Reality Tv Negative Effects On Society

Superior Essays
Television has become so engrained in our society that it is probably our number one source of entertainment. Unfortunately, there seems to have been an exponential increase in the popularity of reality television shows. To me this is alarming. At what point does the portrayed “reality” become harmful? Through research and personal experience, I have concluded that reality television shows have nothing positive to offer society.
I often see segments of reality shows on television and cannot help but wonder where it all started. My earliest memories of these shows were while I was in high school around the years 2005 to 2007. It turns out that reality shows have been on the air for decades. “The first show of its kind didn’t air until the
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Over time, however, they have evolved into something entirely different. Due to the fact the drama sells, the entertainment industry has changed to use smoke and mirrors in order to spice up their content for the audience. This concept is often lost, what viewers see they often take at face value. Unfortunately, because some people cannot see through the façade of these shows, negative stereotypes end up becoming more prevalent in our daily lives. This is especially worrisome for the younger generations. Michael Hirschorn has stated “Reality television has dominated the broadcasting arena in recent years. Since 2001, reality television programs topped the U.S. televison ratings 6 of the last 7 years” (qtd. in Coyne 1). This shows us that a whole generation of children have grown up with a manipulated sense of what is or is not …show more content…
“Relational aggression is a type of aggression in which harm is caused by damaging someone’s relationship or social status” (Wikipedia 1). Researchers at Central Michigan University have found that since this type of aggression is more common in a person’s everyday life it is more relatable than watching someone murdered violently on television. Bryan Gibson, a psychology professor at Michigan University stated, “This Research clearly shows that these programs are not simply harmless entertainment—exposure to this verbal and relation aggression increases physical aggression” (qtd in Reality TV and Physical Aggression 1). Since violence is so predominate in our everyday entertainment it comes as no surprise that the exposure would have a direct and lasting negative effect on impressionable minds. The Managing Editor of the Culture & Media Institute Matt Philbin stated “It is really not surprising that this is what reality television has become – reality television plays to people’s worst instincts and depends on people behaving badly, manipulating others, lying and violence,” (qtd. in Mckay 1). The production companies have only one thing on their minds: their ratings. The end goal is entertainment value. There is no regard for how the shows and peoples’ behavior within these shows may have on their audience. The push for more outrageous and colorful characters has led to finding people who have

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