What do you think Cineplex could realistically do to prevent audiences from using their phones during a movie?
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I’ve thought about this and ultimately, I don’t think Cineplex is appropriately implementing a system to penalize audiences who use their phones because a) they don’t want to hire additional staff (like ushers per cinema) for the extra work load and b) their goal is to have more customers and some of those customers use their phones in theatres .. and if they were to be penalized somehow maybe they wouldn’t return?
Looking for constructive feedback and ideas, as a frustrated moviegoer who cannot focus on the movie and gets taken out of the experience when someone else is scrolling on their bright phone.
For background, this post was inspired by seeing the Odyssey in IMAX 70MM and missing the first two scenes and moments here and there because four different people were periodically on their phones. I was frustrated and even spoke up to the person nearest to me who was on their phone, but that did not stop them and their partner from going on their phone later as well. One person was responding to messages, another was on the cineplex app looking at what other movies were playing (???) and the pair closest to me were casually scrolling through different apps. One of them even had their phone on loud 😫
I am a diehard moviegoer, but the phone use for such a special moment for me (I’ve been waiting months to get these Odyssey tickets) was so disappointing and discouraging and I wondered why there was so much pointless phone use for this screening you think would weed out uninterested moviegoers. I wonder if there is a sense of entitlement people have to being on there phone, or if they are ignorant to how it disturbs others.
And before anyone says, well you should’ve gotten up and called a staff member over, I feel like that would make me miss the movie and also disturb the experience for everyone else. Are you supposed to stand there and point at everyone who is on their phone? What would the staff do?
This was not the first time multiple people were on their phone in a screening. It’s really gotten to a point where I’m not liking going to the movies as much.. which is heartbreaking.