OVERVIEW

Television is a daily staple in the diet of today’s youth, and as reality TV grows in popularity, “MTV has given the green light to six new reality series set to bow in the next two months…We’re going after a new generation of MTV viewers, network resident Van Toffler said.”

Reality TV shows offer viewers the chance to watch people in a “real-life” setting. It gives the viewer a first person look at the normal life of the people on the show. This type of programming attempts to cause viewers to identify more closely with the main “actors” or “actresses” in the series.

These television shows also tend to give a false impression of what reality is. Shows like “Survivor” or “The Great Race” stake their claim as being reality-based, and yet the entire premise of these shows is a false reality. Though they can be exciting and fun, they can be very misleading in their representation of reality. One program, “Taildaters,” will offer its viewers the opportunity to follow a couple around town on a live date, while friends will keep a “performance scorecard” and offer advice to the couple mid-date.

A second, “Virgin Chronicles,” will give MTV fans a chance to hear all the firsts of their favorite bands: “first kiss, first car, first gig, etc.” Yet another show, title currently unmentioned, will be a real life experience of what it is like to live in a college sorority house.

With MTV viewing increasing by 11 percent last year, its ratings are the highest they have been in the network’s 21-year history, and are currently reaching an audience of over 3.1 million viewers per episode.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. What television shows are currently airing that attract kids’ attention? What is it about them that they like?
2. Do reality TV shows give kids a true look at reality? What kind of reality do they present?
3. How are these shows affecting the current morals and views of your kids? How are they affecting you?

IMPLICATIONS

• Reality TV offers young people a picture of what our media driven society believes reality to be. TV goes places that are exciting and often out of the ordinary in the name of reality, therefore distorting youths’ view of what true reality is.
• As young people perceive TV “stars” to be normal people, they may start to expect that their life should measure up with what is on TV. This may lead to disappointment and possibly depression over the current state of their life.
• Because the media make light of youthful experiences such as dating, or the first kiss, or dorm life, young people will begin to remove the seriousness and sacredness of each of these as the shows get a deeper hold in their life.
• A positive note is that kids may begin to make heroes out of these “normal” people that they watch each week, which in turn could encourage them to recognize the normal heroes in their own life.

Troy Schneringer cCYS