The problems in reality TV have a great affect on their viewers and cannot be ignored. There is something about reality TV which gets the viewers absorbed, their morals become questionable, and the wrong messages are being sent.
Watching such shows at
The Real World,
The Bachelor,
Temptation Island, and much more have viewers absorbed into their show, believing in everything they see. The editing is done so well that it is very hard to tell the difference between real and fake. Once people start to buy into the reality bit, it begins to be the topic of conversations and what people start comparing themselves too. Viewers will begin to react to certain events or situations in a way that they may have seen it happen on TV. The fact that these people on these shows are acting a certain way to cause more drama does not help people. A perfect example would be on
The Surreal Life with Omarosa who was consistent with the way she acted with her character from
The Apprentice. Turns out during one episode which they titled "Dirty Laundry," Omarosa spilled that she does not really act the way she does. She was acting that way to stir up more drama so feelings and reactions would occur that she could use for her research. This whole issue with trusting shows and believing in what happens should not be continued because who knows the real truth behind it.
Morals play a big role in society because this is what we use to judge the good from the bad and the right from wrong. A lot of drama that occurs on reality TV is not always good but it is what the viewers want to see. For example, if there was a show on car chases, why do people wait to see if the car is actually going to crash? Does this mean we have bad morals because we want to see something dramatic happen? Not all reality is as dramatic as car crashes but there are other situations in which people steal for reasons that may make it seem right, such as payback. Stealing is still considered wrong and if some viewers support it, does it make them bad? This all depends on how much of a role morals play in your life and your opinions behind it.
Sending messages through media has always been a big issue. Reality TV has played a very big role on its younger viewers since they are easier influenced. According to the Parents Television Council, reality shows had an increase in the sexual content, violence, and profanity due to their research.
"This study confirms what we all knew to be true. Reality shows are scraping the bottom of the barrel and are sending young viewers
all the wrong messages," said PTC President Brent Bozell. "These shows encourage voyeurism by filming contestants in intimate
situations. They also contain some of the vilest language imaginable. The networks must be held accountable for the dangerous and
irresponsible messages they routinely broadcast on these reality programs (Rankin)."
Reality TV really can make situations look like it really is nothing at all, that it has absolutely no meaning to it. It shows that backstabbing and betrayal will get you ahead in life (
Survivor); that marriage is not to be taken seriously (
Married by America); that money matters more than love when choosing a life mate (
Joe Millionaire; For Love or Money) (Rankin). This shows why the media can be considered a bad influence on others.
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