The Appeal of Reality TV: An Unsolved Mystery

The Bachelor, Keeping up with the Kardashians, The Real Housewives of Orange County, and Married at First Sight. The list goes on and on. All around the world, millions of people tune in weekly to watch the drama unfold. Viewers have a seemingly unexplainable obsession, becoming infatuated with the characters and the extravagant lives that they live. Audiences simply can’t stay away, spending hours on end staring at the screen, lost in the ups and downs of the pathetic emotions displayed by the cast. The horrendous reputation of reality TV could not be more deserved, but despite this, viewers continue to come back for more. This leaves one question that has yet to be answered: What makes it so appealing?

According to recent psychological research, one of the many reasons why our generation is drawn to reality TV is we are able to get a glimpse of what life is really like for A-list celebrities. By watching our favorite characters week after week, we get to know them on a personal level, proving that they are just regular people with a crazy amount of luck and lots of money. This gives viewers a false sense of truth, greatly damaging their overall perception of the world. Most reality TV is staged, as producers formulate plot lines that they believe will best attract audiences and keep viewers engaged. However, by becoming so invested in the lives of certain characters, we tend to forget this and throw everything we previously know out the window. Viewers instead tend to focus on the drama that comes with reality TV, causing them to create fantasy worlds of what they want their lives to look like. This will only result in the cruel disappointment of viewers, as in the moment, they fail to realize the impossibility of this outcome. The toxicity that surrounds the idea of creating an alternate persona in order to fit the mold of celebrities could not be more unhealthy, as it completely obliterates our sense of self worth.

Likewise, it is very common for viewers to experience severe depression as a result of reality TV. Many often fall victim to comparison, as they get caught up in comparing their ordinary lives to those of the wealthy, “perfect” celebrities that make up modern pop culture. For example, after watching The Bachelor and seeing Jordan propose to Jojo, one may become jealous and start to question why they are single. This will only lead to a spiral of unhappiness and self-doubt. By getting an inside look on the lives of our favorite celebrities, it only serves to weaken our mental health and leave us wondering where we went wrong. However, in the moment, what we fail to realize is that most celebrities are consumed by the wealth that they possess, which ultimately leads to a life of anguish and despair.

Despite the numerous flaws of reality TV, there is one undeniable strength. The entertainment factor is by far the most appealing compared to any other genre. This is mainly due to the unnecessary drama and over exaggerated emotions displayed by the cast every step of the way. Audiences all over the world become obsessed with the emotional roller coaster they are put on every season, and the rush of adrenaline they experience year after year. However, viewers must decide: Is the appeal of reality TV worth the psychological damage? While the debate rages on, viewers should turn off their television sets, or at the very least, change the channel.