"In today's world, the people who actually do go to theaters (not old fogies or Luddites that don't go anyway) simply do not want to be cut off from the world for 3 hours."
Silliness! I'm an old fogie at 60. I'm far from a Luddite. I have a cell phone on my person at all times. It is off, unless I need to make a call.
I have a good bit of disposable income. Some of that I use to watch movies at movie theaters, where I also buy popcorn, hot dogs, and sodas, at inflated prices. I see a movie in a theater, with my wife, at least once a week.
A ringing cell phone is an abomination in a theater. Worse is some clown talking on a cell phone during a movie. But, fear not, I speak right up and complain if the person is near me. I also ask talkers to can it if they're near me. I do this quietly, and politely, but very, very firmly. So far, that strategy has shut up every single person committing the breach of etiquette right away, and they've stayed shut up through the rest of the movie.
It is only required that those in the theater refuse to tolerate rude behavior for it to end. If that happens frequently enough, pretty soon such behavior is no longer commmon.
People have to stop being afraid to ask rude people to stop their rudeness. If you ask them, they'll stop, especially if it's clear that you are not one to tolerate any further disturbances.
You're confused if you believe that only rude, young, or technically addicted attend movies. Indeed, it's just the opposite. Folks with time and money also attend, and lots of them are older.
People that are at war with technology don't tend to be high volume movie goers. Also, people in their 60's aren't very high volume movie goers either. It's not like many movies are being made that appeal to that generation. I take my parents who are in thier 60s to the movies on Thanksgiving and Christmas and it's very hard to find something that is appropriate.
Just read this thread, almost everyone who hates cell phones also wrote in the same message that they almost never go to movies anyway.
Go to any cineplex and look at who is in line. It is by far mostly people in their teens and 20s. There are couples in their 30s here and there as well. All of these people would be turned off by the cell phone warriors.
I have to wonder where the theaters are located where you guys have such a problem with cell phone conversations during movies.
Offhand I don't recall it ever being a problem. The cineplex I usually go to has 24 theaters and patronized by a very technologically friendly clientele.
Most people are aware that phones have a silent mode.
By far the biggest distraction are people that heckle during movies (especially horror movies) and parents that bring their infants to movies.