r u going 2 allow txts or not? —

AMC CEO says texting in theaters might be needed to attract millennials [Updated]

"You can’t tell a 22-year-old to turn off their phone. It's not how they live."

AMC CEO says texting in theaters might be needed to attract millennials [Updated]

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. One of the last cultural holdouts against text messaging, the movie theater, may be set for an invasion.

AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron has said he’s open to relaxing the ban on cell phone use in an effort to get more millennials into movie theaters. He wants this generation of movie-goers to attend “with the same degree of intensity” that the baby boomers did.

"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,'" said Aron in an interview with Variety. "You can’t tell a 22-year-old to turn off their cellphone. That’s not how they live their life."

One possibility is having a separate section for texting, said Aron, who’s been in charge of AMC Entertainment for just four months.

"We’re going to have to figure out a way to do it that doesn’t disturb today’s audiences," he said. "There’s a reason there are ads up there saying turn off your phone, because today’s moviegoer doesn’t want somebody sitting next to them texting or having their phone on."

If AMC does engage in an experiment in allowing texting, the effect will be widespread. In February, AMC announced it has reached a deal to purchase Carmike Cinemas, which will make it the world's largest chain of cinemas, according to Variety.

Update 4/15: AMC has released a statement saying the texting experiment is over before it begins. "We have heard loud and clear that this is a concept our audience does not want," the company said in a statement published on Twitter. "With your advice in hand, there will be NO TEXTING ALLOWED in any of the auditoriums at AMC Theatres. Not today, not tomorrow and not in the foreseeable future."

Channel Ars Technica