Reality Television and Children
Katherine Martinez
ENG 122
Prof. Marnie Nollette
September 13, 2010
Reality Television and Children
Have you channel surfed lately? It is obvious that there are an increasing number of reality television programs being aired today, 13% of broadcast programming to be exact (Rankin, 2010). It is evident that television influences the lives and behaviors of those who are immature and weak-minded, children being a big part of that group. It is not a secret that reality television poses a big influence in children because of the tendency they have to imitate behaviors they see in their everyday lives. When we analyze the values portrayed on reality programs, it is crucial to take into consideration the messages children take away from the so called television personalities. Let us explore the effects of reality television and how a negative impact can be shaped on these young viewers’ lives and behaviors, more specifically, pre-teenagers and teenagers. Furthermore, let us discuss the impact entertainment reality programs have on children because of their belief that their own behavior should mirror the behavior of those individuals on these types of shows.
With the number of television networks looking for the best way to capture an audience to generate revenue and ratings, it is safe to say that the production of reality television shows will continue to increase. We can all agree that there are many types of reality television programs today, which vary from format to format. There are the competition shows that reward the winner with a prize, the matchmaking shows that provide the contestant with a group of eligible singles to allegedly pick a finalist to fall in love with and the makeover shows that make a less than attractive individual evolved into a very attractive person, just to mention a few. However, I want to focus our attention on the type of reality television programs that tape their members around the...