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Reality Television and True Facts

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Reality Television and True Facts
Reality TV seems to be everywhere these days. On every channel you turn, commercial you see and even on magazines stands at every grocery store checkout. There are multiple so called “reality” television shows that have made teen moms, extreme party goers, alcoholics and even drug addict’s huge, rich reality super stars. The main demographic viewers of these types of show range from preteens to young adults. In my opinion these so called “reality” television shows are giving their viewers a false sense of what reality and success really is.

As a father to a preteen and toddler I am always doing my best to monitor what my children are viewing on their televisions. Before I had children I never thought twice about what type of shows were on the television and the impact they could have on their viewers. It is hard to explain to any 12 year old that they are not allowed to watch certain shows that a lot of their friends are. There are times when I am not able to watch the shows I enjoy or the news while they are in the room with me as they have graphic language, pictures and/or behavior that children should not be subjected to at such a young and influential time in their lives.

At one time my daughter would come home every afternoon and talk about this new awesome show everyone was watching and talking about at school. After weeks of bugging me to find this show for her I decided sit down one afternoon and view it with her. I was in total shock and upset after watching this show that other parents allowed their 11 & 12 year old girls to watch called “My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding.” Much to my surprise this popular middle school show was a reality based show that showcased young teen girls who dropped out of school to find husbands to marry and have children all before the age of eighteen. This type of show gave girls the idea that it was ok to not get an education but to marry and have children at a very young age. After having a long talk with

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