Effects of Reality TV to Society
Introduction
Reality TV is a television programming where ordinary people are continually filmed, designed to entertain rather than informing the society. Reality TV shows are filmed full of drama, partying, fighting, and fun (Mckay, 2010). Examples of reality shows are Teen Mom, Duck Dynasty, and The Real World. Although reality television shows entertain viewers, they adversely affect the society. Reality TV shows adversely affect children by derailing the process of their talent growth and contributes to immorality from the abusive words used in entertaining the audience. (Mckay, 2010) The media shows domestic violence over the shows which are unacceptable behavior in the society. Reality shows are also scripted to give non-educative information to the audience. This essay seeks to argue how reality television affects the society. A Student Sample: ORDER YOUR PAPER NOW
Reality TV has negatively affected the society in numerous areas. The world has given the media freedom of what is shown on television, not only dictating but also copying and defining all the society thinks are real-life situations. One of its negative effects on the society is violence. When the media shows reality shows depicting domestic violence as acceptable, then a large number of viewers consider domestic violence as acceptable social behavior. In a real sense, domestic violence is unacceptable in the society (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). They (the actors) table flip and slap one another just to entertain in today’s reality shows. These recent incidents on reality TV contain unacceptable content that contributes to violence in the society. Further, reality shows contain liberal doses of abuses which the directors consider to be entertaining and think that more people will watch them. Abusive shows is a great mistake since bad words are learned by kids and teens and hence ruining their behavior and personality as well.
Reality TV shows are bad since they show ordinary people with no unique talents contributing very little to the society. These shows derail the growth of youth talent since the celebrity starts do not thrive on talent but thrive on the sensation of always appearing in the news (Scarborough & McCoy, 2016). The worst effect of their shows is harming kids and teens who aspire to emulate their actions and behavior. When they dance or sing, they do it badly, and this does not qualify to be good entertainment. Television directors like reality shows for they are cheap when compared to showing proper actors and scripts. Teens and children keep watching rubbish and greed shows, these negative attributes get manifest in them and greatly contribute to their behavioral shortcomings. As per the social cognitive theory, young adolescents are influenced by reality shows and decide to imitate the celebrity stars since they consider their acts as acceptable to societal norms.
Further, reality shows are scripted, and their content is always doctored and non-informative. Actors of reality shows use tricks to increase the number of views and ratings of the show just to earn more at the expense of ruining societal values. Initially, their audience fell for bait but currently they understand that the stories acted about get developed properly in advance (Mckay, 2010). For example, some reality TV shows doctor fights which are staged to portray family real life experience but not in good faith. Watching such full episodes is not informative. Certain scenes should be banned and stop being shown since the imitation of non-realistic lessons wrongfully inform the society members to practice what is shown to be realistic. They are out to make money out of these television programs and end up giving the wrong and harmful information to the members of the society and this tarnish a society’s reputation (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). They (the media) should filter what they are showing viewers to ensure it is informative.
Conclusion
Just like many other people, I as well have interest in reality TV shows. Although television shows present enjoyable drama to the audience, the behavior portrayed but the celebrity actors cannot get justified to be acceptable in the society. The media is out to make money on these reality television shows irrespective of whether informative or not informative, certain scenes add no value to the society other than just destroying society’s morality. Reality TVs gives viewers the wrong impression of situations such as domestic violence since this contributes to long-life harmful behavior to families and the society in general. Also, the use of ordinary characters in reality shows derails talent growth by the youth and children who emulate their behavior, and this contributes to irresponsible behavior in the society. Given the above arguments, there is no doubt to conclude that reality television shows negatively affect the society. A Student Sample: ORDER YOUR PAPER NOW
References
Mckay, H. (2010). Reality shows aimed at young viewers airing more violent scenes. Retrieved from: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2010/10/11/reality-shows-battery-domestic-violence-jersey-shore-teen-mom/
Scarborough, R. C., & McCoy, C. A. (2016). Moral reactions to reality TV: Television viewers’ endogenous and exogenous loci of morality. Journal or Consumer Culture, 164-191.
Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., & Coutts, L. M. (2012). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. Thousand Oaks: CA: Sage Publishers. retrieved from: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1469540514521078