendance has dwindled from year to year, with the pandemic having exacerbated the problem. From 2004 to 2024 theater attendance has steadily gone down by 46%. An arguably impressive number since most of the 54 films that have hit a billion dollars are from that time period. But theater attendance hasn’t bounced back to its pre-pandemic numbers and it’s unlikely that will happen anytime soon. There is just some reason why legions of the movie going public have decided it would be better to stay home than go to their local theater. Is it rising ticket prices? Is it just as simple as a lack of interest in the films coming out? Or is it something far more sinister? Something that speaks to the root of a growing problem in society itself. People who refuse to put their phones away.
Spend any time online and you’ll see people post about empty movie theaters. You’ll see box office headlines for films struggling to break even. For example, the latest film from WBD, Mickey 17 boasts a $180 million budget, but has only just crossed $100 million in worldwide revenue at the time of this writing. To put it bluntly, that’s not good and only further incentivises studios to move away from big budget originals. At one point a film like that would have had an easier time finding success, but now people are willing to wait for streaming. Studios and theater chains rely on blockbusters from established franchises, but even those could sometimes fail them. Before the pandemic, a film like Fast X would have likely made $1 billion, but it barely broke even with its bloated production budget (it was still the fifth highest grossing film of 2023 in fairness). 2025 is laced with big budget would-be franchise hits and mid to low budget originals, but none of these are worth anything if the general public doesn’t show up. But why should they show up to see the latest from Academy Award winning director Bong Joon Ho when some kid or middle aged dick will sit in front of them and spend the entire movie scrolling through their social media?
Think about it. You’ve paid for your ticket, got your popcorn, and sat down to enjoy the latest film to grace your multiplex. The lights dim, the trailers play, and an advert politely asks audience members to silence and put away their phones since the light can be distracting for your fellow patrons. A simple ask. Think of your fellow man and do the polite thing by spending a mere two hours without scrolling through your Instagram and Twitter feed. Engross yourself in the movie and share in the experience that is about to unfold. Laugh and cry with the stranger next to you as the power of cinema connects you like nothing else in the world can. But then, thirty minutes into the movie the person in front of you takes out their phone, and begins scrolling through Instagram, or sending a text message, or whatever they have deemed more important than experiencing the movie playing on the big screen in front of them. So you politely ask them to put it away as it is distracting and that’s the rule when you walk into the theater, and they turn to you and rudely say “no.” Boom, experience ruined. All because one person decided his social media was more important.
“People likely got so used to being on their phones while watching The Gray Man or Red Notice”
This experience is happening more and more. There has not been a single film that this writer has seen in the past two years that has not had upwards of 3-4 people take their phones out multiple times during the movie. While this problem began appearing post-smart phone, the pandemic has seemed to accelerate it. People likely got so used to being on their phones while watching The Gray Man or Red Notice, that they feel it’s perfectly fine or natural to check your phone while watching a movie. There is a case to be made that these people are addicted to their phones/social media, and since that was all anyone could look at during the pandemic, it got worse. The conditioning for putting their phone away has eroded away over time and now they see the movie theater as an extension of their living room. Considering someone else's comfort is just not something people are interested in anymore. For god's sake, at least sit in the back of the theater so no one has to see you take a picture of the movie for your instagram story.
There used to be a social contract that everyone knew to “sign” before going to the movies. If you didn’t, you were either asked to sign it or leave. Ushers would be assigned to theaters to make sure that no patron was disturbing the others. But now theater chains can’t afford to do that and the underpaid employees are sent only in the case that someone complains. But nothing happens because they aren’t security guards and people get rather pissed when you ask them to be polite and put their phones away. It used to be ok to shame these people but now people seem to be alright with sitting in discomfort as some jerk ruins it for everyone. If you’re a person who is easily distracted, then you rely on your fellow movie goers to adhere to the social contract of the theater so that you can immerse yourself in a movie that you paid upwards of $20 to see.
