This was an interesting discussion. There are clearly people, particularly young people, who think that there should never be a time when they are not able to instantly communicate. That's probably going to overwhelm traditional taboos about such things at movie theaters, funerals, church, school, business meetings, and elsewhere, especially as technology makes it more and more possible to be connected during air travel and remote vacations and whatnot.

The concept of everyone in one place being truly present and in the moment is probably doomed.

/sound of cloister bells

Texting in a theater just doesn't make any sense to me. You paid for the opportunity to see a movie on the big screen. You can look at your phone any time FOR FREE (barring data charges, or whatever, but still.) Is it really so hard to watch the movie you just paid for without looking at your phone?

Talking is a different thing to me, though. Certain movies warrant it. Obviously I'd be annoyed by someone chit-chatting through The Act Of Killing or something, but I think that horror movies are all about the experience of seeing it with an audience. Part of the fun is how the audience interacts with the movie. It becomes a two-way street where movies normally aren't.

Btw, all theatres in Sweden (that I know of, I should add) are assigned seating, and frown quite heavily on cell phones up during movies (they actually have cameras checking that, and if someone is waving one more than a quick look, they have come in and told 'em off, actually pausing the movie.

That said, if the theatre would prohibit me to be tweeting up to the *second* the main feature starts, or from the second the movie ends, I'll kick someone. I.e. I wouldn't want to sit in a "faraday cage" theatre.

Sorry.

Maybe I'm just more of a Net-o-holic than any of you guys, but it's my constitutioinal right to be online. (I think it has "human right" status in Sweden by now, or if not yet, it has soon).

/Z

phone calls, text messages and a loud alarm clock. That's all I need my phone for. None of this always online, constantly updating, 'would you like to add a location to this tweet' bullshit.

As a point of fact, what I've seen at the local Cinemark is that they actually have a custom app that you can download for free and run on your phone. It makes sure that your phone won't ring or be in use, and if you leave it running for the duration of the movie, you get a coupon for a discount on popcorn/tickets/etc.
It's a pretty clever solution