We live in a world full of reality TV shows, and a major example of a reality show pioneer is MTV, which used to only be for music videos. However, they've transformed into a channel that primarily shows reality shows. So I pose this question: Are these shows making us stupid?
As someone who wants to work on reality TV in the future, and also as a member of an online forum dedicated to reality, I want to say no. I’m a junior in college and make pretty decent grades. I’ve been watching reality TV since "Real World: New Orleans" premiered in 2010. But I’m not stupid, in my opinion.
The shows generally focus on who can make the most drama. Take "Real World," for example. There have been plenty of cast members season to season that didn’t threaten someone enough or hook up enough, so they’re seen as “wallpaper” to viewers. These people could be the smartest person on the season and have so much going for them, but viewers don’t care. If you aren’t hitting someone or kissing someone, you’re nothing in the world of reality TV.
So what does that say about us as viewers? Someone who solely watches reality TV might try to emulate characters. I went through a phase where I wanted to dress JUST like Snooki and J-Woww from "Jersey Shore." With that show especially, I found that a lot of people I know wanted to go to the shore and just get drunk all summer just like the cast, and that probably came from watching them for an hour every week.
I belong to an online forum where we mostly talk about reality TV. We are all viewers of the same shows, mainly "Real World," "The Challenge," "Survivor", and "Big Brother." Three out of four of these are game shows, but still it is reality TV where drama is the main focus.
I talk frequently to the other members, and I wouldn’t say they’re dumb. A lot of them are in school or have real jobs, and a lot of them have been watching reality TV for a long time. I talked to them as I wrote this, and they all said that they have “not lost any brain cells watching reality TV,” and one even said she learns from it. I have to say, I agree with them (thanks for the input, fellow reality TV junkies).
In my opinion, reality TV is making us SMARTER. When I started watching, I was about 14 in high school, living a pretty sheltered life. MTV’s shows opened my eyes to people from other places. I didn’t know how other people lived, as most people where I'm from have the same sort of lives.
And then you also see people who you don’t want to be. Many reality shows focus on their cast members getting arrested for really stupid reasons. For example, for those that have watched "Jersey Shore" will remember Snooki’s “WHERE’S THE BEACH?!” scene on season 3. I think the shows can give you a good idea of what NOT to do, as well as open your eyes up to things you might not have known about before.
All in all, I think reality TV is a good thing. When I’m bored with my own life or my drama is too much for me, I turn to reality TV and watch someone else’s drama instead. It’s a guilty pleasure of mine. Maybe some things have made me dumber (my clothes, for example: Why would I want to dress like J-Woww?) but some things have educated me!
