Several months ago, as I sat and watched television with my mom, we turned on our favorite show, Southern Charm, a reality television show that follows several high society individuals from Charleston, South Carolina, and gives you an insight into their everyday lives. As always, I was eager to see what would take place on the show this week, as there was always something interesting going on. I watched as Thomas Ravenel, former South Carolina Treasurer, was highly intoxicated and screaming at his girlfriend who was pregnant with their second child. It didn’t even cross my mind at the time that what I was watching was something that I should be truly disgusted by, but yet I was so entertained. I was entertained watching this man, who represented the state which I live in, verbally abuse the mother of his children, looking back it was something that I should be ashamed of. For some reason, I was eager to watch more, though. This is the irony and sadness of reality television. Not only is it the most popular form of television throughout the world today, but people tune in week after week, despite events such as the one I described taking place. After reflecting on this, I noticed how harmful reality television could be to developing young adolescents. I began to wonder why we let our youth watch shows such as these, as I feel that it would only fill their developing minds with bad morals and inappropriate thoughts. Though reality television can be entertaining, it has a negative effect on the teens who watch it because of the false reality that it presents, the self-esteem issues it creates, and the attitude problem it causes among many teens. 

Some may say that reality television has a good side, though, claiming that it helps to prepare us for the real world and it gives us hope that things can get better (Gennis). To these people, reality television is a good thing, and they argue that even though reality television can be bad, there is nothing wrong with having a few guilty pleasures. “There's nothing wrong with enjoying a series like Splash, Whodunnit? or Jersey Shore in earnest. Life can be hard! Sometimes you just need an escape. This can be hard to do with many critically-acclaimed series which can be so gritty and depressing, they almost hurt to watch,” says Saddie Gennis, author of Why Reality Television is Good. 

Reality television often times presents a false reality to teenagers. These shows often seem to be real, but the truth is they are not. Kim Kardashian, reality television sensation, does not represent a normal person. According to Dailymail.com, her home cost around twenty million dollars. She and her husband, popular rapper Kanye West, may seem to be an everyday couple, but they are certainly not the average American duo. Although it may seem real, reality television presents teenagers with a false sense of reality. Teens watching reality television see huge homes and lavish lifestyles, which is a far cry from what real life actually consist of. These teens may believe what they see is real, when the opposite is the case for the majority of viewers. Though it is attainable for these celebrities, it is often times not attainable for the average American to live the same lifestyle as their favorite reality stars. Although these celebrities are interesting to watch and follow, they make teens believe that their lifestyle is normal and easily attainable, which is also untrue. Young people often try to live through the stars that they see on television. This issue causes many teens to become materialistic or develop bad morals (Randall). Reality television stars spend a lot of money, whether it be on materialistic things or parties. These parties often feature the stars getting extremely drunk and drinking an unhealthy amount. Viewing this kind of behavior, teens believe it is okay to do the same. In fact, most teens seeing this on television believe that this is what you are supposed to do to have a good time. But because of reality television and what it teaches teens, many don’t know any better. These stars also spend a lot of money on materialistic items for themselves, causing teens to become reckless, even break the law. A good example of this is shown in the film The Bling Ring. This movie, based on a true story, shows just how reality television will make some teens react negatively in order to obtain the lifestyles of these stars. In the film, a group of teenagers from Los Angeles rob the homes of several celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton, in what was known as the “Hollywood Hills Robberies” (“The Impact of Reality TV on our Teens: What can Parents do?”). These teens were so caught up in the lifestyle of the rich and famous whom they had grown up watching on reality television that they robbed these celebrities to be able to fuel that lifestyle (Peek). This situation proves that reality television can and will affect the minds of the teens who watch, and shows how this false reality plays a big part in the tarnishing of the minds of our youth. 

A large problem in the world today is self-esteem issues in teenagers. Often there are many reasons to blame for these issues, but one of the biggest is reality television. I know it sounds a bit crazy to say that reality television affects a teens’ psychological state, but I am here to prove that it is completely true. Days before her child was born, instead of worrying about hospital room arrangements and the many other arrangements for the birth, Kim Kardashian was concerned with her looks. She spent the day on the phone with her “glam squad” to assure that her hair and makeup would be looking perfect for the delivery of her and Kanye Wests’ child (Peek). Many of these stars have perfect looks, hair, and clothing to portray higher standards than the average person. Seeing these styles, many teens often feel bad about themselves for not being the same as their on-screen heroes (Lee). Often times, teenagers feel like they are not good enough, or that they are too fat, too thin, or not pretty enough. In a statistic presented by The Huffington Post, seventy two percent of girls who watch reality television say that they spend a lot of time on their appearance, versus forty two percent of non-viewers. In fact, Jennifer Pozner, cultural critic, describes reality television as “the contemporary backlash against feminism.” These words, I believe, are true. Reality television presents many stereotypes towards women, and the young women that tune in each week are only offered a small spectrum of women’s roles, instead of showing what women are fully capable of. Often times, the women presented in the shows are housewives or pregnant teens, a representation which limits a woman’s full potential. These shows fail to present women as doctors, lawyers and executives in business, which makes many young women believe that they can’t achieve such jobs, thus perpetuating the gender stereotype that have been around for decades. President Obama said in a speech at Barnard College:

“until a girl can imagine herself, can picture herself as a computer programmer, or a combat commander, she won’t become one. Until there are women who tell her, ignore our pop culture obsession over beauty and fashion... she’ll think those are the only things that girls are supposed to care about” (“Reality TV”).

