Stories of movie theater etiquette crimes (like scrolling through TikTok during 'Oppenheimer') are going viral and causing outrage

• Twitter users have blasted fellow theater goers for using their phones during the movies.
• One user went viral as they lambasted people scrolling on TikTok in particular.
• Some TikTokers appear to have shared footage of 'Oppenheimer' filmed in the theater.

Twitter users are venting about the poor etiquette they say they've experienced in movie theaters of late, as they chastise fellow cinema-goers for the obnoxious use of their phones while the film is in full swing.

The simultaneous release of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" on July 21 sparked a collective internet buzz, inspiring a wave of "Barbenheimer" memes, as many planned to watch the two very different films back to back, but not everyone had the experience they'd hoped for. 

On July 31, a Twitter user who goes by @silvergelpen shared a post where they wrote they'd seen "Oppenheimer" the night before and experienced "one of the worst behaved crowds I've ever been in" which included "multiple camera flashes throughout" and "people in front of us scrolling TikTok half way thru the film."

The tweet, which implored people not to attend a three-hour movie if they "don't have the attention span" appeared to resonate with many, as it received over 4.3 million views, and 72,000 likes.

Hundreds of other users shared similar experiences in quote tweets that pointed to specific issues they had with those around them in movie theaters, including people scrolling through Facebook, opening TikTok, and recording videos.

One Twitter user who goes by @offbeatorbit wrote, "I literally turn my phone all the way off whenever I'm at a movie theater bc the idea of my phone making any noise in the audience makes me wanna die... so the idea that people are just ON THEIR PHONES BROWSING TIKTOK DURING A MOVIE IS INSANE TO ME WERE YOU RAISED IN A BARN?"

They received over 13.8 million views and a plethora of comments that shared even more examples of poor public etiquette, such as texting with the phone brightness up and answering phone calls.

One user wrote that this sort of behavior had put them off going to the movies entirely, and another said their local theater sometimes had a member of staff come out and remind people to put their phones away before the movie began.

Multiple videos of viewers appearing to record the theater screen have popped up on TikTok since the release of "Oppenheimer" as they document their experience, fawn over the cast, or share lengthy, climactic scenes from the movie. "Barbie" has received a similar treatment, as many have called out the behavior of those filming, labeling it rude.

It's not just movie theaters where paying customers are becoming frustrated with the behavior of others.

Back in March, a 2022 clip of a person singing loudly at a Billie Eilish concert sparked a debate on Twitter about concert etiquette, and TikToks of fans holding signs at gigs and blocking the views of others have continued an ongoing conversation about the right way to behave in a public setting.

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