Dog With A Blog: Adolescents’ Relationship Anxiety In Reconstituted Family Interactions

Abstract

This study explores the portrayal of adolescents’ relationship anxiety within the reconstituted family context,, as depicted in the Disney television series Dog With A Blog. With the increasing universality of the reconstituted family, the unique psychological challenges that adolescents confront within this family structure are worthy of attention. This paper defines relationship anxiety as a psychological state in which an individual continuously feels insecure and worried about their own value, sense of belonging, and relationship stability. This study will analyze relationship anxiety in three operational dimensions: trust crisis, loyalty conflict and alternative intimacy. Media representations play a crucial role in navigating adolescents’ perspective and behavior towards these potential challenges. Through a qualitative contextual analysis of the first ten episodes of the series, this study analyzes how relationship anxieties are shown in show’s context and the way the relationship anxieties could be resolve. The analysis reveals that the plot provides a vivid representation of the three dimensions: scapegoating leads to trust deficits, the acceptance of new sibling roles drives loyalty conflicts and the pursuit of intimacy relationship through virtual relationship. When the series provide positive resolutions towards the relationship anxiety, this show may risk at creating over-simplified expectations in resolving the familial difficulties. The study concludes that while considering the guidance of the media, we also need to notice the unrealistic relational challenge that might have negative impact towards adolecents’ mental health.