In this chilling story by Ray Bradbury, frantic parents who try to rein in their spoiled children by shutting down the hi-tech games room in their “HappyLife” home become a “HappyMeal”. Although written in 1950 to question the rising influence of television, the story serves as a warning to modern parents who let their children build their lives around social networking and/or game play. The story’s major theme is the alienation, dehumanization, breakdown of family values that can arise in a household through over-reliance on technology. Other themes: consumerism, poor parenting, illusion vs. reality, dystopia.
Original Text / PDF / Audio (4,600)
Video Version
This is an episode from Season 3 of the Ray Bradbury Theater TV series. It was first aired in November 1989, and includes a personal introduction by Bradbury himself. Watch and enjoy!