Entertainment and Social Connections in the Age of COVID

by Ewadene Hendricks

Tom Cruise fans will be flocking to movie theaters for “Top Gun: Maverick” in the summer of 2022. Mike Daniels, owner of Water Gardens Theaters in Pleasant Grove, joined the crowd with high expectations.

Daniels’ friends, on the other hand, weren’t looking forward to the movie. He was never a Tom Cruise fan, and he shuffles to the theater just to appease his wife and friends.

As the magic of the movie screen brings heroes and villains to life, Daniels watches his friend’s suspicious eyes widen. In its first 15 minutes, the film appeals to both skeptics and optimists at Daniels’ party. A few seats away, Daniels noticed his friend started reaching for the popcorn, never taking his eyes off the screen.

As the credits rolled after 131 minutes, Daniels’ skeptical friend couldn’t help but admit his love for the film.

“Well, I still don’t like Tom Cruise, but it was a good movie,” he said. “I’ll watch that movie again.”

For Daniels, Top Gun: Maverick was more than just a good movie, it was an opportunity to strengthen relationships with friends and family. They are closer than ever. The people who experience the film with Daniels are as important as the film itself. Daniels said that every time he watches a movie, it affects his relationships with other people in the room.

The magic of the movie screen not only serves as a source of entertainment, but also fosters conversation, trust, and shared interest behind the credits. Daniels’ experience is not uncommon.

In today’s world, movies play an important role in fostering conversation and facilitating social gatherings. National conventions like Comic-Con and online chat rooms bring together people from all over the world because they share common interests. Sometimes movies can even serve as a convenient excuse to get together with colleagues outside of work or school. When asked for their favorite movie memory, many will mention the people they watched it with.

Daniels points out that movie theaters are a great place to form friendships with complete strangers, whereas watching movies at home often only builds existing relationships.

People who watch the movie together are all cheering for the same hero and feel the same win or loss. Moviegoers develop a unique relationship with each other without having to talk to each other.

On the other hand, watching at home has different advantages and disadvantages. Often these are smaller, more intimate settings between people who already know each other to some extent. Small gatherings create opportunities for in-depth conversations. But making some people watch valuable conversations at home can distract from the experience for others.

“Not everyone who goes to the movie will enjoy the movie, and there are a lot of potential distractions, because people get up to go to the bathroom, or people go to eat, or people deal with little things during the boring part of the movie,” Daniels said.

When COVID-19 kept everyone home and theaters closed, many turned to platforms like Netflix for entertainment. However, this entertainment still falls short as there are no social groups to watch. Immediately, platforms like Netflix and Disney+ developed “watch party” extensions aimed at bridging social divides. After their initial push, these extensions slowly died down without gaining popularity.

Benjamin Thevenin, a film professor specializing in new media at Brigham Young University, recalls trying to watch parties at the start of the pandemic. In his view, social media can be a great tool for hearing new perspectives on movies, but digital viewing parties still can’t foster high-quality social interaction.

“I don’t necessarily see the benefit of watching movies online at the same time as other people,” Davenin said. “Maybe my opinion will change as the technology develops further.”

Even though digital viewing parties haven’t caught on, streaming has nonetheless enhanced Thevenin’s small gatherings during the pandemic. It is the first time to share classic movies such as “ET” and “The Wizard of Oz” with children.He describes these shared
Movie moments serve as bright spots in difficult times.

“The fact that — while we’re stuck at home and not sure how the pandemic is going to play out — we can click a button and share these memorable movie-watching experiences together is such a treat,” said Thevenin.

Palo Alto Research Center team members studied group television viewing specifically, with an eye toward digitally replicating the social experience. The study identified six essential components of a watch party. The study was published in February 2008 in the International Journal of Human Interaction.

Collectively, all of these components relate to the idea of ​​eliminating audio and video distractions. Audiences may talk to each other, but usually in less important or transitional scenes. One subject in the study danced when his team scored a touchdown. His friends comment on the action, but they don’t take their eyes off the screen. As much as party-watchers enjoy each other’s company, television is always the primary source of entertainment.

Members of the study set out to improve the social experience of online movie watching. One such example involves signaling important moments to viewers so they know when they should pay special attention to the show. Instead, the “Catch Me Up” feature sums up scenes that viewers missed while talking about the movie.

The researchers also suggest differentiating between different types of audio, either in breakout rooms or individual speakers. Separating the main video conversation from the social conversation will give viewers more control over what they interact with. This will also allow for marginal conversations between smaller groups of people, just as large groups of people often break up into smaller conversations.