People who go to the cinema and sit on their phones for the whole film, why?

Mhm, you don't say. I'm thankful I've never come across this. People checking the time on their phone once or twice during the film, sure, but I've never encountered anyone on their phone during the film. But this was just my guess as to why someone might.

This is a known phenomenon around people who are incapable of enjoying the moment, they're too busy taking photos of events to put on SM to show what exciting lives they lead.

They can't tell you anything about the emotions they felt, the enjoyment they experienced or even the detail of the event itself, because they only care about looking good to others not the happiness of the moment.

addiction to a new dangerous dysfunctional level.

If someone is being dragged to see a film they don't want to, they have bigger issues than being addicted to their phone. I would just say to my DH, I'll go shopping/sit in the bar/stay at home etc and meet them afterwards rather than pay and sit through a film I don't want to see.

They need to say they’ll meet them after. If someone is physically dragging you somewhere it’s a problem. Or just watch - you never know, you might like it. Don’t make your boredom someone else’s problem with a distracting phone light through.

If I’ve boug(t a programme I’ll have read it all before curtain up. It’s because why shouldn’t I amuse myself o; the phone when it’s affecting nobody else - nobody wants to talk to me, nobody else can see it, it’s the interval. It actually makes it easier to be a solo person in a social space if you have something to focus on. Nothing to do with addiction.

I'm not one of them but I'm guessing.. someone who has been dragged to see a film they don't want to, by their partner?

Yes! I’ve been fascinated by this thread. I just had no idea people couldn’t sit for 90 mins and just BE, and I speak as someone who struggles with phone addiction.

It’s a Venn diagram of all 3 of your concerns

I definitely mean groups of people, couples or parents with children. Quite often if you’ve gone in a couple you’re on your own for time during the interval if your friend or partner nips to the toilet. If you’re there on your own it’s for the love of theatre, of course- though looking at a phone during the interval is no different to nipping outside to have a cigarette 🤷‍♀️ is it habit, bit of a break to switch off from your surroundings (when you could be reading the programme instead?) or addiction which means you can’t comfortably miss time on your phone…

Yeah, this is why I no longer go to the cinema. Sad really. I do go to the theatre occasionally which is almost as annoying unfortunately. It seems people can't sit through performances anymore without getting up for the toilet or to get food or drinks without waiting until the intervals or end. Once one person gets up, it's like a sodding relay race. It must be so distracting for the performer/s to see and hear people charging in and out and up and down stairs.

Yeah, that’s really poor of you.

Go out and sit in the cafe/foyer if you want to play a game on your phone.

It doesn’t matter if there is just your friends next to you ( who probably wanted to enjoy the film or else why did any of you go?!?) - the light from your phone is distracting to anyone in the cinema who have it in their eye line.

Which is why the cinema asks people to turn off their phone when the film starts. If you didn’t understand why they ask this before then hopefully you do now.

Sorry, it lost my quote - that was to @Jotunn9

Great post.

I hope the people on here who have said that they thought being on their phone isn’t affecting anyone else have listened to everyone else saying “Yes, it is” and will now not do it.

(Unless they were not being honest and know full well it’s antisocial but have their own logic that it somehow doesn’t apply to them and will just carry on trying to get away with it…)

This thread has been an eye opener for me. I have 3 concerns.

1. Smartphone addiction.
2. There are grown adults who cannot face being bored for even an hour.
3. There are people who are either so incredibly selfish or utterly lacking in imagination to not realise that what they do affects those around them.

In fact these issues explain a lot of what's wrong with the world at the moment, including climate change.

People on their phones are one of the reasons I now only go to the first daily screening of movies. There never is anyone else there or if there is they know to behave.

There seems to be a pattern in which people treat places like the cinema, theatre, planes etc as if they are in their own living room. Either they actually don't care about people around them or are too thick to realise.

Some people are addicted to their phones and can’t leave them alone for 5 seconds.

I sat through such dire films when my kids were small in the pre-smartphone era; it's totally survivable! You daydream or nap or make mental to-do lists, mostly just let your mind wander. Everyone is so afraid of two minutes with their own thoughts nowadays or of the prospect of a bit of boredom. It's character-building!

You'd think so but I've got ADHD, a disability with the lack of focus, well on things not stimulating, yet I can managed to keep my phone in my bag from start to finish.

It's purely bad manners, I hate seeing someone's screen light up in the dark, now that distracts me!

I've only ever been to the cinema (at least in the age of smartphones) at very quiet times where It's just been me and whoever I am with, not next to anybody else.

The last time I went (can't remember the film!) was about 3-4 years ago, the time before that was when 'the Hobbit' was airing (and I did watch that), it isn't something I do on the regular.
I do recall playing 'snake' all the way through The Matrix but again, I was in between friends on a quiet row.

Also it's really sad if you go with your kids and are totally unengaged in THEIR experience. They want to share it with you, ask you what your favourite bit was. Actually be with them. Slightly different of you're chaperoning a bunch of mates but still the etiquette rules apply.

Maybe you’re not aware but it’s incredibly distracting for everyone else.

It’s not a social setting for people who have gone on their own. Nobody else wants to talk to us most times.

After my last trip to the cinema I’ve been put off going ever again, especially with the cost of it. There were people who spent the entire time on their phones and loads of people talking at the top of their voices all the way through it - I mean they didn’t shut up for a second of the film. I actually went out and complained in the end, someone came in and told them to be quiet, they didn’t though, just carried on when the cinema worker left. I don’t know what happened in the film at all because I couldn’t concentrate on it because of the noise, so was a complete waste of money.

I have always gone to the cinema quite frequently, but I’ve noticed people getting more and more antisocial as time has passed. It seems to have changed after people were allowed to disrupt the Minecraft movie. I won’t be going again.

Why do you need to order food and drink its only for a couple of hours.

Exactly. The other post was weird.

To single out "especially" at the interval at a time when that's not bothering anyone as being somehow more annoying than in the middle of a show 🙄

If I'm on my phone I'm either doing something useful so making use of 'down' time so I can then spend my limited free time talking with people i actually known and like, or something like duolingo so actively learning something . I can't see how an awkward conversation with a random stranger next to me is somehow morally superior or beneficial.

If I go with someone I know i would usually chat with them rather than going on my phone, but I tend to also lift share and go for dinner before hand, so if I do check my phone i dont think 2 mins of non-engagement when we've spent 5plus hours together is an issue!

I raised three kids pre smart phones, and my god did I sit through tedious childrens movies (Cars movie springs to mind) and at times I felt like walking out and sitting in the lobby with a good book and coffee but as a parent its something you have to grin and bare.