Poll: Do you think it's rude to text in movie theaters?

[Yuno Gasai]

If their texting isn't noticeable (i.e. I haven't been made aware of it due to noise or the brightness of the screen), I generally don't care.

People talking loudly and/or shrieking with laughter (or fear) at inopportune moments is more irritating to me.

 

[Womplord]

Why can't people stop mindlessly chattering for a few fucking hours?

 

[Lem0nade Inlay]

No?

Who gives a shit, move if you don't like it.

 

[Netface]

How is this even up for debate?

Yes, it's rude. Shut your fucking phone off.

 

[TelHybrid]

Completely rude. Whether it's noise from the phone's ringtones and such, or clicking of buttons, or the brightness of the screen, it's distracting to others.

 

[Jezzascmezza]

Yes, I think it's very rude.
People don't pay good money to go to the movies, only to have some jerk-off who "has to text" constantly sitting a row down from them.

 

[Killclaw Kilrathi]

Sit in front of them and whip out an iPad. Make sure you switch to a nice white page to read like Google News for the full effect.

If I ran a cinema, all the ushers would be equipped with high-intensity LED torches. Whenever someone is spotted with a phone company policy would be for the usher to point the torch at their face and say "oh sorry, am I bothering you by placing a bright light into your field of view during a movie in a darkened cinema?"

 

[funguy2121]

So I went to the theater earlier today with some friends. A row or two in front of us was someone texting on their phone through out the movie. It didn't really bother me, but my friend seemed to be very bothered by it and proceeded to argue with the person texting that it's rude to text during a movie. So I ask you, do you think it's rude?

Edit: To clarify about sound. There wasn't a noise, but the screen did seem quite bright.

52 votes for Cheeseburger! I feel like Nader! Your vote counts, people! I mean, your votes count, people! I mean, your collective vote counts, persons!

I am tired.

Is it rude? That doesn't begin to cover it. If you don't at least turn that thing on vibrate and leave it in your pocket for the whole movie, you categorically are an asshole, in addition to being a fuckwit. Why did you just pay $10 to sit and text for 2 hours? Because you are a fuckwit. Why have you not thought of the 60-400 other human beings sitting right next to you? Because you're also an asshole who has no consideration for others. If this is you, please do not reproduce.

I'm sorry. I screwed up the parallel structure there. Apologies, English majors.

Edit: "And another thing!" I just realized why these people are such fuckwits / assholes. It's because they are the type of person to run out and buy a cell phone because it's called an Envy. To them cell phones are symbols (cymbals?) of status. To them, texting is a part of their social life, on par with actual human interaction or yelling into a phone in a crowded restroom. They cling desperately to their phones, hoping to be defined by them as a person of importance and value. And yet these extremely important communiques go like this:

"C U latr! TTFN. OMFG, bra, OMFg!"

 

[Sarah Frazier]

Yes, it is rude, especially if it keeps happening through the entire show.

If it's something as major as a family member or friend in the hospital, go freaking visit them and watch the movie another day! If it's something so important, go to the lobby and text there while you get snacks or use the bathroom, rather than distract and annoy other people. Otherwise, put your phone away and respond to the new baby/pet pics or jokes later. They'll still be there in your phone.

 

[thiosk]

I've long argued that people who use cellphones during movies should be struck for resources.

If it bothers ONE person, at ALL... grrrr.

The only thing worse than this was there was a movie theater with assigned seating. Some old people came and took some seats in the easily accessible row. Two teenagers came in late, and told the OLD ELDERLY LADIES to get out of their seats. Theres plenty of room up at the top, you fuckwits.

 

[Bouncing Ferret FIlm]

yes, hell yes, hell the fuck yes.. yes yes, a thousand times yes.
I really don't think i can stress YES enough to that.

 

[mjc0961]

They tell you not to talk OR text during the movie for a reason. Even if you don't have a ringer on, you're still whipping out this bright-ass screen that is changing the lighting of the room and if you have a real keyboard instead of a touch screen, you're making a lot of little clickly noises too.

Plus why did you pay money to sit in a movie theater and text instead of watching the movie you idiot? You could have texted anywhere else for free, but you waste your money and make things less enjoyable for everyone else who didn't intend to waste their money.

They should just find a way to jam all cell phone signals inside the actual rooms where the movie is being held so people have no choice but to put their damn phones away for a little while. Maybe it's not technologically or economically possible, but I can dream dammit.

EDIT: About emergencies. There used to be a time where there were no cell phones or they weren't cheap enough for everyone to have one. During that time, if you were out and an emergency occurred, you wouldn't be able to hear about it until you got back home or to some other phone you use regularly that people could get into contact with you through. Was that the end of the world? No. So if people were once able to handle not having a cell phone ever, you can handle going without one for 90-120 minutes.

 

[smithy_2045]

I have no problem with it. I'd suggest that if you're finding someone's phone particularly distracting, it's not a very good movie in the first place.

 

[Nemesha]

Texting during a movie...You're doing it wrong!

Of course it's rude, you are interfering with the movie-experience of others. Simple as that.
Plus, when I go to the cinema I really want to see the movie thus why on earth would I want to mess around with my phone??

 

[Dagnius]

I think it's rude tbh... you're there to watch a movie not text the entire time. Idk it just bothers me to see those bright screens (supposing they're within 2-3 rows) shining up at me. I can understand emergencies but I once had someone play a little game on his phone until the next text came to him... then he'd go right back to playing it...

Personally I just don't like theaters... Unless I catch it on an off-night and the place is half-empty and all the wanna-be-cool-guys are off getting drunk/arrested/etc instead of loudly stating obvious things/stupid stuff during the movie in an attempt to make everyone laugh.
/rant

 

[Freakzooi]

Texting once or twice during a movie with the backlight of your phone turned off: not rude

Texting many times during the entire movie with a bright light annoying everyone in their vincinity: very rude

I think this also applies to talking or eating loudly. A remark now and then with a low voice is not rude, as is eating your popcorn normally. What IS rude is yelling everytime the villain comes on screen or loudly scraping the bottom of your bag of popcorn. I can get REALLY annoyed when people do that...

 

[Rednog]

Not a fan of texting/use of a phone in general in a theater. It is fairly distracting and too many people have really short dim times, so instead of it just being a constant light source which you could maybe ignore you see the blink every couple of seconds of the light going from dim to full bright. But then I am a very picky movie goer, I don't like people talking or whispering, I go there to be fully immersed in a movie. Hell I'll rarely even go with some people I know because I know they'll talk and it will bother me.

 

[Jazoni89]

My sister was doing it when we were watching Pirates 4 together.

It was terribly rude, i even had a few choice words for her afterwards.

 

[tharglet]

Yes - I find it rude. If people are messing with their phones in the trailers I don't care (who goes to the movies for the trailers anyway?), but during the movie, please either a) ignore it b) go outside to play with it.

If my phone is on, it's on vibrate, and people can't hear it anyway. If I get a text I'm not going to read it til I leave... if it rings I'll aim to sneak out and answer it (Nobody much calls my phone, so if it's a call it's generally important).

I have good peripheral vision, so yes, I do see it.