Does Reality T.V. Alter the Way We See the World?
Written by Morgan Greenlee, Former Student on Thursday, December 4, 2014
Shows like “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” “Bad Girls Club,” and many more are followed weekly by teenage girls and other pre-adolescent children around the world. The drama and fighting in Reality T.V., although appealing, raises expectations for appearance, highlights aggressive behavior, and promotes unhealthy relationships. Does the poor behavior of these T.V. stars mold our perspective of reality and influence the way we see the world?
The lush and fabulous lives of many stars on the big screen create expectations that girls and boys feel they should meet. Watching shows where celebrities spend their money freely and wear designer clothes regularly can lower a kid’s self-confidence if they are unable to afford these things. A study conducted by Indiana University surveyed 400 white and black pre-adolescent children and found that self-esteem was negatively affected in all kids except white boys. Things like plastic surgery, caked on makeup, and perfect bodies often influence a girl’s perception of what beauty should look like.
The roots of a shows popularity often comes from the amount of drama between celebrities. Aggressive behavior is highlighted in order to gain more fans, but leads people to believe that it is okay to backstab your friends and abuse each other. In a survey conducted by the Girl Scout Research Institute, 1,141 girls varying from age 11 to 17 across the U.S., 86% felt that reality shows set girls against each other.
Reality T.V. also promotes unhealthy relationships between friends, boyfriends, and girlfriends. Cheating, divorce, abuse, etc. are commonplace in reality television. 70% of the girls that were surveyed agreed with the statement “reality T.V. leads people to think it’s all right to treat people badly.”
The promotion of this poor behavior and Beverly Hills lifestyle is not something that girls or boys should watch. These shows alter the way teenagers and pre-adolescent kids see the world in a negative way. Unrealistic expectations, aggressive behavior, and unhealthy relationships are a few of many ways that the television shows mold who and how kids think they should be and act.
