{"id":2746,"date":"2026-04-19T04:47:51","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T04:47:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/updatelive.online\/?p=2746"},"modified":"2026-04-19T04:47:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T04:47:51","slug":"sports-concerts-museums-should-we-ban-cell-phones-to-better-enjoy-what-we-come-to-see","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updatelive.online\/?p=2746","title":{"rendered":"Sports, concerts, museums\u2026 Should we ban cell phones to better enjoy what we come to see?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div layout=\"desktop\">\n<p>  \u201cI have never had so many conversations with strangers at a sporting event.\u201d At the Masters Tournament in Augusta, one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in the world, spectators enjoy a unique experience. No cell phones here. They are prohibited and have never been authorized in order to preserve the atmosphere of the tournament. And the rule is taken very seriously.<\/p>\n<p>This year again, one person was excluded for using their phone. An assumed firmness which contrasts with usual uses, smartphones having taken an important place in our daily lives, particularly during cultural and sporting events.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"c-media\">\n<p><iframe title=\"L'arr\u00eat\u00e9 anti-t\u00e9l\u00e9phone portable expliqu\u00e9 par le maire de Seine-Port\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" hspace=\"0\" vspace=\"0\" webkitallowfullscreen=\"true\" mozallowfullscreen=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ultimedia.com\/deliver\/generic\/iframe\/mdtk\/01357940\/zone\/1\/src\/xqlfl8z\/showtitle\/1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Why do we need to take photos during these moments so much? \u201cThe selfie is a form of certificate of presence,\u201d analyzes Vincent Timsit, doctoral student in sociology at EHESS. Since presence is rewarding, it becomes a certificate of value.\u201d He sees it as a logic of validation for the viewer. An aspect which is similar to that of \u201cfinality\u201d. \u201cWhen we go to a concert or a match, the intention is perhaps not only to go see the players or the artists,\u201d he explains. What becomes more important is going to a particular event. \u00bb<\/p>\n<h2>\u201cNo phone\u201d even in the stadiums<\/h2>\n<p>It&#8217;s not just on the golf course that we don&#8217;t want phones. In stadiums too, supporters encourage limiting their use. This is the case at Red Star FC, where posters ask not to take out your smartphone in the stands. Why ban? \u201cThe phone completely corrupts the vision of the game and prevents you from being 100% invested in the atmosphere,\u201d explains Farid*, supporter of the Parisian Ligue 2 team. And it can bother others, in addition to those who don&#8217;t necessarily want to be filmed. \u00bb<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<figure class=\"c-media\">\n<div class=\"c-media__content\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"No phones allowed at the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia, United States.\" class=\"c-img\" loading=\"lazy\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" width=\"718\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1640px) 718px, (min-width: 1440px) calc(40vw + 70px), (min-width: 1080px) 590px, (min-width: 780px) calc(88.57vw - 349px), (min-width: 660px) calc(100vw - 414px), 211px\" src=\"https:\/\/img.20mn.fr\/dEmPpiZYQfGek6IsfJU53Ck\/718x0\" srcset=\"https:\/\/img.20mn.fr\/dEmPpiZYQfGek6IsfJU53Ck\/590x0 590w, https:\/\/img.20mn.fr\/dEmPpiZYQfGek6IsfJU53Ck\/342x0 342w, https:\/\/img.20mn.fr\/dEmPpiZYQfGek6IsfJU53Ck\/211x0 211w\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"mt-s@xs mx-m@xs mx-0@md color-grey-400 text-xs@xs\">No phones allowed at the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia, United States.<span class=\"color-grey-300 text-xs@xs text-italic\">\u2002-\u00a0M.Meyer &#8211; Getty Images via AFP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He describes an \u201cundeniable\u201d effect on social interactions since the implementation of this instruction. \u201cBefore, when goals were scored, many took out their phones. Now, we mostly see people jumping and singing. There is more spontaneity. And the concentration on the game is multiplied. The ambient experience is incredible when you don&#8217;t have a phone around you. \u00bb He specifies that this desire comes from the supporters themselves, not from the clubs. \u201cManagements have no real interest in banning. The more images there are on the networks, the more it communicates to them,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Before adding: \u201cThese are informal rules, with self-control. If someone takes out their cell phone during the match, spontaneously and in an educational manner, the neighbor will tell them that we don&#8217;t film here. \u00bb Farid is lucid about the limits of a possible large-scale official ban. \u201cIn a stadium with 5,000 seats, like ours, it is manageable (after the renovations, the capacity will be doubled). At the V\u00e9lodrome, with 60,000 seats, it\u2019s another problem,\u201d he observes.