Argument Against Reality Television Essay -- Persuasive Essays, Argum

What pleasure do you get from watching a group of people humiliate themselves in the name of television? Media both in the UK and around the world seem to have "discovered" that so-called "reality" shows are very profitable, resulting in a growing string of such shows in recent years. Although not all are successful, many do achieve significant popularity and cultural prominence. That does not mean, however, that they are good for society or that they should be aired. Can you honestly say, that after absorbing the reality rubbish, you have learned something? Educational, stimulating, witty, are all adjectives you would not associate with reality television. Reality T.V is a case of vegetating in front of the screen and glazing gormlessly at a group of half-hearted celebrities as they involve themselves inà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ a deep philosophical conversation. Not only does Reality Television reflect appallingly on our media culture, but it corrupts the mind of youngsters, giving them twisted views on society. What person are you becoming if you are sitting there daydreaming about who is going to be "evicted" from Big Brother? Well, you're the one the needs a snap back to realityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ One of the attractions of reality television is the supposed "reality" of it - unscripted and unplanned situations and reactions. One of the ethical problems of reality television is the fact that it isn't nearly as "real" as it pretends to be. At least in dramatic shows one can expect the audience to understand that what they see on the screen doesn't necessarily reflect the reality of the actors' lives; the same, however, cannot be said for heavily edited and con... ...tem from the increasing separation we experience from others around us. The more distant we are from each other as individuals, the more readily we can objectify each other and fail to experience sympathy and empathy when others around us suffer. The fact that we are witnessing events not in front of us but rather on television, where everything is has an unreal and fictional air about it, probably aids in this process as well. I'm not saying that you should never watch reality TV programming, but the motivations behind being a viewer are ethically suspect. Instead of passively accepting whatever media companies try to feed you, it would be better to take some time to reflect on why such programming is made and why you feel attracted to it. Perhaps you will find that your motivations themselves are not so attractive.