Light beams are being used in some movie theaters in China to prevent customers from using their cell phones by laser shaming them. Ushers aim laser pointers at glowing mobile screens until the movie, concert, or play audience member stops using the device.
The theater workers are located above or on the perimeter of the theater's seats. They use a device with a red or green laser instead of running over to the person reading a text message or sending an email.
Wang Chen is an employee in theater affairs department of the Shanghai Grand Theater. He told The New York Times that only a small percentage of the movie theater's audience uses smartphones or tablets during a show and needs a friendly reminder.
Last month Xu Chun watched "Carmen" at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. She explained that the laser beams are distracting while watching a show but argued that lit-up mobile phone screens are even more so.
However, some theater customers are bewildered by the thin beams of light. Joanna C. Lee is a consultant for United States symphony orchestras that are on tour in China. She said the laser pointers are like guns and she was shocked to see the small red dot during a performance, according to WMUR.
Laser pointers can cause safety issues. In many cases airline pilots' vision was affected due to lasers pointed at the plane's cockpit.
Still, performers do not seem to be affected by the lasers. Italian opera singer Giuseppina Piunti explains that the laser pointers are very fast and effective, and argues they should be used throughout the world. Piunti explains they distract her less than flash cameras and seeing ushers run up and down theater aisles.
In the past lasers have been used in China's top performance halls to punish some audience members, according to The New York Times. This could be due to the growing size of theater audiences and number of performance locations.
Another issue is that the audience members in China's theaters are often younger than in the US and Europe. This could result in them being less aware of Western-style concert manners.
Here's a Chick-fil-A program for ditching phones during meals: