The things that bring people the most pleasure can often actually be bad for them. When reality TV first emerged, creators believed they had struck gold with showcasing real peoples’ lives. Over time, reality TV has evolved and contains very little “real” elements today. These controversial shows have rose with a new generation and have sparked many conversations and opinions. Some are disgusted by the ridiculous content and others spend hours relishing in the drama. Although enjoyed by many, reality TV has been seen to cause many harmful effects on its viewers and society.

Reality television began broadcasting how people act through dating shows, contests, game shows, and pranks. In the late 40’s, a show called “Candid Camera” emerged. The focus of the show was silly pranks and any funny situations they could find. It was an instant hit across America. With humor at the base of reality television, shows like “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and “MTV’s Punk’d” have continued the tradition. In the 1950’s contestant shows rose to popularity. The Miss America Pageant has been around for many decades and continues to be awaited eagerly across the nation. Contestant based reality shows became the new format. It followed regular people trying to achieve a goal or gain fame. Shows like, “Family Feud,” “Amateur Hour,” and “Star Search” gave average people a chance in the spotlight. Today these shows continue with, “Top Chef” and “American Idol.” Shortly after in 1965, “The Dating Game” was released. Producers found that audiences were extremely interested in watching people date and have struggles in love. The show had three contestants who answered questions in ordered to get their perfect match. Culture has not changed since then with our remaining interest in competition dating shows with drama, like in “The Bachelor.” In the 70s, people agree that the first “real” reality show was created. The show followed an American family who lived in Santa Barbara. It filmed seven months of their lives in which the parents become separated. It showcases the gay son and the controversy that surrounds the family. The show began in a time of cultural and economic problems and had a more bleak view on life. This new type of show fascinated and captured the hearts of audiences. They did not hold back and had a sense of scandal. This was the beginning of “enhanced reality.” TV show creators realized they could get a more dramatic event through editing and scripts, which is commonly used today. This began a long line of shows focused on real people’s lives and actions. Since this, shows like “The Real World” and “The Jersey Shore” have become extremely popular. In the late 70’s and 80’s, a different tone of reality TV came about. These shows focused on the behind the scenes aspect. The first show was called, “Cops.” It allows access into the everyday life and work of police officers and the crimes they encounter. Today, these shows that look into industries remain popular with “Miami Ink,” and “Deadliest Catch.” (“The History of Reality Television Programs”)

In 2001, the American Association for the Advancement of Science released an article regarding a new reality TV experiment. British scientists were prepared to remake a psychological experiment that went wrong long ago. The famous experiment had students play roles of prisoners and guards. Shortly after the experiment began, terror and abuse caused the experiment to be shut down. The experiment became all too real with its life-like jail, the harshness of guards, and the conformity of the prisoners. The participants were consumed fully; even making the scientists act irrationally. They believed the prisoners exaggerated their distress in order to be released. This experiment, among others in the 1970s, all show the power of social pressure in groups and how it affects an individual.  Studies have recorded that, “subjects stayed in a room that was filling up with smoke because others seemed unconcerned. In another, they obeyed a lab-coated scientist’s orders to deliver what they thought was an electric shock to a human subject.” These past experiments show how strongly groups and pressure affect people, similar to the shows. Now, with the creation of reality TV, fabricated situations are used as entertainment. Many people including those from the original experiment fear that history will repeat itself. The initial fear is how far the program will go for entertainment. Zimbardo says, “There is no question in my mind but that BBC and their consultants are hoping for something dramatic to erupt, to make it riveting for viewers.” He, among others, fear for the danger of this experiment because of the pressures for good ratings. They need the show to have a certain amount of controversy and drama in order for it to be successful. “If we don’t get the phenomenon that Zimbardo observed, then the whole thing is pointless,” a researcher says. The need for entertainment and to be talked about could play into dangerous circumstances. There is much concern and intrigue surrounding the show and a large interest in its outcome. (Shouse, Ben)

