The Effects of the Goggle Box

Tv shows that influence Generation X include The X-Files, MTV, The Real World, Beverly Hills 90210, Seinfeld, Mad About You. Friends, X-Files, My So-Called Life, Party of Five, Melrose Place, Felicity, Clueless, Seventh Heaven, Ally McBeal  and The Simpsons.

These shows influence the audience (who are mostly of Gen X) in terms of fashion, speech and also mode of living.

Shows reflect the needs of Generation X as they are the main audience.

According to Rob Owen in Gen X TV, the Brady Bunch to Melrose Place (1997),

     - The short serialised format of all the shows mentioned above reflect the short attention span of Generation X who are so used to fast-pace life that they wish to attain fulfilment from watching a TV show as quickly as possible.

  -Also, shows such as Party of Five tend to portray dysfunctional or incomplete families as they are more realistic for the Gen-Xers who live in a society full of non-nuclear families. 

    - Shows such as Friends are appealing too for it illustrates the sentiments of Gen-Xers on their notion of friendships. It emphasizes mutual respect among friends for each other’s personal space.