What If Cell Phone Reception Was Blocked in Movie Theaters?

Ever been watching a movie in the theater wishing the 14 year old girl behind you would stop texting the girl immediately to her left? Ever been distracted in the middle of a dramatic scene because someone's ringtone suddenly blares to life? Then you are not alone.

As it turns out, theater owners, too, curse these perpetrators and are taking action to stop them. These types of distractions discourage people from seeing movies in theatres in a time where home-theaters and DVDs are slowly taking over.

That's why the National Association of Theatre Owners in the United States is pushing to have cell phone signals blocked in their theatres altogether. Not only would this eliminate the distractions caused by cell-phones mid-movie, but it would also eliminate the need for the extra mini-film before the feature presentation urging patrons to turn the devices off.

However, this measure could have an adverse effect on audiences who need to constantly be plugged in, be it for work or pleasure. It would mainly affect to girls ages 11-14, who tend to be the worst at parting from their cell-phones for the length of the movie, and who may opt to go shopping rather than be forced to unplug.