In about the early 2000s, reality TV really began to blossom. At first, researchers and doctors were not sure of the effects it would have on the watchers because of the little they knew. However, it soon came to light that these shows would have a great deal of their focus on superficiality. Dr. Brad Gorham noticed that watchers could see the behaviors displayed and could possibly find them appealing. This results in many of the youths demonstrating this poor behavior in real life. Many other studies have lead to the recognition of how these shows ignore the negative stereotypes portrayed and how most bad behaviors have little to no consequences. The producers of these shows want their characters to play a specific role and therefore, they cast a certain “type.” This creates the widely known stereotypes throughout the shows. Since there are no real actors, there is little money used to make reality TV and it is much easier for them to be profitable. Through focus groups and interviews, a graduate student that writes for USA Today College has come to the conclusion that these shows bring out more dramatic tendencies in the youth of today. People believe that there will also be no consequences for their actions, just as the show portrays. (Fahner, Micki)

 Reem Ibrahim of Spirit Magazine explains how easy it is to access reality TV, making the effects spread rapidly. A study shows that teens may watch up to 28 hours a week because of the obsessive nature they develop. It is basically on every channel and can be viewed at anytime. This wide access allows for young teenagers to be subjected to sex, drugs, and inappropriate behavior very early in their lives. For young girls especially, the effects of reality TV can be very damaging. It has been seen to cause low self-esteem and a major shift in values. The teens can pick up many of the habits and beliefs from their “idols” and want to be more like them. The major focus on many shows is beauty and all about appearance. This creates a lot of pressure on young girls to want to be perfect. Reality TV gives them a slight glimpse into a world of fame, luxury, and glamour. They lose sight of what is important in life and see what life could look like for them. The harsh standards of society force the girls to compare themselves to those they watch. The need to be desired and feel pretty causes many disorders and self-esteem issues. (Ibrahim, Reem)

In a segment on CBS News, newscasters discuss how reality television might be making girls mean. Research has shown that girls believe a lot of these shows highlight girls being mean to each other. They expect higher levels of drama and bullying in their lives after watching these shows. The meaner, crazier, and louder a girl is, the more popular she is. Shows like, “The Bad Girls Club” show that girls are naturally catty and should not trust each other. After watching these shows their perception of how girls should act and treat one another completely shifts. (“Teen Girls ‘mean girls’”)

Colby Eis, an expert on news relating to entertainment and pop culture, believes that this television has reached the heights of stupidity. In his opinion, every time you watch one of these shows you may have gotten dumber. The problem with reality TV is how truly addictive it is. However, at the end of the day all you have done is lost hours of your time and turned your mind to mush. It is complete garbage that does not benefit anyone in anyway. They are the ultimate guilty pleasure. People become completely glued to their TV and seem to care about things that do not actually matter. Shows like the “The Bachelor” and “The Jersey Shore” are completely useless, yet millions of people have tuned in every week. There is nothing to gain or learn. These shows make ordinary people famous for doing basically nothing. A real housewife show exists for so many cities and no one really knows why. The Kardashians have done little of importance and now we cannot go anywhere without hearing what Kim had for lunch. Most game shows, like “Survivor” or “Dancing with the Stars” have had so many seasons that it has become very repetitive. “American Idol” has spun into about five other new singing competitions, like “The Voice” and “X Factors.” His main point is to think before sitting down and watching six hours of “16 and Pregnant” and think about the productive things you could be doing. If you want to go far in life, binge-watching reality TV is not the way to go. (Eis, Colby)

One of the major problems people have with reality TV is the small amount of real situations that take place. The Bethenny Frankel talk show featured a segment with two reality stars as the guests. The two former stars from the show, “The Hills” explain how they had fake fights with other members and took part in fake relationships. They were told that if ratings went up they could get bonuses, encouraging them to do more dramatic scenes. They would get messages where they were told what to do and even were instructed to call off their wedding for a dramatic episode. Their personal accounts really give insight into just how fabricated scenes can be. This creates false realities in people’s minds. It is possible to develop ideas from these shows on what being successful should look like. The shows can create a stereotype of the “perfect” party, relationship or life. (Frankel, Bethenny)

Our society has changed dramatically on our views and social norms recently. In a video from a pop culture news channel, an analyst discusses how people find thrills in watching other people be humiliated or suffer. Reality television has two times more aggressive actions that any other genre. Girls have reported that they find gossip normal in relationships with other people. Lying and being mean are necessary means to get what you want. If a show claims to be real, it is more likely for viewers to mimic the actions. The video focuses on how much we enjoy seeing people suffer and think it is normal to act this way. It refers to the time pictures surfaced of Iraqi inmates being tortured by American soldiers. The major reaction to the photos was laughter and indifference. Many people had no problem with the torture because of our desensitized culture. (“How Reality TV Desensitizes Us”)

Television is no longer the main source of information for the public. It has changed its nature to focus on talk shows, reality TV, and lifestyle shows. These shows are aimed at specific individuals rather than to serve the public with shared values. The popular taste has taken over the traditional form of television. (Lunt, Peter) As a culture, we enjoy the over the top drama and emotion displayed throughout media and television. Viewers want to be convinced of what is going on in a show. Performance, sincerity, and emotion are all what keeps the audience interested. We focus on the crocodile tears that followed after a break up. Reality TV is successful because of the participation of the viewers and the speculations. People tend to become very invested in their shows. It combines the competition of game shows and our interest in real people from documentaries. It gives us the opportunity to gossip, helping TV continue to thrive. (Ellis, John)

Although many shows have impacted society in a negative way, shows do exist that were created to do good. Some have improved lives and encourages viewers to take charge of their lives. They empower their audience and provide ways to accomplish things in everyday life. Shows like, “The Biggest Loser” and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” give people the opportunity to get healthy and improve their situations. Also, they give us hope that any normal person can achieve fame and riches. The people of “Duck Dynasty” show how an ordinary southern family with a duck calling business can get recognition. The show displays the family’s Christian and moral values with deeper meanings without focusing on drama and material belongings. (Sullivan, Annie)

In an article by The Odyssey, Annie Sullivan explains that reality TV gives people the chance to be distracted from their problems, at least for a little while. It teaches our society to not take life too seriously and to always enjoy yourself. Life can get really hard and serious and reality TV can help us get away from that. Lastly, our culture craves drama and reality TV helps us get our fill, while always keeping us laughing. People tune into these shows to see the drama unfold. Sullivan says, “You don't want to be in the mix of the drama; however, you love to witness it all going down. Some reality shows are solely based off girl drama. That's not necessarily my cup of tea, but other people love to watch a good cat fight going down on ‘The Real Housewives of New Jersey.’” However, because of the huge focus on drama and fighting our culture believes it is completely normal to yell, fight constantly, and react explosively. The article then talks about how reality television can make us feel smarter. She writes, “So, next time you're feeling unintelligent, turn on an episode of ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians.’ You'll feel like you graduated from Harvard.” As a culture, researchers have noticed that we focus on less important things in life and are very distracted. Reality television may make us feel smarter because of the unimportant material and stupidity that is happening. However, you are not gaining any useful knowledge from the hours you spend watching the shows. Lastly, the article talks about how we can learn to be more care free from reality TV. The shows teach us to have fun and enjoy life. “They also remind us to never let life get too serious, because that's when you stop living. As Khloe Kardashian says, ‘You have your whole life to be old, but you only have a few years to be young.’” (Sullivan, Annie) However, many of the shows like, “Jersey Shore” and “The Real World” focus strictly on partying. This can impact young people today and influence them to think they have to party and drink to have fun or be cool. This also creates a lack of responsibility and knowledge of consequences. Conflict will never go away, but it is all about the audience’s use of the character. We have the control to use these people as cautionary tales. (DeVolld, Troy)

People in society have all different views on reality television. However, most people can agree that it is controversial in its effects and benefits. After plenty of studies and focus groups, conclusions have been drawn that young people are definitely affected negatively. They stress appearances, being mean, and not caring about consequences. They put value on fame and these “luxurious” lifestyles the stars seem to be living. Many believe that girls have developed stress and self-esteem issues from the shows. They set ridiculously high standards for themselves and do everything in their power to be perfect. We think it is normal, as a society, to laugh at people’s misfortunes and have become less kind to one another. Both opinions usually agree that some reality television is exaggerated and not helpful to people. However, they differ on the seriousness of what it is doing to our society. They can see bad actions and either learn from them or follow her lead. These certain shows with characters that represent negative ideals has made our society suffer. Because of how much young people rely on media and television, what is displayed is very crucial.

Change is needed if we want the next generations to focus on more important things. There are facts and statistics proving what the shows have done to girls and what they now believe in. We need to work to change how the youth views these shows and applies it to their lives. The majority of reality television focuses on being dramatic and therefore has resulted in more damage then good.
