Watching reality TV can undoubtedly be entertaining. It doesn’t take much thought to mindlessly consume it, and it’s highly amusing to watch people start unimportant conflicts. It can be fun to have certain people in the show that we love and those that we hate, to feel excitement and anger with them through a screen. But it’s also really important to distinguish the difference between ‘reality’ and reality.
Reality TV is often trashy, exploitative and frequently showcases toxic relationships. For those reasons it’s so entertaining. Reality TV was created as an inexpensive alternative to filming regular television, while also bringing a different type of entertainment featuring ‘ordinary’ people. Sometimes watching chaos unfold in other people’s lives can conveniently distract us from our own reality, but being mindful of your consumption is important because these situations are often unhealthy. Over time, the habits that we’ve consumed on television may start to appear in our lives.
Television wouldn’t be entertaining if nothing happened, which is why in reality TV there is always drama.
“I think it exaggerates how conversations and actions play out in real life because they want to play it up for Hollywood,” said junior Eli Crosby. Fistfights, chase scenes, or even just very heated arguments are often reportedly scripted by retired tv personalities. This leads to the question: how much of reality TV is actually real and how is this affecting me?
“I think if you’re only passing time watching reality TV, you have a mental problem and need to seek help,” said senior Kiki Quinteros. “It’s been proven that it’s bad for you.”
On the other hand, many people like how reality tv is raw and unfiltered, saying how they find it more fulfilling to watch than fictional storylines. It’s argued that one doesn’t have to be necessarily talented or attractive to be on this type of television, making it more accessible to common people. However, many reality TV shows are only successful when there is more money and fame coupled with it.
While reality TV is undoubtedly entertaining and fun, it should only be viewed every once in a while and paired with other entertainment that isn’t so openly toxic. It’s good for consumers to get other tastes of stories and perspectives and realize that not everything that is meant for entertainment is a good role model.