<\/p>\n<h2>A real weariness of artists<\/h2>\n<p>The phone is no longer welcome on the dance floor either. DJ Bob Sinclar called audiences \u201ccompletely dead\u201d in a video posted in 2024 on Instagram. \u201cLive in the moment, friends!\u201d Don\u2019t take your phone out for two hours,\u201d he said, in <span class=\"text-italic\">The question box. <\/span>\u201cAll the videos that I was able to take during concerts, I never watched one again,\u201d added, at his side, his daughter, Paloma. Thus, in more and more clubs, customers are asked to cover their lenses with a sticker, under penalty of being refused access. A way to encourage disconnection, the right to forget, and to have fun without looking at yourself.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"c-media\">\n<div class=\"c-media__content\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Faced with the wall of telephones that is erected during concerts, more and more artists are banning them to recreate a connection with their audience.\" class=\"c-img\" loading=\"lazy\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" width=\"718\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1640px) 718px, (min-width: 1440px) calc(40vw + 70px), (min-width: 1080px) 590px, (min-width: 780px) calc(88.57vw - 349px), (min-width: 660px) calc(100vw - 414px), 211px\" src=\"https:\/\/img.20mn.fr\/1vDmfWYNTvOcAW5ccLkXMik\/718x0\" srcset=\"https:\/\/img.20mn.fr\/1vDmfWYNTvOcAW5ccLkXMik\/590x0 590w, https:\/\/img.20mn.fr\/1vDmfWYNTvOcAW5ccLkXMik\/342x0 342w, https:\/\/img.20mn.fr\/1vDmfWYNTvOcAW5ccLkXMik\/211x0 211w\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"mt-s@xs mx-m@xs mx-0@md color-grey-400 text-xs@xs\">Faced with the wall of telephones that is erected during concerts, more and more artists are banning them to recreate a connection with their audience.<span class=\"color-grey-300 text-xs@xs text-italic\">&#8211; A. Bonnard \/ Hans Lucas via AFP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Faced with walls of telephones, artists took more radical measures to recreate a direct connection with the public and preserve the element of surprise for those who have not seen the show. Thus, Jack White, Alicia Keys, the group Ghost and comedians like Florence Foresti or very recently Artus have imposed telephone-free events.<\/p>\n<h2>The effects of a phone-free experience<\/h2>\n<p>Specialized companies quickly positioned themselves in this growing niche. Phone Locker is one of the companies capable of offering a \u201cphone-free\u201d experience. The principle is \u201csimple\u201d. At the entrance to the room, spectators slip their phone into a pocket locked by a magnetic system. They keep the device with them, but cannot use it during the event. \u201cWhen they want to leave the premises, a staff member unlocks the pouch. And there you have it! \u00bb, says Adam Proops, general manager of the company. He assures that the organization is \u201cwell-established\u201d, \u201ceven for large-scale events, with thousands of people\u201d. \u201cThe process is easily scalable and feasible,\u201d he assures. So we only have positive feedback. \u00bb<\/p>\n<p>The idea was born six and a half years ago, in Australia, to combat distraction in class. The concept quickly spread to other areas. \u201cWe received requests from a Buddhist monastery, a theater, VIP events\u2026 says Adam Proops. We also worked on TV shows like <span class=\"text-italic\">The Masked Singer<\/span>. And even with the armed forces. It\u2019s not just children who have trouble dropping out! \u00bb<\/p>\n<figure class=\"c-media\">\n<div class=\"c-media__content\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A Phone Locker pouch, used to ban cell phones, in schools, theaters, concerts or VIP events.\" class=\"c-img\" loading=\"lazy\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" width=\"718\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1640px) 718px, (min-width: 1440px) calc(40vw + 70px), (min-width: 1080px) 590px, (min-width: 780px) calc(88.57vw - 349px), (min-width: 660px) calc(100vw - 414px), 211px\" src=\"https:\/\/img.20mn.fr\/pY3S7-klSbKc-TlF8oy7-ik\/718x0\" srcset=\"https:\/\/img.20mn.fr\/pY3S7-klSbKc-TlF8oy7-ik\/590x0 590w, https:\/\/img.20mn.fr\/pY3S7-klSbKc-TlF8oy7-ik\/342x0 342w, https:\/\/img.20mn.fr\/pY3S7-klSbKc-TlF8oy7-ik\/211x0 211w\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"mt-s@xs mx-m@xs mx-0@md color-grey-400 text-xs@xs\">A Phone Locker pouch, used to ban cell phones, in schools, theaters, concerts or VIP events.<span class=\"color-grey-300 text-xs@xs text-italic\">\u2002-\u00a0Swen Pfrtner\/dpa Picture-Alliance<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>On the spectator side, they \u201cappreciate the event much more\u201d. \u201cIt takes them back twenty or thirty years, when we really went to see an event for artists,\u201d he says. We sometimes pay more than 100 euros for a ticket, we are supposed to go there to have fun, not to film ourselves\u2026\u201d And on the artist side, success is also there. \u201cIt increases their energy level. It works both ways,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Like Red Star FC fans, Masters spectators describe \u201ctimeless\u201d moments. \u201cIt forces you to really let go, to become aware of the environment around you,\u201d writes one Internet user. For Alice, the Ghost show was \u201cthe best concert of (her) life\u201d. \u201cNot having your phone is incredible, I was able to enjoy the show with my friend without a screen and Wow. \u201c, she wrote on X.