Have you ever been distracted by your phone when visiting something important? - well this week, renowned American photographer Stephen Shore abruptly left a lecture he was giving at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) in Beijing, China after observing several audience members more focused on their mobile phones than his the presentation.
A video posted by Shanghai Daily’s digital platform, SHINE, captured the moment Shore ended the lecture just as a question was about to be asked. You can see the video below and Shore's walk-off around the 2-minute mark.
It can be seen that Shore is answering some questions from the audience before he begins to walk out of his own lecture stating:
"Just before you ask that question – I’m gonna say something, and I apologize in advance because it’s gonna be rude," Shore said from the stage. "But it’s something [that’s been] on my mind as I experience the modern world."
He then expressed his frustration with the audience, questioning why people would attend a lecture only to spend their time on their phones.
"Since we’re talking about attention, I think we understand each other," Shore remarked. "And I think you understand the value of attending to daily life. I saw at least a dozen of you who spent the entire lecture looking at your phones. You’ve come here. You come here to hear a talk and you can’t even pay attention to who you’ve come to listen to. How can you pay attention to the food you eat, or the feel of the sun on your skin?"
After a brief silence, the audience responded with applause. Shore then concluded, "I think this is a good place to stop," before standing and exiting the stage.
According to SHINE, one attendee later claimed that there had been a misunderstanding, explaining that most people were using their devices to take notes during Shore’s talk, titled “Five Experiences That Transformed My Life and How They Inspired Me to Become an Artist.”
SHINE also reported that Shore was informed of the note-taking afterward and "felt better" about the situation.
