Reality TV Shows Young Girls

1122 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Reality television programs have an impact on people

Literature Review

Over the years, reality television programs have taken over our television screens. Shows such as Big Brother, Jersey Shore and Keeping Up With The Kardashians are being viewed by millions world wide; especially by the youth of today. This has created concern for teenagers between 13 and 19, and how they are confronted with different types of TV personalities

All research found are fairly recent and have been published between 2007 and 2012.

The article “What Reality TV Teaches Young Girls” which was published on Time.com by Meredith Melnick on 18 October 2011 depicts the different aspects of what viewers perceive to be real and scripted. Melnick has directed her research from a survey conducted by the Girl Scouts, which indicates the different aspects, reflected in reality television.

Melnick continues to write how reality television is portrayed as “real and unscripted”. The survey conducted provides an outlook on teens of many ages and how they are exposed to all types of reality TV shows. As 13-19 years olds have access to the most media, it has become apart of their everyday living because of the television that they consume.

The Girl Scouts surveyed more than 1,100 girls around the United States and found significant differences between those who watch reality TV on a regular basis and those who don’t.

The results showed that: 75% of girls believe the programs reflect reality, whilst 50% say that real-life shows are “mainly real and unscripted”, 86% of girls of girls think girls are put against one another for entertainment, 70% believe it’s okay to treat others badly; and 86% believe fighting is a normal part of a romantic relationship.

It is evident that the survey participants were conscious ...

... middle of paper ...

... positive comments from some ‘fans’, but evidently so, claimed the negative ones stuck with her the most. Smyth said at first the comments and abuse were easy to ignore post-show as she was constantly making television and event appearances, but, when all that died down and she was home by herself, it made her feel ‘shitty’.

The blog post written by Tully Smyth is evidently showcasing that reality TV does affect and influence the way young people act. Writing abusive, death threats or general derogative comments based on the actions of someone else is not a common practice.

In conclusion, the articles depict that there is a widespread concern on how reality television has impacted our youth today. Through statistics, opinions and first hand experience, all research pieces state there are significant issues on how viewers interpret and act upon storylines.

Show More
Related

  • Identifying with Romance-Based Reality Show Characters

    2048 Words  | 5 Pages

    The majority of romance-based reality television programming is geared towards the individuals under thirty- five years old. It is important to note, some reality shows like Survivor and Celebrity Apprentice target a wider demographic. These shows typically target eighteen to forty-nine year olds. The re...

    Read More

  • Techniques used in Reality TV in Australia

    1478 Words  | 3 Pages

    Untasteful, feral, depraved viewing; Euphemism for palpable voyeurism; Is spelling the end of decent, moral society - Slagging out reality TV from a high culture standpoint is as easy as taking candy from a blind, paralysed, limbless baby. Reality TV is a significant part of popular culture in the current settings of mainstream Australian society. Counting the number of reality television shows on two hands is now a physical impossibility. But what impact is this concept having on society now and into the future?

    Read More

  • The Hunger Games: Annotated Bibliography

    741 Words  | 2 Pages

    This article talked about the fascination of reality vs. illusion. The article examined the media’s current fascination manufactured reality. The article said “in our modern world where every channel seems to have its own version of a reality show, we are inundated with the media’s version of what is real. There is a reason why there are so many of these shows on the airwaves, and that is viewers can’t seem to get enough of them.” The article also talks about how the hunger games draws the children.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Reality Television: Oxymoron By Jack Perry

    894 Words  | 2 Pages

    Will, he describes the workings of television and the ways that television has morphed over the years. According to George F. Will, television is all about imitation. In order to make “good” television people create shows off of other television shows and each time they put a spit on it to make it more and more interesting and shocking. He also argues that we are becoming more and more desensitized. Television shows are increasing the amount of violence, sexuality, and degradation and at the same time people aren’t as easily shocked as they once were. He also warned us by stating, “Imitation is the sincerest form of television” (293). In other words, the idea of imitation is what brings about the added shock factor. For example, in the article was the television show Fear Factor. Fear Factor was created based on the MTV show Jackass. Fear factor takes the basic concept of Jackass and adds different twists, not to mention money, to gain viewers and participants. Another example of television imitation is the NFL versus the XFL. NFL promised that viewers would see more violence and more cheerleaders’ breasts. However, I have mixed feelings on this particular topic. Yes, I feel that reality television can be degrading, humiliating, and even desensitizing, but I also believe it’s the person’s choice to either watch the shows or even be on them. The Hills, for example, is broadcast on MTV late in

    Read More

  • African American Stereotypes Reality Television

    1543 Words  | 4 Pages

    Reality based television has a broad landscape ranging from competitive game-like shows to programs following the daily lives of a group of people. Every major network now has some form of reality programming because the genre’s shows are high in viewership and require low costs for production. The genre is appealing to viewers because it provides them with a first-hand look into the lives of everyday people, which allows them to observe social behavior that helps them determine what is appropriate or not (Tyree, 2011, p. 397). Since the majority of modern reality stars start out as unknowns, frequent viewers of reality programming believed that fame is obtainable if they appear on a popular show (Mendible, 2004). According to Mendible’s evaluation of the genre in the article Humiliation, Subjectivity, and Reality TV, people enjoy reality programs beca...

