Reality TV is cheap to produce and encompasses everything from people behaving badly, people being challenged, talent shows and lifestyle documentaries. But is it harmful?
Many people now argue that reality TV does more harm to the society than good. Here, I'm referring to those entertainment shows produced in order for their audience to believe that they are actually real, even when the show is completely scripted, for instance: The Hills, Big Brother and Jersey Shore among others. But it should be noted that not all are harmful and have negative influences though many of them are. Therefore, however much you are hooked to these shows, I still agree with those who believe that actually do more harm than good.
First is the scripting. When you discover the level of scripting going on, and the number of scenes that we basically see is scripted, it may be barely taken as reality anymore. Reality TV, on this account, can just be considered as any other soap opera we are used to. However, this does not matter in the least, since the audience still believes- it is that real and crazy things happening on reality TV showing real events and happenings to the cast involved.
The problem comes when you erroneously believe something, and begin applying that "reality" you are seeing on a TV show to your own life. This may be quite unrealistic, and make you really wonder why your life has not turned out in a similar fashion to your favourite reality TV character!
It has some negative influence on society since they promote bad morals, quite a big number of them to be more precise. They thrive on the characters and stars doing negative things like cheating on their partners, fighting with fellow housemates both physically and verbally. A number of the so-called stars even go for cosmetic surgery to improve their ratings. Tell me if these are not contributing to influencing negative morals in the society.
I do not believe and accept this type of behaviour should be shown in public as they do it with reality TV. The younger people who watch these shows will believe and instil that being in your early 20's or late teens is all about cheating, getting along with people, quarrelling, fighting and implanting negative ideologies of life. There are countless plastic surgeries that have been performed as a consequence of people watching reality TV!
These people are carefully selected by producers. They are specially chosen because they're likely to clash with each other, selecting good looking publicists and placing them in a quite unnatural environment. They are then provided with challenges that are going to provoke them in behaving strangely, ensuring the audience finds entertainment in the show. This is quite unrealistic as far as real life is concerned.
Others like "16&Pregnant" and "Teen Mom" are designed to make our young girls think when you're pregnant at young age, you can get TV shows for it, and it's going to be exciting or simply raising a baby. The girls are made to believe that getting pregnant is going to make them more popular at school. It’s like a fashion for teens for which they get craze of it. This is corrupting the morals of our young women.
There are plenty of other stories and episodes for reality TV that I believe causes more harm than good.
Why should we think by watching the shows, our lives will mirror those of the stars?
Comments