Some viewers claim that too many individuals are taking pictures and videos during their screenings of Wicked, ruining the magic.
Taking out a phone during a movie was formerly frowned upon, but in recent years, it has become normal. The musical adaptation’s premiere has reignited the discussion over proper movie theater behavior.
After encouraging people to share pictures from their Wicked viewing, a moviegoer’s thread received millions of views on X. Some shamed them for interfering with the movie, while others complied.
Since epidemic limitations were removed, there has been an increase in the use of phones in movies. Some people think that because people have spent so much time communicating on social media, they have prioritized content creation over experiencing the present.
According to Sara Cureton, an assistant professor of psychology and social media at Colorado Technical University, social media has become an integral part of who we are. According to her, many people utilize social media to get visibility, regardless of whether their audience consists just of their friends and family whether they are an influencer with thousands of followers.
Cureton claimed that sharing images from a Wicked screening indicates my presence, which I was doing this opening weekend.
A brief photo wasn’t very intrusive, according to some social media users who took pictures during their screenings.
However, pulling out a phone and sharing a photo from the theater detracts from the communal experience of watching a film. According to Cureton, phones are affecting conduct etiquette by being a distraction and crossing limits in public areas. A lot of people have started to put their personal experiences ahead of the group’s.
According to Cureton, most people consider watching movies to be a hallowed cultural and media ritual. Those who are likely disturbed over the sharing of these title cards or movie experiences are most likely accustomed to that moviegoing custom.
In response to the X conversation, Alamo Drafthouse, which has a stringent no-phones policy, advised customers not to do that.
Many moviegoers on X voiced their disgust at people using their phones during showings and urged theaters to take greater action to enforce their phone policies and reduce disturbances.
Many theaters are understaffed and lack the bandwidth to keep an eye on every screening, according to Eric Forgue, a moderator for the subreddit r/MovieTheaterEmployees, which explores the experiences of current and past movie theater employees.
According to Forgue, 30, who spent seven years working at a Cinemark cinema, “if you have a problem, you should get up and tell somebody about it because the odds of someone coming in to check a theater are not as likely anymore.”
Prior to and following the epidemic, Forgue worked at a movie theater until June. Based on his experience, he claimed to have observed an increase in phone use. He partially explained it by saying that during the lockdown, customers were accustomed to watching movies in their homes however they pleased, including on their iPhones.
Then, returning to the theater, Forgue stated, “They simply haven’t broken that habit.”
According to Forgue, he has witnessed teenagers snapping photos, adults livestreaming large-scale movies, and even parents letting their children watch YouTube aloud while watching movies. He urged everyone attending Wicked to think about whether they would do the same thing if they were on Broadway.
He emphasized that people must keep in mind that this experience is about more than just me.
“This isn’t how I watch movies,” he said. This is how we watch movies.
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