Introduction to Family on Television

We live in a world where television has become like a member of the family. Children from the earliest ages are plopped down in front of a T.V and absorb the information it provides. Television has become an information staple to all ages, whether it’s learning the Rubber Ducky song on Sesame Street or discovering the acceptance of homosexuality in New York on Will and Grace. It’s no surprise that the American audience gains its view of family life by seeing the portrayal of family on T.V. Since the television became a family-based medium, the public often assumes that the fictional representation of family does have a strong impact on reality's families.

Television has become a source for learning about the family. We learn what family is supposed to look like, what an ideal family is supposed to be, how spouses are supposed to behave, the relationship between children and their parents, and how families are supposed to resolve their problems. People assume fictional households ought to mirror not simply family life, but their own personal values regarding family life.

The portrayal of family has evolved on television since T.V. became a household staple. The 50s’ T.V. family was an idealized, nuclear family. The 1960s saw the family structure begin to vary. The 1970s saw more racial diversity. In the 80s, family situations became more based in reality. The 1990s saw less and less of the nuclear family. Today’s television family has become “reality.”

Bibliography:

Television and Family - The Portrayal Of Family On Television

Spigel, Lynn. "Family on Television." Encylopedia of Television. 1st ed. 1 vols. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1997.