Movies deserve better than my smartphone habits
I saw an article that says that viewers are so much on their phone while watching something, that writers are now asked to take that into account when producing new shows and movies.
I admit that I am also guilty of having a bad habit of checking my phone while I watch movies or tv at home, depending on whether it is something I have seen before or I am only partially enjoying what I am watching. But seeing that it is now directly influencing how stuff is written is rather concerning. This likely means stuff like huge amounts of exposition and recaps, with characters saying what they have just done and what they are going to do. Something I think has already been a gradual shift in recent years, and it is part of the reason why I hardly watch series anymore but mostly movies. I rarely think the extra running time that a series uses to complete a narrative is warranted, where each episode often only covers a single plot or character development. Of course that is also down to personal preference, because I can understand why it can be easier to consume a series with characters and a setting you know. With a movie, you start from scratch every time. When I am not looking for a challenge, I just rewatch some Star Trek or Frasier for the up tenth time.
However, background tv isnβt exactly a new thing. Soap operas have existed for decades and those were designed to be run in the background while the housewife was doing housekeeping at home. Not to mention most kind of reality tv or various casual morning talkshows. But will this trend influence the film language in a broader sense? I think it already kind of does. I think many mainstream movies are fed up with exposition and explaining the obvious, because they seem to be afraid of actually challenging the viewer.
I can only try and control my own bad habits, which means I need to put the phone in another room while I am watching a movie at home.