Paul Rudd finally ages enough to tell us to put down our damn cellphones

As for what brought about his current oasis of anti-smartphone bliss and its increased risk of being catcalled with, “Okay, boomer,” Rudd credits Oscar-winning A Statement writer-director Tom McCarthy’s “very strict no phones policy” for really hammering the point home. While praising the 1980’s period piece about a group of 20 climate experts hashing out this new thing called global warming, Rudd—sounding just a bit like your dad after a day at the park—continued. 

“The world has changed since cell phones have existed. We don’t look at each other or talk to each other quite the same way,” Rudd told the audience, who may or may not have been walking on his lawn. “Now, we were forced to really spend time with each other and talk. Working on a movie set in 1980, we’re dressed in a certain kind of way. It felt like, ‘Oh, yeah. I remember this. This feels like it used to feel when people sat around and spoke to one another.'”

According to Variety, Amy Ryan, Rudd’s co-star in the upcoming film, also extolled the virtues of pretending you still have a wall-mounted land line. “What happens is there’s a five-minute break and people are connected,” said Ryan of the enforced human interaction on set. “‘Hey, what are you doing? How’s your morning? What do you think of this scene?’ I equate it to like when you quit sugar. In three days, it’s out of your system. You don’t miss it! And hopefully, it becomes like a toy you’re gonna get sick of.” 

So perhaps it’s time to follow the advice of two reliably engaging movie stars and ditch your cell phone. Unless that’s where you’re currently reading this article. Wait until after if that’s the case.