But How Will Everyone Know I was at the Concert!

Recently while scouring my Facebook posts I came across a post that was sharing a picture of a musician and a story about how they looked back and saw everyone on their cell phones rather than experiencing the concert. This kind of hit a nerve for me because I began to reminisce of the days I went to concerts, I think my last one was Bon Jovi at the Staples Center in 2002, but I don't remember any cell phones. It has become a blatant disregard for the experience of the show to pull out your cell phone and tape a show, but it still happens and they do not care.  Now I have to preface this whole story by saying I have not been to a concert in quite some time so I am taking a lot of other peoples stories that have been told to me and that I have read about. But I digress... cell phones have become like an extra appendage that if not attached to the body in any way the person will have a fit and start acting like a mental patient escaped from Shady Acres.

This "extra appendage" feeling comes down to the times we are living in. The cell phone has now become a necessity rather than a luxury.  When you break it down, it still is a luxury to have a cell phone but yet if you don't have a cell phone you are looked at as a primitive neanderthal. I'm getting off topic...I mean to focus on the continuous usage of cell phones at concerts. Get it together Shea. 

Concerts are meant to be an experience because a concertgoer finally earns the privilege of getting to see their favorite band in person and to hear and sing-a-long with all their favorite tunes from that favorite band. You save up all your money to pay for that ticket to be close to the stage, and you anticipate getting there early in hopes of securing your place to stand and oogle at the front-man or lady.(Greta, I'm talking about you!) You want to surrounded by other fans rockin' out and enjoying the same music you are, not on a phone texting, or Instagram-ing, or needless to say taping the entire show. Especially when you are at a big names show, like a Rush concert, where this ticket you bought just cost you a literal arm and a leg.

You dont want Larry Robinson over here sitting on his phone taping the entire show and ruining it for others behind him that want to experience the same thing. But ever since at least 2008, concertgoers have had to deal with cell phones at what they do to the experience of the concert. One site that I saw from Huffington Post said that 47% of concertgoers are texting someone else during the show, while 32% are using social media during the show. That to me is shocking! Why would you waste your time and money on watching a screen with poor quality when you can be experiencing the real thing if you just cut off that "extra appendage". 

While researching this topic, I came across a YouTuber where that is all they do is spend an unheard amount of money on tickets to these concerts and sit there and film performances. OK...that seems like...fun, yeah I think that's the word I'm...looking...for. All to get a measly amount of YouTube views. IS THAT WHAT ITS ABOUT?!??? YOUTUBE VIEWS! I couldn't even believe when I saw it, but I think that is what it has come down in this day and age. When I read that last bit back to myself I feel like an old person, and I'm far from it, I'm 35, but if you are worrying about how everyone will think about the video you just took of the concert you paid rather than the $100 you paid for the experience of the music in person. You have a problem.  

There are steps in the right direction towards ending cell phones being brought in to concert venues and its starting in San Francisco and you can read about it here: 

http://mic.com/articles/100048/this-technology-actually-keeps-people-from-ruining-concerts-with-cellphones

And there are several artists that I have seen get really upset when they see someone on their cell phones Peter Frampton is one of the cases. As seen here explaining about the situation. 

Also,  I have heard of Beyonce, and other artists standing up against using cell phones during their performances. There have been numerous attempts at silencing the cell phones in concerts debate with signs and other things but really it comes down to the person with the cell phone to be aware of his/her surroundings. 

I understand wanting to document where you have been and, now that social media has become a huge part of everyone's lives, telling everyone that you are at the concert but there is a time and place for that. That is at the beginning of the show and then you turn it completely off. Otherwise you turn into the person that everyone hates and do you really want to have that now! And find the time to check out your local bands whenever you get the chance because they deserve your support just as much as Tay Swift does.