2.

2 Positive impact of film entertainment technology on social interaction in three

generation families

The family is a social system that has a collective identity, which is the result of shared
recollections of togetherness that are created as family members spend time together in
shared meals, games, and chatting (Mesch, 2006). Entertainment technology has affected the
life of a family in a various ways and has become a basis for future social behaviour
(Venkatesh and Vitalari, 1985). Today, entertainment technologies have become embedded
within daily domestic routines and are now an intrinsic part of contemporary life (Church,
2010). The adaption of such film entertainment technology has impacted on contemporary
society in a number of different ways. One of the main impacts is on that of social interaction
and everyday relationships between family members in a household.

Entertainment technology plays a significant role in the relationship between individuals for
the functioning of a family or a household (Smith, 2009). According to Mesch (2006),
families that spend time together in entertaining activities enjoy a higher quality of family
interaction and thereby can also potentially change the quality of family relationships. A lack
of spending time entertainment within a household can have a detrimental impact on family
interaction, family cohesion and thus on the relationships between individuals within a
household. For that reason, family entertainment time is essential to any family and
household as it plays a significant role in the relationship between family leisure and family
functioning (Smith, 2009). For instance, back to grandparents time, their major
entertainment time will be watching black and white film at cinema or shadow play,
traditional Chinese opera at theatre. This is often entertaining time that spend in a group of
family rather than individual. Besides, watching a film, shadow play or traditional Chinese
opera together can enhance family relationship by getting them spend time together. It also
help create conversation of topic for discussion after finish watch it.

In addition, entertainment technology within the home has many benefits for a household and
a family and it has also changed the meanings of family time (Mesch, 2006). For instance,
television increases the time family members spent together, and thereby facilitate social
interaction between one another. It is further supported by research carried by Morrision and
Krugman (2001) stated that television viewing is primarily a social activity and is done so
with other family members. The concept of a family night was extremely popular in their
findings, where family members would rent a film and watch it on television together.
Television viewing also promotes television talk which is another way that family members
can establish a means for positive social interaction (Morrison and Krugman, 2001). For
instance, television programmes or television film can also become a topic of conversation
whilst giving people something to talk about (Morrison and Krugman, 2001) and as a
result, is contributing to social interaction between family members of three generations.

Additionally, the media entertainment technology facilitates social interaction within the
home when one individual in the household, the most often and entertainment technology
expert has to teach another how to use such technology and thereby help creating a shared
experience (Morrison and Krugman, 2001). For instance, VR head mounted display is a new
film entertainment technology device for immersive film experience by using head mounted
two displays of binocular disparity. Even though VR head mounted display only designed to
be wear by one individual user per time, it also can help to endorse social interaction between
family members within a household. This is due to grandparents that unfamiliar with this
latest new entertainment technology might seeking the assistant help from their son, daughter
or even grandchildren. During the process of teaching and sharing experience with each
other, it enhance the relationship between family members of three generations.

In sum, film entertainment technology often used to the advantage of family members using
it as a space where generations meet and do something together (Aarsand, 2007). It can
unite and help bring family members and generations together. It also can assist in supporting
generational divide and can help in maintaining familial relationships.