To not want to watch an event through someone else's f**king phone?

[Queenofthedrivensnow]

As in if I'm not at the very front (not singularly a problem) of the nativity/light show thing at National trust/dozen of things we have attended this year.

Honestly I'm starting to think it would be easier to just watch this stuff on Facebook at home and not bother going out at all.

Yes this is so annoying and stupid. You aren't going to watch it back ever, so why bother. Even worse is because so many people are doing it, the videos people take are mostly just of phones, with the singer or whoever tiny in the background. Makes the video even more pointless.

Totally agree, not unreasonable at all. I've even noticed at parties with the younger crowd they 'switch off' when phones are not filming and then become animated and loud whenever it's selfie or Facebook live time. Black mirror indeed!

The whole smart phone addiction grinds my gears anyway. The family in front of me were glued to their phones the whole time we queued. The really quite well behaved children just stood in silence. Seemed a shame to ignore them. Then they held up everyone taking a million photos of every display. Shit manners shit parenting

One of the band members of madness tweeted yesterday about someone standing at the front filming the whole show. He was not happy that he had a camera in his face the whole time

It is shit isn't it. Because who watches it again ever anyway? Like nana from the Royle family, when she rewatches Denise’s wedding with Elsie. It is absolute bollocks. My SIL films firework displays. Who does this? They are shit unless they are fucking live. Oh OP, you have opened the floodgates now. Grrrrrr.

It's everywhere now, every tiny moment must be documented for social media or it didn't happen. I like a pp have seen so many people pay to go into an art exhibition, then they race around barging in front of people looking at the works taking pictures of the artworks/selfies in front of them. So intrusive and missing the point of coming to see the works in real life! The Yayoi Kusama exhibition at Victoria Miro recently was awful for this.

I want to scream you know some things are finite and that's ok. Maybe it's a mortality fear!!!

I'm surprised no one has piled in justifying it since most fecking parents at my school do it!!!

I don't understand people who film firework shows? Who actually watches that back? Just enjoy the moment with your eyes!

Yep. It’s actually ridiculous. Why on earth would you want to watch a crappy video of fireworks after the event and not actually enjoy them in the moment? This exact thing happened last NYE. I think my DP and I were the only ones out of a couple of thousand not filming! I said to him at the time how ridiculous it was.

For me it’s right up there with standing at the bottom of the slide at softplay and filming your older child slide for the millionth time in their life.

I saw someone at a festival in front if me who had their massive iPad up filming. They got bumped and dropped it and it smashed.
It was a nice moment

Clearly not just me! I'm heartened not everyone does it. Don't get me wrong I take a couple of pics but that's all. Yesterday was national trust lights display. We stayed ages at each exhibit (not blocking other guests) and dd1 was really pleased she picked out more subtle details - was fairy tale theme - which would be pretty difficult to see through a phone lense!!!

My kids get pissed off about excessive phone use and are quite loud about it with me!!

@TeaForDad ooooooh the karma

I can't stand this.

Sat through the ceremony of a wedding last year and the brides aunt filmed the whole thing on a massive tablet, except she hadn't pressed record. So the fucking thing was blocking my view for no reason.

Similar thing at another wedding, but a different person filming, and that was pointless too, as the footage he films never sees the light of day. He moaned incessantly about being there the whole time anyway, so not like it was a special moment to treasure forever.

Why pay for a concert ticket when you are going to watch the whole thing through a screen anyway? Save the money and watch someone else's shaky crap footage on youtube.

I'm laughing because I was going to post about this last week!! But I thought I was so not U it would be dead in minutes! I was in front row, dh had to leave early and I told him to tell someone standing to take his seat. Up she comes, and stickers phone in front of my face! Literally no need in front row, I had mine discreetly in front of my stomach to get a few shots. I ended up saying that I couldn't see my son and off she flounced!! Wabu?!?

I feel your pain. Went to see War of the Worlds this weekend and it was mostly a sea of mobile phones. So annoying.

I absolutely hate this but I now have no concern about asking people to please stop blocking my view. They usually stop or move the phone although they are almost always hufffy about it. I can't for the life of me figure out why so many people are happy to spoil the experience for others just so they can get some crappy recording
I got a front row seat at the nursery performance this year to avoid this very thing though. Hoping for the same at nativity 😁

Some high profile performers are taking action and banning them at their shows - Jack White provided lockable bags at his gigs; you had to drop your phone in, it was locked by staff, then unlocked at the end. Obviously this doesn't come cheap, but we can only hope it catches on. Doesn't help the school play issue though!
I can't get over the cheek of people doing this though - we were at the west end production of Aladdin last year, and the woman next to me was determined to film the finale and curtain call. Staff were on her instantly, but she had to be told three times to put her phone away! This is despite there being warnings everywhere about filming. I also read last week on Twitter that people have been spotted, (by the cast on stage), using their phones in the stalls at Hamilton! The hottest ticket in town and people can't just put their phones away for a couple of hours to enjoy it. We're all going to hell in a handcart. < walks away muttering angrily>

@WellGoshDarnIt sign of the tones they have to be confiscated because people can't just abide

Yes exactly! It's like dealing with an obstinate child - "if you don't put that toy away right now I'm taking it away until you can behave". Adults shouldn't need to be told!

Jack White provided lockable bags at his gigs; you had to drop your phone in, it was locked by staff, then unlocked at the end

That's atrocious. I would never pay money to see anyone who tried to police my phone. My ptsd needs it to be easily accessible. Why not just do what other performers do and have staff to tell people not to use their phones?

Amen, it’s selfish and inconsiderate. Phones should be banned from all performances and galleries. I’ve only been to two places where they were and it was a much better experience...for everyone!

@WhyDontYouComeOnOver so don't go?

No it’s not just you - I started a thread about this 3 weeks ago but not one person replied ☹️ so I thought it was just me!

At that event I had been standing watching the school choir singing carols when someone standing next to me filmed the entire thing on her phone....holding it out to the side so it was in front of my face not hers - so thoughtful!

Then about a week ago it was the nativity play and the person in front of me filmed large chunks of it on a massive iPad. I was about to ask her to stop actually, but then I realised it was a teacher from another bit of the school (filming their child, not in an official capacity), and I felt too embarrassed to ask.

Why can’t they just watch it!!

Happened to me and DH last year at an open air gig, found a perfect spot to stand and someone stood right in front of us and held his phone up. A couple of songs in we realised he was planning on recording the whole thing so everyone standing around us started saying things like "put the phone down," "can't see anything" or "for fuck's sake" enough to hopefully be noticed later on the recording and got louder and louder until the guy finally realised and moved out the way.

I actually don't mind people recording the odd bit (especially if you have a favourite song) but only if it's done discreetly enough to not annoy others or block their view.

Just want to keep this going to comfort the other annoyed phone haters