[TheMarySue]

Well, I guess this means I’m officially old. I detest any cell phone use while out to see a movie but apparently them youngins’ think it’s just swell. The Hollywood Reporter conducted a poll to figure out how Americans discover and consume entertainment and found out social media is huge (obviously) and that a lot of people would prefer a theater in which you were not only allowed, but encouraged, to text. And to them I say, “Get off my lawn!”

THR asked the market research firm Penn Schoen Berland to help them conduct the poll on entertainment. The write, “Nine of 10 respondents view social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook as a new form of entertainment, and more than half say social media sites are important tastemakers in determining what to watch and buy. Perhaps more surprising, 80 percent of television viewers visit Facebook while they watch.”

…

“Millennials want their public moviegoing experience to replicate their own private media experiences,” said pollster Jon Penn.“Having dedicated social-media-friendly seats, or even entire theaters, can make the moviegoing experience more relevant and enjoyable for them.”

See the full story here: http://www.themarysue.com/texting-in-theaters/

See the original Hollywood Reporter Story here: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/twitter-facebook-study-texting-movies-twitter-social-media-302921

THR Poll: 9 out of 10 Call Social Media New Form of Entertainment; Young People Want Texting in Movies

“Social media is the connective tissue that enables consumers to multitask during their entertainment experiences by connecting with others and sharing their opinions,” notes pollster Jon Penn of the findings, based on a survey of 750 social network users ages 13 to 49. And film moguls, take note: The poll found that a majority of 18-to-34-year-olds believe using social media while watching a movie in a theater would add to their experience, and nearly half would be interested in going to theaters that allowed texting and web surfing.  …

Other interesting findings from THR’s poll:

• 88% of people consider visiting and posting on social networking sites a form of entertainment.
• 70% of consumers have listened to music by an artist based primarily on what a friend posted on a social networking site.
• 79% of respondents always or sometimes visit Facebook while watching television.
• 98% of all social networkers are Facebook members, while only 56% of social networkers are Twitter members.