Smartphone Use in Movies
This is a completely unscientific study but it seems that in just about every movie I watch, not a single character is constantly checking their phone like I see many of us do. No one is scrolling through Twitter or Instagram, no one is playing Clash of Clans or Super Mario Run, I don't think I've ever even seen anyone just browse the internet. Smartphones tend to be hidden unless they're a plot point.
So what are these people doing? They're simply living their lives. They’re talking to people at coffee shops, they’re reading books, they’re sitting on the couch, listening to music. Instead of keeping up with what their friends or "followers" are doing, they’re the ones doing the "doing."
You may say that’s unrealistic. I’d say you’re right. Look around and it's obviously not how we operate in the real world. But in Hollywood, things are idealized, and that might not be a bad thing in this case.
I can understand how movies might a bad rap on account of them being extremely well-produced stories and not exactly a reflection of real life, but maybe we need to adopt this trait from them. Just a thought.
Bonus: Have you noticed that when people in movies need to communicate something to another character, they actually use the phone like a phone? Never a whole lot of texting or messaging going on.