It’s confusing that people would rather spend time on their phones rather than watch the movie since going to the movies is expensive now. It’s been said before, but a family of four in Los Angeles would spend a minimum of $80 just to get in the door. Even a couple going on a date would be spending $40 before concessions, and you have to get popcorn. It’s an expensive trip, so it makes sense that people going would want the experience to be undiluted by other movie goers’ social media feeds. But that’s not the world we live in anymore. It’s expensive and in a month or two they can watch the movie at home with far less distractions. Taking a chance on an original film isn’t worth it to many people. They would rather wait for the next entry in whatever big budget franchise they’re still invested in.
According to data from the National Research Group, via Bloomberg, almost 20% of teens use their phones while in a movie theater. This debate has been popping up a few times over the last few years with The Wall Street Journal having published an article about rampant phone usage during the “Barbenheimer” days and NBCNews publishing an article during the Wicked days. Social media has encouraged phone usage during these moments where theater attendance was at its highest. These are vain attempts to create engagement from younger audiences who want to film reactions or, in Wicked’s case, performances. President and chief executive of the Alamo Drafthouse, Michael Kustermann, had this to say about this encouragement: “We understand the level of enthusiasm. Get there early and take a picture of the crowd while the lights are still on.”
Indeed, there are safe havens out there for movie goers who want a phone-less experience. The Alamo Drafthouse has almost 45 locations, and thanks to a major Sony purchase, will be expanding in the coming years. Simply known as The Drafthouse, the Texas based theater chain was founded in 1997 and prides itself on maintaining theater etiquette, so much so that it doesn’t allow children under the age of 2 except for very special occasions. However, while regular patrons of the Drafthouse are constantly singing the theater's praises, with so few locations, not everyone is able to go and escape the trenches of the local Regal, Cinemark, or AMC. Unfortunately many theater chains are understaffed and “don’t have the bandwidth to monitor every screening” says Eric Forgue, a moderator for the subreddit r/MovieTheaterEmployees, via NBCNews.
“We always want to maintain the cinema as that special place where you shut out the distractions of everyday life and devote a couple of hours to a compelling story,” says Michael O’Leary, CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners to WSJ. But taking a phone out and posting a picture from the theater takes away from the shared experience audiences have watching a movie together. Sara Cureton, an assistant professor at Colorado Technical University who teaches psychology and social media said to NBCNews that phones are “impacting behavior etiquette, including becoming a distraction, violating boundaries in shared spaces.” Daysia Tolentino added in her NBC news piece that “many have begun to prioritize their own individual experiences at the expense of the collective.”
Is this the big fix that will save the movie theaters? No, absolutely not. It’s on the list but it’s not high. Rising ticket prices, bloated budgets, a studio system afraid to take a chance (although who could blame them at this point), streaming, and whatever else you can think of have all combined together to make a recipe for disaster when it comes to movie theaters. Going to the movies has become a luxury now. One that many people struggle to afford. What was once something for the middle class to enjoy on a weekend, or a classic first date location, has now become something that you have to save up for and go out to for special occasions. It’s that luxury status that makes people so annoyed when some dingbat in the front row takes out their phone because they're bored. Just leave if you want to waste the money, some don’t.
Now this isn’t to say that you can’t ever take your phone out. There’s a reason why movie theaters started asking you to put the phone on silent rather than to turn it off. There are any number of reasons why you would need to consult your phone. Perhaps you’re babysitting your niece and nephew and the movie is going a little long. Dim the light on that phone and shoot a quick text. Let’s say you’re in a recliner though, keep it close to your chest, spelling errors don’t matter here. Perhaps it’s an emergency phone call or text, then get up and walk out of sight of the other patrons. It’s easy to consider your fellow movie-goer and show some empathy for others. If someone asks you to put the phone away then just say “I’m sorry” so that everyone can enjoy the movie and not have to spend the next hour and half thinking about how you were a dick. (I remember every single time someone was an ass to me. Don’t be like them.)
“The social contract needs to be adhered to once again…”
People have to be reconditioned to be off their phones in the movie. Sure, some online cinephiles can post on social media “if you want original films and this movie bombs, then it’s all your fault” all they want, but if the experience isn’t pleasant then people aren’t going to want to go. The social contract needs to be adhered to once again, forcefully if needed. It costs too much money just to watch someone text their buddy about how boring the movie is, or check their instagram stories, or play a game. If you want to be on your phone, then leave the theater and leave the people who actually want to be there, who actually want to experience the joy of the cinema, alone.
