Going to the movies has become one of the most popular and affordable forms of entertainment for the city's young adults. Children also have a lot of fun watching cartoons on the big screen. But elderly people have been more reluctant, even after Shanghai's film authorities set a favorable ticket price for them.

In mid-November, the Shanghai Film Distribution and Exhibition Association announced that people over 60 years old can buy tickets for no more than 35 yuan ($5.62) before 6 pm on work days. Since the discount started, 106 participating theaters have sold only around 5,000 such tickets.

One cinema in Hongkou district where the discount has been more popular than other participating cinemas has sold 135 tickets under the policy, amounting to 5,500 yuan in revenue. It's still a small sum for the 1,800-seat cinema, which took in 358,000 yuan in box office revenue last year. Some participating cinemas have not sold a single ticket at the senior discount.

The senior discount is not large enough to draw more elderly people to the cinemas. Major domestic e-commerce platforms sell movie tickets for 19.9 yuan or even as low as 9.9 yuan during special sales.

The discount policy's only advantage is that people don't have to turn to a computer or a smartphone to buy a cheaper ticket. They simply need to show their State identification card at a participating cinema. In practice, it is more convenient for elderly people who aren't so tech-savvy.

In 2009, Yangpu district civil affairs authorities first started a public welfare program that offered seniors free admission at a cinema. The program was a success. A great number of seniors packed the theater for every free screening.

Traditionally, elderly Chinese people have been known for their thriftiness. That's why when there is a cartoon screened we can often see grandparents drop off their grandchildren at the screening room door and wait outside until the show is over.

This reflects their traditional values. I don't believe 35 yuan is unaffordable for most of the residents today. It's just that old people have always been reluctant to spend money on themselves. We can't blame them for their severe thriftiness. I believe it will be difficult to change their spending habits in the foreseeable future.

From the cinemas' side, they essentially agreed to forego profit on discounted ticket sales when they decided to participate in the program. In fact, there is an official minimum film ticket price set by the production company of every film, which is normally 35 yuan. Cinemas can be fined for selling tickets below this price.

When e-commerce platforms offer large discounts, they are actually subsidizing the price difference for tickets cheaper than 35 yuan. Instead of making these 35-yuan film tickets accessible to the elderly, I think it's more pragmatic if paid cinema-going experiences can be made available to more senior residents.

Anyway, most of the popular film topics today, either love, war, horror or science fiction, don't cater to elderly moviegoers. Near the end of a year, films made especially for the New Year like comedies can cheer up or be appreciated by the seniors. It's the time when the film association and civil affairs authorities can do something to help this group.

Of course, to help more seniors enjoy the cinema experience, it requires the care of their children. When young couples take their children to a cinema, they should also remember that some films might also be appealing to their parents.