Smartphones and Live Events — Friends, Enemies, or Frenemies?
A conversation between Gene Carr, Founder and Paul Miller, VP Sales – Non-Profit Ticketing, PatronManager:
Gene: I think we’ve reached a tipping point with the use of digital technology in live event settings where there’s no longer a consensus about what a good outcome is. Some organizations are pushing to find more and more innovative uses, and others are screaming at patrons to not touch their devices during the performance.
And yet, as a society, the average person spends almost 3 hours a day on their smartphone according to eMarketer. And app developers are using techniques used in gaming to make sure people are continually checking our phones (things like pop-ups, notifications, push messages, etc.) which deliver a small dopamine hit each time they arrive.
I’ve noticed that even in shows where everyone turns off their phones at the start of the performance, nearly everyone immediately turns on their phone at intermission. So what’s a producer to do? Are we fighting an uphill battle, that’s never to be won? Read the Article