With the growing popularity of this genre of television, there comes an increase of debate about whether these television shows are harming or benefiting the youth. There is an ample amount of controversy because how the youth is affected will affect the future of society, so whether these shows should be supported or removed is a topic of discussion in recent times. Supporters of reality television believe that this genre is actually providing the youth with valuable lessons. They argue that reality television allows for an increase of family time and traditions, can teach children from the perseverance and passion of contestants on reality television shows, and expose children to a variety of cultures and perspectives.
Greg Asimakoupoulos is a reverend and director of creative communications for the Chapel Ministries. From personal experience, he believes that reality television allows for more family time and can help nurture family traditions. In his article, Reality TV Shows Can Have Moral Value, he discusses his personal story regarding reality television. He writes, “Gathering around the TV as a family became a Wednesday night ritual at our house. We arranged our hectic schedules around it.” He even goes further in discussing their family tradition by describing how on the last episode of each season, they would decorate their living room depending on the show and every family member would dress up in attire to correlate with the show. This love of a show allowed for their family to spend more time together enjoying something they all had a common interest in. He writes, “As a result, we prioritized the experience. It became a ritual. The shared ritual caused us to place increased value in each other.” Reality television provided Asimakoupoulos’ family with a tradition that has grown their family bond and given his children value in my family time.
Supporters of reality television also argue that these shows allow for children to learn from the contestants. Asimakoupoulous discusses how he utilized the reality show, Survivor, as a way to teach his children lessons from others’ errors. He writes, “We discovered that in each person on the island, we could see a reflection of our imperfect selves. We could see the ways we try to manipulate each other to get our own way, the ways we scheme to undermine other family members, the ways our words can hurt people we love.” He utilized the show to allow his family to discuss the prevails and fails of human nature. The children, captivated from the show, learned these valuable lessons from watching the show with family.
Another example of a reality television show that features contestants that have life lessons to offer children is Top Chef. During one episode in specific, “Enter the Fire Cave”, the contestants were thrown a curve ball of not being permitted to utilize any kitchen utensil other than one knife. Contestants immediately got to work and due to their perseverance, they were able to come up with innovative ways to execute their dishes on time. This episode teaches viewers, specifically young viewers, that with perseverance and passion, their goals can be achieved.
Another supporter of reality television, writer for TV Guide Sadie Gennis, discusses how this genre can teach valuable lessons from learning based on the mistakes of others. One show in particular is Catfish, an MTV reality television show. Due to this show, she personally learned an ample amount about cyber-safety and the precautions that should be taken. By displaying the realities of cat fishing, she was able to become “well-versed in the tell-tale warning signs.” This further demonstrates the benefit of reality shows providing knowledge for children by watching the mistakes of others.
Lastly, reality television can expose children to a variety of cultures and perspectives. Gennis describes how shows like Shahs of Sunset, Princesses: Long Island, and Duck Dynasty help expand her knowledge of different cultures and perspectives. She writes, “Reality shows can also serve to debunk cultural stereotypes.” By allowing children to watch these programs, they can then have a more worldly perspective by watching how other cultures and ethnicities live. It allows them a more wholistic and aware view of the world that will only help both them and society throughout life.
Reality television has become a controversial topic within the last few years due to its growing popularity. The largest demographic of viewers is children and young adults. These shows have been under speculation because of how it affects children. Proponents of this genre of television argue that these shows help nurture a family dynamic, teach children by learning from the mistakes of others, and exposes them to a variety of cultures.
Reality Television in 2017 