The topic of social media’s negative impact on society’s youth is recurring, but what about reality TV? The dependency we have on social media and the influence reality TV plays in many of our lives is growing rapidly. Society is obsessing over which of the Kardashians is the sexiest, wealthiest, or got the most plastic surgery, but what does that say about our society as a whole?
The Kardashians, for example, are famous for a sex tape and being rich. Yes, that definitely sounds like a group of role models for young girls to look up to and aspire to be. According to Holly Peak, reality TV gives children a false idea of what the real world is like.
Reality shows are deceiving right off the bat, the name itself is a complete hoax because the shows are edited. These TV shows manipulate the viewers into believing that everything occurring in the show is honest and true when in reality scenes and conversations are edited in order to make the show more dramatic and engaging.
People fixate on these celebrities’ lives, but it is unclear as to why. According to Jesse Hicks from Penn State News, this popularity of reality shows stems from the audience feeling included in all the action, but that is only one reason for its popularity. Reality shows are appealing to many because they are dramatic, thought to be realistic, and addictive to watch.
According to the Charles McCoy of The Washington Post, many people that watch trashy reality shows are actually embarrassed to be watching them, but cannot seem to stop themselves. The common word for this is a “guilty pleasure,” and we all have them. That being said, it is not a bad thing to have guilty pleasures necessarily, as long as one does not cross the line to addiction.
The concept of wanting to be accepted on social media and wanting to be a part of the action in a TV show go hand-in-hand.
Instagram models like Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne, and Gigi Hadid all have things in common. They are thin, beautiful, and famous, and they influence the way their followers think about beauty standards. That is where our youth’s need for acceptance on social media stems from.
A popular style that was introduced through social media is the perfect body, which includes huge butts, breasts, lips, yet a tiny waist. This look promotes plastic surgery for many women because this body shape is nearly impossible to have naturally.
Of course people have the right to do what they choose with their bodies, but would so many people want to change if they were not so obsessed with acceptance and wanting to look like others?
Reality shows are not all bad. America’s Got Talent, for example, is family friendly. It is made for entertainment without promoting drinking, sex, and other acts that many other shows allow. For some, reality TV and social media can act as a distraction from everyday life, in a way to live vicariously through others. It can act as an escape from the real world, but watching reality TV is not the best way to escape.
It is a waste of time and typically people watch because they have too much time on their hands.
