"If you've been to a crowded movie theater in the "post-pandemic" era, then surely you've sat among a twinkling, whimsical display of ... bright-as-hell smartphone screens. What was once considered a universal faux pas, to be so willfully rude as to use your phone during a movie, has now-like so many other things-been sucked into a generational debate where "screw it, I'm scrolling Instagram" is becoming a tolerated character trait."
"A 2025 study found that 20% of teens say it's socially acceptable to use their phones at the theater. But I can say from personal experience that it's not a phenomenon limited to Gen Z or Alpha. Judging from the senior woman who was playing mobile games-WITH THE SOUND ON-during a recent screening of Avatar: Fire and Ash, while her husband pleaded with her to stop, this tiny bit of common decency has more or less slipped away from all generations."
Movie theaters in the post-pandemic era frequently display numerous bright smartphone screens as phone use during films becomes more socially accepted. A 2025 study found 20% of teens consider theater phone use acceptable, and examples span generations. Alamo Drafthouse historically enforced a strict no-phones policy, making it a unique national chain that prioritized the integrity of the theatrical experience despite in-theater food and drink service. That enforcement included public messaging and ejecting rule-breakers. The Alamo Drafthouse recently announced a mobile ordering rollout, which the chain claims will reduce distractions, effectively undermining its previous no-phones practice.
Read at Jezebel
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