Reality Tv

Unlike the other inventions, the scientist that came out with the idea of television (TV) is difficult to be acknowledged. While the issue of its inventor is still being greatly disputed, the number of TV channels competing in the market has been rapidly increasing. Recalling the scarcity of choice the public faced a few years back, the world has advanced by giving the society an advantage to escape from the hassle of their lives through its engaging source of entertainment. Recently, reality TV shows have caused a shift to the showbiz industry and gradually became an effective instrument used to attract more viewers. However, it has been suggested that the family-based reality TV programme brings more harm than good to the society. Although most of the shows encourage family bonding, it is apparent that the audience of all ages are more vulnerable to the negative images shown in the TV shows. Since family-based reality TV shows portray a negative reflection to the society, it detriments the public mentally, socially and physiologically. Family-based reality TV shows produce psychological problems to the public. Contrary to the popular belief that the function television is to entertain its viewers, the shows actually lead its watchers to be more emotionally disturbed. John P. Robinson and Steven Martin from University of Maryland have stated that TV "causes" unhappiness (Robinson 85). This is because the main intention of the producers to maximize their profits has undeniably motivated them to emphasis on showing a great deal of stressful scenarios. For instance, the producers tend to show audiences to troubled stimuli involving family dramas; disagreement, fight and divorce. In the family-based reality TV series Keeping Up of The Kardashians, the audiences are exposed to Kim’s stressful lifestyle including her divorce to a basketball player, Kris Humphries after 72 days of their glamorously publicized marriage (Levine 4). Hence, it is irrefutable that these effective attention-seeking tools are potentially harmful to the mental wellness of watchers.
Evidently, the audiences are likely to be reminded to their own worries. As stated by Professor of Media Arts, Professor John Ellis, “Reality TV formats tend to place participants in stressful situations, and their response to stress can often trigger behavior that many viewers find objectionable” (Ellis 111). From the action of judging the participants responses, it is unmistakable that the viewers project themselves in the shoes of the celebrities. As they are positioned in a negative environment, the viewers are not only losing their opportunity to entertain themselves but they are prone to add more unnecessary stress to their lives. Therefore, it is clear that the images shown by a family-based reality TV shows generate negative tension in the society.
Furthermore, the narrowly defined attractive images portrayed in the shows produce some negative physical effects to individuals. It must be distinguished that, it is “easy for the media environment to become too focused on descriptions of functional characteristics of female beauty and physical attractiveness in order to market products” (Lin 67). Expectedly, the audience is unconsciously susceptible to higher order conditioning or passive advertisement shown by the celebrities in the shows. Unfortunately, the media fails to value the cost of the substances delivered to the society. The main theme that demonstrates a regular lifestyle of the celebrities have successfully brainwashed the audiences to conclude that the idea of being physically modified is ordinary. A study shows that, “Patients who regularly watched…reality television show reported a greater influence from television and media to pursue cosmetic surgery (and) felt more knowledgeable about cosmetic surgery” (Crockett 1). Instantly, audiences are inclined to undergo beauty modifications such as plastic surgery, liposuction, and various implants similar to their anecdotes. Hence, the family-based TV shows bring negative physical effects to the society.
Moreover, family-based reality TV shows structure the social norm of the public. Since the shows reveal the dramatic lifestyles of the rich and famous in a series of episodes, most fans strive to avoid missing any show. According to American Time Use Survey in 2011, “people age 15 and over spend approximately 2.8 hours per day by doing the leisure activity that occupied the most time, which is watching television” (3). Likewise, the way their spend time when not watching the shows has also gradually change. Increasingly, most fanatic viewers start to channel their interest throughout their daily routines. The expert in Media Arts also added that, “Reality TV allows unfettered opportunities for gossip and speculation by all the means that are now available in blogs and message boards, radio phone-ins, newspapers and magazines, as well as everyday face-to-face conversation” (110).
Although the disadvantages of this particular habit may not be direct, it does contribute to most community issues today. Implicitly, the captivated watchers are potentially becoming less committed in their works; therefore, their productivity level is probable be affected. In some worse scenarios, some of them find trouble socializing as they “interact” their television sets at home. It is illustrated that, “TV might affect social life, particularly visits with friends and neighbors, since one could now be "visiting" with entertainers and other celebrities in ones own home” (75). Thus, these small glitches effectively display how family-based reality TV shows influence the public in a negative way.
In conclusion, the various negative effects presented psychologically, physically and socially indicate family-based reality TV shows to be detrimental to the society. The demonstration of negative portrayals in the shows adversely affect the viewers minds while subtly drive them to be addicted. Without realising, their addiction gradually motivates them to unconsciously behave in a physically harmful manner. Despite the known dangerous outcomes, the increasing number of family-based reality TV shows actually signals that the society demands this form of entertainment. However, it is seen that some countries are trying to avoid these negative consequences by putting high restriction on their entertainment. While the question of controlling media is still being argued, it is also important to note that society is generally mentally capable to choose between what is right and what is wrong.
Words: 1002 Works Cited
Robinson, John P. and Steven Martin "Of Time and Television." The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 625.1 (2009): 74-86. Print.
Levine, Stuart. "Split Upsets E! Program." Daily Variety 313.22 (2011) Print.
Of Time and Television Author(s): Reviewed work(s):Source: Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 625, The End ofTelevision? Its Impact on the World (So Far) (Sep., 2009), pp. 74-86Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. in association with the American Academy of Political and SocialScienceStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40375906 .Accessed: 16/01/2013 23:02
The Performance on Television of Sincerely Felt Emotion Author(s): John Ellis Reviewed work(s): Source: Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 625, The End of Television? Its Impact on the World (So Far) (Sep., 2009), pp. 103-115 Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. in association with the American Academy of Political and Social Science Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40375908 .Accessed: 15/01/2013 15:12
Comparing Society 's Awareness of Women: Media-Portrayed Idealized Images and Physical Attractiveness Author(s): Chyong-Ling Lin and Jin-Tsann Yeh Reviewed work(s): Source: Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 90, No. 1 (Nov., 2009), pp. 61-79Published by: Springer Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27735225 .Accessed: 16/01/2013 23:33

