Today’s society has embraced reality television shows like The Biggest Loser, Jersey Shore, and Big Brother. These programs aim to depict everyday individuals in unscripted scenarios. However, they have garnered significant backlash for creating the opposite effect and provoking immense criticism. Reality TV’s negative impact on society includes fostering negative behavior in teenagers, lack of authenticity in portraying real-life situations, and subjecting its participants to humiliation.
To start with, reality television shows have a negative impact on society as they promote negative behavior among teenagers. These shows frequently depict young individuals engaging in illegal activities, consuming alcohol, displaying disrespect towards others, and finding themselves in unfavorable circumstances. As the part of the brain responsible for distinguishing right from wrong is the last to develop, many young viewers are easily influenced by these portrayed behaviors and idolize these individuals. In fact, some fans of these shows go to the extent of imitating their favorite stars.
The saying “monkey see, monkey do” is definitely applicable in this controversy. These shows create the impression that everyone is behaving as the characters on the show do. Instead of motivating viewers to seek a better education and to act responsibly, many of these programs depict actors behaving irresponsibly. Some experts argue that this could result in a larger number of irresponsible individuals. Reality television programs are negatively impacting American society, particularly teenagers.
Furthermore, reality TV shows fail to depict genuine, everyday scenarios, which is problematic as it perpetuates a distorted perception of society. Referring to multiple shows as reality television amounts to deceptive advertising for several reasons. For instance, the producers exert complete control over the activities and situations portrayed in these shows, resulting in an artificial environment that lacks authenticity.
Also, in many cases, the characters used in these shows are highly paid actors who simply recite scripts. Consequently, these shows are incorrectly classified as “reality television,” and many people’s time is wasted as a consequence. However, time holds immense value for individuals. Wasting someone’s time with an inaccurate description can be just as detrimental as wasting their money. Numerous individuals watch these shows to witness real-life situations, but in reality, they are witnessing the complete opposite.
The existence of reality television programs fosters confusion regarding the distinction between truth and falsehood. Furthermore, these shows inflict harm upon their participants, which can lead to severe consequences such as suicide. The impact on society is even more significant. Numerous individuals watch programs like American Idol for entertainment value, relishing in the humiliation experienced by individuals with poor singing abilities. In my perspective, such enjoyment turns viewers into perpetrators of bullying.
Watching the misfortune of others to boost one’s own self-esteem is a form of bullying. Thus, reality television serves as an indirect catalyst for bullying behavior. Research indicates that individuals who harbor negative thoughts after witnessing people being humiliated on TV may start expressing those thoughts publicly. Consequently, if someone regularly exposes themselves to televised scenarios of others being humiliated, resulting in negative thoughts about them, they may openly voice such thoughts when encountering similar situations in real life.
Reality television has a negative impact on society due to its promotion of negative behavior among teenagers, lack of authenticity in real-life situations, and humiliation of characters. Many viewers may not be aware of the harmful effects they have on them, unconsciously falling victim to them. These shows are falsely advertised, posing a danger to teenagers’ well-being and causing humiliation to many of the individuals involved. Thus, it raises the question: do reality shows genuinely depict reality or do they alter it?