    Read More

  • Misconceptions Created by Television Shows, As Explained in Richards Willing’s “CSI Effect”

    738 Words  | 2 Pages

    The first effect of reality shows is the image it gives viewers. Reality shows give misconceptions of everyday life; the Real World and Jersey Shore show young adults relaxing, having a good time, and partying every day. The...

    Read More

  • Television's Influence on Societal Stereotypes

    1167 Words  | 3 Pages

    To start off reality shows has become a popular show amongst the younger crowd inducing dangerous stereotypical behavior in America. Reality shows have evolved to a new level of outrages crazy behavior, creating new versions of over exaggerated fake personal lives. For instance, a reality show on television Love & Hip Hop a show that depicts former black girlfriends of famous people and their climb to the top or strive to stay at the top violently and carelessly doing whatever they can by creating a “ghetto stereotype persona”. Targeting the young adults and teens Love & Hip Hop is a very influential show among young female viewers leading these viewers to believe that this is the way to live and make it to the top and in order to do it you have to act like a “ghetto black girl”. Another show that has a similar vibe to Love & Hip Hop but depicts the similar stereotype is Bad Girls Club. Bad Girls Club is a reality show that has a few young adult women living in the same house that party all the time

    Read More

  • Getting Real With Reality Tv Summary

    973 Words  | 2 Pages

    In today 's society, television is one of the greatest entertainment, and currently reality televisions have become the most commonly watched television programs. Reality tv, beside being entertaining , it has effected society in a negative

    Read More

  • Negative Stereotypes Essay

    538 Words  | 2 Pages

    Since young women are being surrounded and exposed to different types of media, it also influences the identity of young women by reinforcing negative stereotypes. In Chapter 3: “Bitches and Morons and Skanks, Oh My!” of Reality Bites Back, Pozner reveals how popular reality television shows have a strong impact on today’s society by shaping the way women view things and define themselves. She also states how dating shows, like The Bachelor and Flavor of Love, often describe women as “catty, bitchy, manipulative, not to be trusted, and cannot live without a man” (pg. 97). The problem with these dating shows is that it tells young women that they need to become the most seductive and beautiful to win the guy’s heart. This also convinces the young women, who watch the show believe that they have to be manipulative and untrustworthy in order to obtain whatever they want. Because young women have been subject to these stereotypes, they also begin to make generalization and change their perceptions about other people, especially to women. Another example is the reality TV series, Keeping ...

    Read More

  • African American Stereotypes

    768 Words  | 2 Pages

    Kids are very impressionable human beings, they see one thing and they begin to imitate this thing. Reality TV enables kids to think for themselves. Going back to the show Maury, it is mostly African American teenagers seen yelling and screaming at the top of their lungs making a spectacle of themselves. Teenagers watch reality television more than anything else. One statistic states, “On average, a teen will watch 28 hours of television per week, adding up to almost 15,000 hours a year” (reportherald.com). Shows such as Love & Hip Hop, exposes teens to

    Read More

  • How Reality TV has Affected Society

    1252 Words  | 3 Pages

    A. “Reality TV Offers an Amoral Message.” Reality TV. Ed. Ronnie D. Lankford, Ph.D. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2008, 32-37. Print.

    Read More

  • The Influence Of Dating Shows

    1180 Words  | 3 Pages

    English fashion model Georgia Jagger has made the bold statement that “Reality TV rots people 's brains”. This seems to be a common opinion among many people. Which leads one to wonder why these reality programs are still created year after year despite all of the constant criticism. The reality T.V. show that continue to reel in audiences on a weekly basis seem to be those which have to do with finding love. These types of shows can, and are often, altered to keep the genre from going stale, but essentially they all serve the same purpose. Dating shows aim to match up complete stranger in an attempt of finding “true love”. Although most shows recycle the same program with slight differences, their audience does not seem to go down. The reason

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Reality Tv Shows

    1144 Words  | 3 Pages

    In this day and age, there isn’t hardly a person who doesn’t watch some form of reality television. Whether it is an adrenaline pumping baking competition, a talent based show with singing and dancing, or the pure entertainment of a day in the life of celebrities most everyone watches some form of reality television. There seems to be a few different sides of reality TV that make it so entertaining for people to watch. There seems to be the shows that lure people in because of the motivational aspect, the drama, or the deep down genuine appearance. However, most people are oblivious to the fact that the screen they are watching isn’t usually what actually happens in real life. James Poniewozik explains the manipulation going on behind the camera

    Read More

  • Having Regulations On Reality T.V.

    1098 Words  | 3 Pages

    Profanity and violence are mostly what is involved in reality tv. One advantage of having regulations would be that it would limit violence that can be a bad influence on younger viewers. “After being read arguments on both sides of the issue nearly two-thirds of parents (63%) say they favor new regulations to limit the amount of sex and violence in TV shows during the early evening hours, when children are most likely to be watching (35% are opposed).” (Facts and TV Statistics 2). By watching this kind of program, it encourages people to do what they do because they think that since those people are getting attention by doing that, they will get it too. With that being said, Shannon Kelly writes, “Some worry that if young people look to reality stars as role models, they might imitate the violence committed by the stars.” (Reali...

    Read More

  • Reason why People Watch Reality TV Shows

    1267 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Real To Me: Girls and Reality TV.” www.girlscouts.org Girl Scout Research Institute, 2011. Web. 29. Nov. 2013.

    Read More

More about Reality TV Shows Young Girls

Open Document