Family Life: TV Show Analysis & Psychological Impact on Children

This essay examines the portrayal of family life in two TV shows, 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' and 'Lost in Space,' and how these shows reflect and influence our understanding of family dynamics and child development. The essay explores the psychological and emotional impact on children in different family structures, including orphaned children and families facing marital challenges. The analysis draws upon sociological theories such as symbolic interactionism to understand the interactions within families and their influence on children's emotional well-being. The essay highlights the significance of family units as a key source of happiness, while also considering the impact of non-stereotypical gender roles. The essay emphasizes the importance of family support and the emotional turmoil within families, showcasing the diverse ways family life is presented and experienced in these TV shows.

Running head: FAMILY LIFE
FAMILY LIFE – DOES TV IMITATE REALITY?
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1FAMILY LIFE
The presence of both the parents have vital importance on the psychological
development of the children. However, the present family units as well as types, featuring either
single parents, homosexual parents, or even divorced / separated parents taking care of the
children, each provide the children with a different kind of outlook on life. Two of my favorite
TV shows wherein I believe the importance of family life is neatly portrayed are ‘A Series of
Unfortunate Events (2017)’ and ‘Lost in Space (2018)’. While the first show explores the
endeavors of three orphaned children who are seeking answers to their parents’ mysterious death,
the protagonists of the second show are the Robinson family who are a part of an exploratory
space mission to find alternate habitats.
In the first show, the Baudelaire children have to face their evil guardian Count Olaf who
leaves no stone unturned in order to capture their vast inheritance. The show depicts the
psychological and emotional distress that the children can be found in without the support of
their parents. Particularly when the setting of the show is the life of orphaned children, the social
exchange and symbolic interaction theories become quite relevant in this case (Macionis, 2015;
Denzin, 2016) as they expand upon how the interactions between the family members, or in the
current case the lack of one, can impact the emotional development of the children (Woodhead,
2015).
While the Robinson family in ‘Lost in Space’ are complete, it starts off at a conflicting
phase where the parents are not in a happy and stable relationship. The literal survival of the
family is dependent upon the unity of the members. At that juncture, the parents and the three
children, the units of the family, are presented with a situation where the emotional turmoil
between the parents are kept separate from the children, one of them being a stepdaughter to the
father (Woodhead, 2015). At the same time, the mother Maureen is a highly smart aerospace

2FAMILY LIFE
engineer, depicting which has connected the TV show with non-stereotypical gender roles
(Forste & Fox, 2012). Summarizing the connotations of both the shows, it can be asserted that
families are indeed a key source of happiness for all the family members, however it still is
dependent on how individual members feel about the rest.

3FAMILY LIFE
References.
Denzin, N. K. (2016). Symbolic interactionism. The international encyclopedia of
communication theory and philosophy, 1-12.
Forste, R., & Fox, K. (2012). Household labor, gender roles, and family satisfaction: A cross-
national comparison. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 43(5), 613-631.
Macionis, J. J. (2015). Society: The basics (13th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice
Hall.
Woodhead, M. (2015). Psychology and the cultural construction of children’s needs.
In Constructing and reconstructing childhood (pp. 54-73). Routledge.