Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

AMC Entertainment kills idea to allow texting in theaters

Your phone can stay in your pocket.

Noam Galai / Getty

A couple days ago, AMC Entertainment chief executive Adam Aron told Variety that “You can’t tell a 22-year-old to turn off their cellphone,” so he was open to the idea of allowing phone usage in movie theaters in some form.

For offending the sensibilities of many people who enjoy movies without others on their phones, Aron swiftly got his ass kicked on Twitter. And now AMC is backing away from the idea altogether.

In a statement posted on Twitter, Aron apologized:

“Unlike the many AMC advancements that you have applauded, we have heard loud and clear this is a concept that our audience does not want,” Aron wrote. “In this age of social media, we get feedback from you almost instantaneously and as such, we are constantly listening. Accordingly, just as instantaneously, this is an idea that we have relegated to the cutting room floor.”

Perhaps Aron made the right call! I mean, you wouldn’t want anyone to ruin climactic moments in critically-acclaimed box-office hits like “Batman vs. Superman” or “The Boss.” Or maybe, as one of our colleagues at the Verge suggests, this was Aron’s plan all along:

https://twitter.com/thedextriarchy/status/721014428959944708

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

More in Technology

Future Perfect
The simple question that could change your careerThe simple question that could change your career
Future Perfect

Making a difference in the world doesn’t require changing your job.

By Bryan Walsh
Technology
The case for AI realismThe case for AI realism
Technology

AI isn’t going to be the end of the world — no matter what this documentary sometimes argues.

By Shayna Korol
Politics
OpenAI’s oddly socialist, wildly hypocritical new economic agendaOpenAI’s oddly socialist, wildly hypocritical new economic agenda
Politics

The AI company released a set of highly progressive policy ideas. There’s just one small problem.

By Eric Levitz
Future Perfect
Human bodies aren’t ready to travel to Mars. Space medicine can help.Human bodies aren’t ready to travel to Mars. Space medicine can help.
Future Perfect

Protecting astronauts in space — and maybe even Mars — will help transform health on Earth.

By Shayna Korol
Podcasts
The importance of space toilets, explainedThe importance of space toilets, explained
Podcast
Podcasts

Houston, we have a plumbing problem.

By Peter Balonon-Rosen and Sean Rameswaram
Technology
What happened when they installed ChatGPT on a nuclear supercomputerWhat happened when they installed ChatGPT on a nuclear supercomputer
Technology

How they’re using AI at the lab that created the atom bomb.

By Joshua Keating