<\/p>\n<h2>Practices go with uses<\/h2>\n<p>But then, if the idea is so appealing, why not ban phones at all big events? For Vincent Timsit, doctoral student in sociology, there is no good or bad practice. \u201cThere are people who prefer to be quiet, others who come specifically to take photos, those who feel it is impossible to do and see everything, and a whole bunch of other levels in between,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"c-media\">\n<div class=\"c-media__content\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Many visitors come to admire the Mona Lisa and take photos in front of it. Laurence des Cars, president of the Louvre, having warned of the deterioration of the largest museum in the world and after consultation, it is planned to create a second entrance and \u201cbuild out\u201d under the Cour Carr\u00e9, a room for presenting the Mona Lisa. \" class=\"c-img\" loading=\"lazy\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" width=\"718\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1640px) 718px, (min-width: 1440px) calc(40vw + 70px), (min-width: 1080px) 590px, (min-width: 780px) calc(88.57vw - 349px), (min-width: 660px) calc(100vw - 414px), 211px\" src=\"https:\/\/img.20mn.fr\/QuBl-YqETDyOqZYYc4Dk7ik\/718x0\" srcset=\"https:\/\/img.20mn.fr\/QuBl-YqETDyOqZYYc4Dk7ik\/590x0 590w, https:\/\/img.20mn.fr\/QuBl-YqETDyOqZYYc4Dk7ik\/342x0 342w, https:\/\/img.20mn.fr\/QuBl-YqETDyOqZYYc4Dk7ik\/211x0 211w\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"mt-s@xs mx-m@xs mx-0@md color-grey-400 text-xs@xs\">Many visitors come to admire the Mona Lisa and take photos in front of it. Laurence des Cars, president of the Louvre, having warned of the deterioration of the largest museum in the world and after consultation, it is planned to create a second entrance and \u201cbuild out\u201d under the Cour Carr\u00e9, a room for presenting the Mona Lisa.<span class=\"color-grey-300 text-xs@xs text-italic\">&#8211; E. Broncard \/ Hans Lucas via AFP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In the 2010s, certain museums, such as the Louvre or the Mus\u00e9e d&#8217;Orsay, tried to restrict photos in their rooms, facing visitors who were more busy capturing the works than looking at them. Initiatives which were quickly abandoned in the face of numerous negative feedback. Then, practices were adapted to uses, as noted by the site Culturellement votre. From now on, the Louvre plans to build a room entirely dedicated to the Mona Lisa, encouraging the practice of photo tours. And generally speaking, museums encourage sharing on social networks to promote the places.<\/p>\n<p>All our topics on smartphones<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt shows how complex this subject is,\u201d says Vincent Timsit, recalling that it is not his role to say what should be done or not. \u201cIt all depends on the point of view, where we place ourselves, economically, aesthetically, socially,\u201d he adds. For those interviewed, the answer to this phenomenon is not necessarily found in a regulation to follow but in \u201ca collective awareness of how we want to live in the present moment\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"text-italic\">*The first name has been changed at the request of the interviewee.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cI have never had so many conversations with strangers at a sporting event.\u201d At the Masters Tournament in Augusta, one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in the world, spectators enjoy a unique experience. No cell phones here. They are prohibited and have never been authorized in order to preserve the atmosphere of the tournament. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2747,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2746","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/updatelive.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2746","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/updatelive.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/updatelive.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/updatelive.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/updatelive.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2746"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/updatelive.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2746\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/updatelive.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/updatelive.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/updatelive.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2746"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/updatelive.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}