Crockett, Richard J., Thomas Pruzinsky, and John A. Persing. "The Influence of Plastic Surgery "Reality TV" on Cosmetic Surgery Patient Expectations and Decision Making." Plastic and reconstructive surgery 120.1 (2007): 316-24. Print.

Cited: Robinson, John P. and Steven Martin "Of Time and Television." The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 625.1 (2009): 74-86. Print. Levine, Stuart. "Split Upsets E! Program." Daily Variety 313.22 (2011) Print. Of Time and Television Author(s): Reviewed work(s):Source: Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 625, The End ofTelevision? Its Impact on the World (So Far) (Sep., 2009), pp. 74-86Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. in association with the American Academy of Political and SocialScienceStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40375906 .Accessed: 16/01/2013 23:02 The Performance on Television of Sincerely Felt Emotion Author(s): John Ellis Reviewed work(s): Source: Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 625, The End of Television? Its Impact on the World (So Far) (Sep., 2009), pp. 103-115 Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. in association with the American Academy of Political and Social Science Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40375908 .Accessed: 15/01/2013 15:12 Comparing Society 's Awareness of Women: Media-Portrayed Idealized Images and Physical Attractiveness Author(s): Chyong-Ling Lin and Jin-Tsann Yeh Reviewed work(s): Source: Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 90, No. 1 (Nov., 2009), pp. 61-79Published by: Springer Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27735225 .Accessed: 16/01/2013 23:33 Crockett, Richard J., Thomas Pruzinsky, and John A. Persing. "The Influence of Plastic Surgery "Reality TV" on Cosmetic Surgery Patient Expectations and Decision Making." Plastic and reconstructive surgery 120.1 (2007): 316-24. Print.