Exploring Family Connection and Communication in Mixed Reality Technology

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Exploring Family Connection and Communication in Mixed Reality Technology
           In the era of communication technology and social media, maintaining family connections and communication has become paramount, especially because it is easy to get carried away by technology and online activities at the expense of interacting with family. However, as Abel et al. indicate, social media and communication technology are important in maintaining family connectedness, especially among long-distance families, as it facilitates sharing of tasks and meaningful communication in the absence of face-to-face communication (15). Other than social media, other technologies such as mixed reality (MR) technology, which enhances maximum user interaction in the real world, have emerged (Rokhsaritalemi et al. 1). This study aims to explore and apply MR technology in family interactions to enhance family connectedness.
Context
           The proposed field of study for this research is MR technologies. The MR continuum moves from the real environment to augmented reality to augmented virtuality and, eventually, to the virtual environment (Ens et al. 84; Speicher et al. 7). MR technologies provide individuals, beyond the workplace, with new possibilities for interaction and communication, especially at a time when virtual communication has become a part of human interactions. According to Ens et al., MR technologies ensure that users can capture their activities and surroundings in real-time and share them as they interact with other users to create a sense of presence amongst themselves (81). MR technologies incorporate features such as gestures using digital pointers (Ens et al. 83) and virtual 3D models (Speicher et al. 2). This allows users to share not only audio but also visual information related to their activities/surroundings. To facilitate the sharing of visual information, MR uses technological tools such as 360 cameras to share 360 live videos (Teo et al. 1). MR technology in the context of this study will be used to create a collaborative MR game that families can use to plant trees together to create meaningful interaction.
Rationale
           As Tariq et al. reveal, there is mixed evidence on the effect of social media and technology use on family connectedness; on the one hand, social media and communication technology use increases communication connectedness between family members, and on the other hand, it reduces meaningful communication and interaction between family members (815). Given these mixed findings, it is important to explore other technologies that can improve family connectedness and communication through meaningful interactions. There is a need to ensure that people are not just in contact but are also truly communicating. Certain elements that support meaningful communication, such as eye contact and gestures, may lack in certain communication technologies. However, MR technology can enhance natural communication even when people are communicating virtually. According to Bai et al., MR technology allows users to use a 3D panorama to capture and share th...