1Reality television is America’s guilty pleasure. Millions of viewers tune in every week to find out what mayhem their favorite reality star is causing. Whether it’s a toddler in a tiara or a Kardashian, fans just can’t get enough of reality television. As their popularity rises, we notice a shift in society’s perception of these reality shows and evidence of their negative influences have emerged. Reality television can alter the viewer’s perception of reality, promote self-importance and distort the viewer’s moral compass. This perception has led some to believe that the propagation of reality programing is having a negative effect on society. 2Part of what makes reality shows so popular is their …show more content…
Regular viewers of crime dramas are more likely to see the world as a dangerous place. Heavy viewers of reality television are more likely to believe the heightened theatrics of such shows reflect real world behavior. As bad behavior is often rewarded with attention and fame, these shows promote a lack of tolerance, compassion and understanding of others. At the same time, the viewer’s sense of self-importance is heightened. As the desire for status is just a means to get attention, oversharing on social media with “friends” the viewer doesn’t even know becomes important. The viewer thinks they are important if others pay attention to them and unimportant if they are ignored. With the reality shows emphasis on material things such as fame, money, cars, homes, fashion and beauty, the viewer can be persuaded to believe that these things are what makes someone successful, attractive or famous. These factors all contribute to the altering of ones perception of reality and promotes …show more content…
These effects are long term in the sense that the viewer mimics social cues learned from these shows which puts them at risk of damaging relationships, making poor choices and living a chaotic lifestyle. After watching the drama unfold week after week, the viewer finds that they are bored with the contentment of their own lives. While the issue is not that reckless living and bad choices are not real, the issue is that the creators of these shows produce a product that is celebrating these events for the purpose of entertainment. Which by most standards is morally distorted. With scripted scenarios and manipulative editing, how is this reality? How is a person supposed to act when there is an entire camera crew, lighting crew, and microphones following them around day after day? The viewer must be aware of the behind the scenes smoke- in- mirrors as they watch such programs. And parents of children and teenagers should be mindful of allowing their impressionable children to watch reality shows. As for the adult viewer, they should watch with the understanding that what they are viewing is not real. So, the reality of reality television is that, morally speaking, they are the perfect example of how not to behave in the real