Reality Shows, Unreal Standards And The Viewers

Reality TV shows have been around for a long time now, and somehow, they continue to grow in number and popularity. From talent competitions to cooking shows, luxury lifestyles to relationship dramas, reality TV has taken over a strong space today. But the prompt is asking: "Should reality TV shows be banned?" Especially those that focus heavily on beauty, wealth, and relationships that are far from realistic for the average person, and are easily accessible to kids and teenagers.

To be honest, I have never really been a fan of reality TV shows. I rarely watch them, and I don’t follow up on them either. I mean, I just never saw the importance. I always wondered what made them so special or why people were so invested in them. The idea of watching people live their lives on screen, supposedly unscripted, never fully appealed to me because I often felt there was more to it than what we were being shown.

Reality shows are meant to portray real-life situations, real people, and real emotions. At least, that is what the name suggests. They are to reflect everyday experiences in a way people can relate to. But in practice and from the few I've seen, that rarely happens. Over time, it has become clear that many reality shows are heavily influenced by a lot of "behind-the-scenes" manipulation, a packaged version of “Reality”.

Even cooking shows, which are often classified as reality shows, are not as real as they appear as I have watched a few cooking shows. While they can be very educational and entertaining, it is obvious that a lot happens behind the scenes. From pre-prepared ingredients to time shortcuts and editing tricks, the final product doesn’t fully represent how things work in real-life kitchens.

When it comes to reality shows focused on fashion, beauty, wealth, and relationships, I personally believe they are a major causing factor to the problems we see in our society today. Wealth is portrayed as effortless, beauty as flawless, and relationships as games rather than meaningful partnerships. For young people who are still trying to figure out life, this can create unhealthy expectations and pressure.

If the truth cannot be said on these shows, then I honestly do not see the need for them. It's why I strongly feel that many of these shows should not even be called “reality” shows if they must continue to exist. There is almost nothing real about them, the name is misleading. When something is labeled as reality, people expect honesty, relatability, and authenticity. But what we get instead is a performance, shaped by cameras, producers, and what the public expects.

Honestly, I see reality shows more as movies than actual real-life experiences. Movies also reflect real-life actions, emotions, and situations, but they do so in fictional ways. We know movies are scripted, acted, and edited for storytelling purposes. With reality TV, the difference is often unclear, but the end result feels the same. The only difference is that reality shows claim to be real, while movies don’t pretend to be anything.

But I think it would be unfair to completely dismiss the impact these shows have had on some people. Even though reality shows have lost much it's real purpse, there are individuals who have shaped parts of their lives through them. Some people have found confidence, inspiration, career paths, or even awareness through certain shows. We can not ignored that.

So instead of scrapping reality TV entirely, I think the better solution is to take them back to the drawing board (promote reality). If these shows must exist, then they should strive to be more realistic, responsible, and honest. Conclusively, the issue is not just whether reality TV shows should be banned, but whether they should continue in their current form (being unrealistic).

_{Images used are AI generated.}

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