As personal tech devices become more sophisticated, don't forget the value of shared entertainment experiences

This was the scene from our pavilion seats for a recent screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark, with the Cleveland Orchestra performing the film score live.

One of my favorite things about having a smartphone is that it allows me, with just a pair of earphones, to listen to music, watch a movie, and even check out a televised sporting event through our DirectTV streaming service.

Things that used to require large pieces of equipment when I was growing up (a theatre screen, a TV, a VCR, a stereo, etc.) are now available for personal consumption thanks to the miracle of the iPhone/Android. No one else needs to see or hear what I'm seeing or hearing.

Which has its advantages, of course, especially when you're traveling.

But along with all of this miniaturization and personalization also comes increased isolation.

As technology advances, so too does the ability for people to live – almost literally – in their own little worlds. Opportunities for social interaction decrease, which many of the introverts among us will celebrate but which can also have real (and negative) long-term effects on our collective emotional and psychological wellbeing.

This was brought home to me last month when Terry, Jack, our family friend Josie and I all spent a Saturday evening at Blossom Music Center watching the movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark" while the Cleveland Orchestra played the background music in sync with the film.

I would guess I've seen Raiders in its entirety 10-15 times, but this most recent experience was the first time I had seen it with a crowd of people since I originally watched it in the theatre in 1981.

And it was wonderful. Far more enjoyable than watching it alone in my living room.

Part of the reason was that Sarah Hicks, the orchestra's guest conductor, encouraged the several thousand of us in attendance to interact with the movie. She pushed us to clap for the heroes, boo the villains and generally enjoy the movie viscerally as I would say Steven Spielberg originally intended us to.

It made the whole thing so much more fun. We would clap whenever Indiana Jones got himself out of a particularly tight situation. We would boo and hiss whenever one of the Nazis came onto the screen. And we would laugh wholeheartedly whenever Indy would make one of his understated jokes or amusing observations.

It made me realize how seldom I watch movies in the theatre now. There is something about the shared experience of a concert or a film that adds to my enjoyment of it. As I've increasingly relied on my phone to serve as a primary source of entertainment, I have somehow managed to forget that.

Art, in whatever form you consume it, is meant to have a social component. Every once in a while, put down the phone and get to your local cinema or concert hall for some shared fun.

I don't think you'll regret it.