How do Reality TV shows affect the behavior of their audiences?
Research paper
How do Reality TV shows affect the behavior of their audiences?
Overview
Reality television enhances theatrics to portray real-world behaviors, rather than scripted dialogue delivered by actors. Intentionally editing the majority of its scenes for the viewers’ pleasure, reality television does this to create excitement and drama, increasing viewer ratings. According to Michelle Crouch of Reader’s Digest, “producers alter scenes to showcase conflicts between cast members to increase show ratings.”
Reality Television Influences Negative Behavior
While believing that the majority of its content is real and unscripted, reality television also negatively impacts viewers’ behaviors and beliefs. According to Brad Gorham of Syracuse University, “reality television has an effect on the behaviors of people in society, as people are easily influenced by reality television and eventually copy the behaviors portrayed on television while using them in real life.” Philip Ross of the International Science Times also states that reality television has a detrimental impact on our perceptions of the world based on an observational study conducted at the University of Wisconsin.
During the study, 145 students from the University of Wisconsin were surveyed based on their consumption of reality television. Based on the results, the study concluded that the majority of the students who watch reality television believe that the argumentative behaviors shown on reality television shows are addictive than normal behaviors in today’s society.