“Watch the screen” seems like an unneeded instruction for moviegoers. But which screen?

The topic of texting in theaters sparked lively debate last week at CinemaCon, an industry gathering in Las Vegas. “Several prominent industry figures seemed to endorse the idea that ... it might be time to relax prohibitions against texting in theaters,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

Teens are “accustomed to controlling their existence,” notes the head of IMAX Filmed Entertainment, Greg Foster. Cell bans make some “feel a little handcuffed,” he added.

Entertainment columnist Patrick Goldstein of the Times, calling himself “a purist” on this issue, worries that “Americans almost never resist technological change." He expects chains eventually will allow cell use in some theaters. “No matter how thoughtful the comments might possibly be," he wrote Tuesday, “I’m still being blinded by the light of their phones.”  

The texting issue becomes more noticeable this week as The Avengers opens to kick off the summer movie season. The blockbuster movie based on the superhero comic book is showing at Chesterfield Crossing Cinema.