I can’t say that many reality television shows aren’t entertaining, because they are. However, the values that are taught are not normal or what we should be striving for in our everyday lives. It’s not something we should look up to or admire. The genre of reality TV shows is supposed to rely on the fact that these are normal people living normal lives. However, these people literally are chosen for these shows because they are unstable, dramatic and not normal whatsoever. Here are five reasons why we should refrain from glamorizing the ideals and people from these types of shows.
1. It is not actually real.
What you see on these reality t.v. shows is not actually reality. There are writers who create situations and plot lines as well as creating conflict throughout the show. They also take different clips from different places and put them together, changing the whole meaning, to create incidents that will make the show more interesting. They can make sentences from scratch and manipulate all footage to make it more “interesting.” I wouldn’t say anything about this is real. It is all done in hopes for more views, more money, etc. Reality TV has a huge impact on the way people, mostly young girls, view and deal with real-life situations.
2. It teaches wrong values.
We are taught in these shows to act a certain way; unfriendly, bullying, exclusion, and manipulation. After watching these shows, some people especially any kids who watch them, think its normal to have unhealthy and dramatic relationships in their lives but in reality, those ideals only tend to make life worse. The individuals on these shows display that their lives are more exciting than others. They go out to clubs, party, and have luxurious lifestyles. These things are now all seen as an idealistic way of life that is unattainable for many people. Research has found that reality TV shows have much more of an effect on people than one would expect. The values and ideals portrayed in these shows greatly impact the culture of today and can really modify the way people think and live their lives.
3. Promotes Bad Behavior and Encourages Drama
It promotes manipulating people and treating others in ways that shouldn’t be normal in today’s society. But because of these examples, people tend to follow them, many times because it’s someone that they look up to. The basis of these shows is atrocious behavior that shows glamorize just so they can provide entertainment. Furthermore, this is how society is degraded; by encouraging cruel, selfish, and negative behavior that we now have began to accept as a societal norm. Drama is the main factor in most of these shows. People are always in arguments about things that could easily be solved, or are accusing others for a number of reasons.
4. Encourages Unhealthy or Fake Relationships
Many parts of these shows deal with relationships and give us a perception of how they’re “supposed” to be. Relationships in these shows are usually based off of fame or money, and a lot of the time aren’t actual relationships, it is solely for the show. People on these shows fall in and out of love in a matter of minutes or days and nothing about pursuing that type of relationship should be considered normal or healthy in any way. Sharing boyfriends/girlfriends and switching every other day within the same group of friends has also been a major part of the plot within these shows. Rushing into relationships like this may seem to make things “passionate” and “heated” but in most cases, should be considered unhealthy. Constant hook-ups are also seen as normal and happen so often, and therefore might appeal to the many people watching and that has become a huge part of culture today when it shouldn’t be.
5. Changes standards of beauty
Girls will change everything about themselves just so they can be like someone else who they believe is someone they should look up to. I can’t name the number of girls who look up to Kylie Jenner because of her looks, most of which are actually fake aspects. Television stars and celebrities spend a huge amount of time perfecting their appearance which can give teenage girls a false perception of what they should look like. The rates of cosmetic surgery are on the rise, increasing 70 percent in the last decade, and reality TV is to blame for this trend. Many teenage girls will go to extremes, like disordered eating, to achieve something that is seen as “perfect.” People should not have to change so many things about themselves to achieve something that is “desired” by society. The most important thing should be being yourself and not changing for anyone.
"You were born to be real, not to be perfect."
