Unlike streaming a film at home, going to the movie theater is a shared experience that calls for common courtesy and etiquette.

With the rise of streaming, many people opt to enjoy new movies from the comfort of home. But there’s still something magical about going to the cinema, ordering some buttery popcorn and taking in a film as a shared experience with friends and strangers.

That’s why it’s also very important to keep etiquette and respect for your fellow moviegoers in mind when you do venture out to the cinema.

“Seeing a movie at the cinema is a public activity, meaning other people’s experiences will be positively or negatively affected by your actions,” Mariah Grumet Humbert, the founder of Old Soul Etiquette, told HuffPost. “It’s important we have a strong awareness and care for others as it pertains to common courtesy at the cinema.”

With that in mind, we asked Humbert and other etiquette experts to share some common rude behaviours at the movie theatre ― as well as their advice for avoiding these faux pas.

Arriving Late

“Arrive on time, preferably before the previews,” said Jodi R.R. Smith, the president of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting. “You want to be able to enter the cinema and find your seats before the lights are completely dimmed.”

If you show up after the film has started, you inevitably distract your fellow moviegoers and force some to stand or shift.

“Arriving to a film late and disruptively making one’s way to a seat in the center of the aisle requires those who are already seated to accommodate you as your pass in front of them,” said etiquette expert and keynote speaker Thomas P. Farley, aka Mister Manners.

Snacking Disruptively

“Snack quietly!” Smith urged. “No one wants to hear you chomping on popcorn with your mouth open during a quiet scene or........

© HuffPost