Sunday, 22 February 2015

Disney's use of Second Screen for Children

Disney introduced the Second Screen Experience in the Bambi Diamond Edition Bluray that was released in March, 2011. This experience allows interactivity between all members of the audience to use the application along side the film. 

During disney's re-release of The Little Mermaid, Disney encouraged the children to bring their iPads to the cinema only if they use the free application to play along with the film in October 2013. Not only is this second screen technology distracting us within our homes but it is now also distracting us at the cinema. For young children, these applications could ruin the film by distracting their attention from the story. With this film being a re-release it may not be an issue for the older generation as they would have possibly seen this disney classic before but the younger generation may not have. Therefore, the use of this application throughout the film will distract from crucial points in the story or will lead the child to miss vital parts of the film. 

Others in the cinema, such as the older generation, may not wish to use a mobile device and are bringing their children to view the film. The lights from the application can then be distracting for the parents who are trying to enjoy the disney classic. 

Second screen experience's although made aware of the type of screening is changing the way we view films at the cinema. Isolating those users that don't have an iPad, as this cinema experience only runs on the apple device, is unfair and can lead to children being left out of the experience.





As this second screen experience has only been screened in America as of yet, a mother who took her three children commented on her experience of this type of viewing.

She said “The main issue is that most activities require children to be able to read to truly participate. Each activity only lasts for a short time, so by the time I read the question and choices to Wren (age 3) or explained what she needed to do or find, time was up."

Obviously through feedback the application wasn’t child friendly for all ages but only from the ages of children that could competently read for them to be able to understand how to play the corresponding game.


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