AMC Entertainment CEO Not Opposed To Allowing Texting In Theaters

Since the first cell phone and pager was invented, there have been advertisements before we watch movies in theaters that tell people not to use their mobiles and to mute them in the theater. Every time I go to the movie it seems like a handful of people ignore those warnings. Some even talk during the film making me want to throat punch them. AMC Entertainment is the company that runs AMC theaters and the company has a new CEO called Adam Aron.

Aron has an idea that making it ok to text in the theater might lure in a younger crowd to the movies. The executive is open to making some theaters texting and mobile device friendly. Variety reports that this isn't the first time a CEO of a major movie chain has considered making it ok to use mobiles in a theater, Regal Entertainment CEO Amy Miles considered just that in 2012 and the backlash was significant.

Many feel that moviegoers who can't stay off their phones for the few hours they are in a movie simply shouldn't go. "When you tell a 22-year-old to turn off the phone, don't ruin the movie, they hear please cut off your left arm above the elbow. You can't tell a 22-year-old to turn off their cell phone. That's not how they live their life," Aron said. He does admit that AMC would need to figure out a way to not annoy viewers who don't want someone next to them texting during the movie.

Aron says that two methods being considered are having sections that allow texting and other is having auditoriums specified that allow texting. The latter is more likely to be the solution according to the executive. Perhaps if specific showings were designated to allow texting viewers who don't want to deal with texting can skip that showing this idea might work out.

SOURCE: Variety