Sadly, these shows also teach bad morals and concepts to the young men who watch. These shows make young men believe it is okay to sleep with multiple women and to go out every night and get drunk until passing out. For example, an article by Dove.com said that men tend to see females as “cool” when they don’t view sex as commitment. They also make young men believe it is alright for them to treat women poorly, when we all know this is not okay. Their understanding of the world may also be affected by seeing these women as housewives. Young men growing up watching reality shows see many of these gender stereotypes, leading them to disrespect women and their potential for higher positions in society, because that’s the type of values that reality television instilled in them. While most teen girls truly believe that what they are watching is real, and that if they don’t live up to these standards, they will have fallen short when it comes to being a “real woman.” The gender stereotypes presented by reality television are a scary thought when considering the developing minds of our youth. We should not sit by and watch as our youth is presented with a one-dimensional reality of the world around us. The values that are instilled in our youth today help to shape the future, but this can’t be done with reality television building larger barriers. 

Gennis, although proving a point that reality television may be very entertaining, does not show how it can be so harmful to youth. One of the most harmful things about reality television is the fact that it is so entertaining, bringing in many more young viewers who tune in week after week and can’t seem to get enough of all the drama. As these young viewers continue to tune in, their minds continue to be tarnished with the effects of watching these harmful shows. Guilty pleasures can be okay, but what is taking place with teenagers and reality television is not a guilty pleasure, it’s an epidemic. These “pleasures” are more than just a pastime for teens. These reality shows often become an obsession among young people. Reality television becomes their entire lives. Young people often live and die by what takes place on their favorite reality television shows, proving that it is more than just a pastime, but rather a lifeline. 

Reality television also leads to an attitude problem among many of the teens who watch. It is easily one of the strongest examples of why reality television is contributing to a decline in morals in our young adults. In an article by The Huffington Post, seventy percent of girls say that these shows “make people think it is okay to treat other people badly,” which is an alarming statistic. Teens who watch these shows often witness fights and dramatic scenes, the very things that make reality television so entertaining. But the problem with these scenes is that they make young people believe that it is okay to treat their peers badly. In a study done by the Girl Scout Research institute, a new light is shed on the harmful effects of reality television. In the study, seventy eight percent of girls who watched reality television said that gossiping is a normal thing between girls. In another question that was asked by the Girl Scout Institute study, sixty eight percent of girls who watch reality television said that “it is in girls’ nature to be catty and competitive with one another.” This research alarms me. It proves to me and the world that reality television truly is having an effect on the teens who watch. The bullying that it is creating in our school systems is unimaginable. The number of students who are going to school and bullying their peers has grown rapidly over the years because of, among other things, reality television. We must try and limit the number of teens watching reality television in hopes of decreasing the chances of children being ‘inspired’ to bully others.

As you can see, reality television has become a problem, and the issue is not something that we can sit back and watch. As these shows continue to grow in popularity, so do the number of teens becoming spoiled and out of control. I too, am guilty of enjoying reality television, but after reflecting and seeing how many of these shows are beginning to completely destroy our society and our youth, I have decided that enough is enough. I can no longer sit back and watch as reality television degrades the future of our country. To some it may be just a show, but it is so much more than that. The way I see it, these shows are helping raise our child. Do you want an alcoholic, self-centered, materialistic star serving as a “role model” for your children? Picture this, Thomas Ravanel, whom I mentioned in the beginning of my essay, as the father of your children. Ravanel, who has been arrested on drug charges upon many other things, is this really who you want your child looking up to? I no longer believe that reality television is just a pastime or a guilty pleasure; instead, I believe it is a habit for many teenagers, a habit that must be broken. A habit that can only be broken by monitoring what our children are watching on television, and even monitoring what we, as adults, watch. Shows such as Keeping up with the Kardashians or Southern Charm are not shows that a teenage boy or girl need to be watching, as their minds are still developing and they are not able to see and understand the bad that is taking place in these shows, or pick out the things that are real and fake. James Potter, the author of Media Literacy: Eighth Edition, puts forth the concept of a “magic window” to suggest that children are unable to pick out the real and fake of television, but as we get older and grow into an adult, the magic window fades and we are able to understand the reality of television. I believe the “magic window” affects teens who watch reality television. These teens are unable to understand the costs of watching reality television. it affects them and they don’t even realize it. Although it is entertaining, it is damaging to the young people of America. I know it is not always easy to give up something you enjoy, as I myself enjoy it too, but we must to preserve the morals and values of our country. 
