...Reality Television: Is it Helpful to Our Youth? Through decades of television, there has been a drastic change in the content shown on air. In past generations, family oriented television shows were expected to be shown around the clock. Shows that contained explicit content were not an option to be shown on television, but today there is not much of a filter that will not be shown on television. There are things shown on late night specials on cartoon channels that are not appropriate for anyone, let alone young children. Television programs have given children a false sense of what is expected in the real world and delays their chance to mature at a normal rate. Television stars are not helping to shape young minds, but instead they are making it difficult for children to learn what is right from what is wrong. This generation has a different view of what television should include, there should not be a limit on major issues; for example violence, sexuality, profanity, and drugs and alcohol. In past generations, those subjects were forbidden and were rarely even spoken about in the closest of friends groups. Now it is expected for it to be broadcast on television, in movies, and to be causally discussed in any scenario. Television and the media have given our generation the reigns to take control of what they think is inappropriate or appropriate. This now gives them the opportunity to talk about almost anything that could be thought of, there are no more filters...
Words: 1412 - Pages: 6
...Reality Television Affecting Body Image Media of today has swallowed lives of the youth as it constantly portrays an image of perfection in which they must live up to. Individuals have seen through reality television and other sources what is categorized as this image. This is shown psychologically as it is not directly stated but represented. The Hills and The Real World, two MTV reality television shows, are provoking public interest showing these wrong images influencing the youth. This is changing the youth, as they are slowly becoming more and more degraded as the generations’ progress. Our next generation is constantly fighting a battle against reality television shows and their overall visual portraying what teens of today must live up to. Due to these programs today, the youth of today are constantly competing with “unrealistic self-expectations to be perfect; not just physical appearance, but more importantly, overall peer ranking” (dailytitan). Shows like The Real World and The Hills, both MTV programs, “sensationalize the physical attractiveness, sexual promiscuity, drug and alcohol abuse, co-dependent relationships and other negative connotations as to what is the norm” (dailytitan). For example, a young teen of today, could watch Real World or The Hills and see perfect body images, generating insecurity within them, leading to vulnerability around “popular kids” who induce self-doubting. This changes the teens overall impression of perfection. Magazines of...
Words: 1851 - Pages: 8
...Reality Shows In china In China, the reality talent television show Super Girl not only was an unprecedented hit in television history of the country and an economic miracle in the entertainment industry In 2005 up to 400 million viewers, nearly a third of the population of China sat to watch the grand finale of The Chinese version of American Idol Supergirl Idol. The winner Li Yuchan was chosen via text messages receiving 3.5 million votes. This was seen as a ground breaking moment in both the economic and cultural sectors of Chinese society. Reality TV can be defined as shows that film and follow ordinary people in artificial situations. They could either be at work or in a competition show. Reality shows only came to China in recent years but have since made its impact. With TV programs such as Super Girl and Boy, Dreams in China, Blind Dating shows, each one has attracted thousands of people to participate. Reality shows in China have generated a lot of revenue for not only companies but for the state. Reality TV is one of the fastest growing sectors. One example was Shanghai-based Dragon TV's four popular reality-style programmes, said to have a combined value of about $500m. These programmes had generated a further $1bn for other businesses in Shanghai, in a chain of value-adding that extended from the producer to advertising agents, telecom operators, mobile phone message service providers, entertainment industry design companies and broadband websites. Supergirl Idol...
Words: 2448 - Pages: 10
...Media’s Affect on Youths Youths today are constantly watching television shows. Some spend the majority of their free time sitting down on the couch and watching reality sitcoms such as “Jersey Shore” or “Big Brother”. This impacts today’s young greatly by teaching them negative behavior and language, making them insecure about their physical appearance and making sexuality more essential. Reality sitcoms have a greater impact on today’s youths then we would like to believe. The negative language and behavior of youths is mostly being learned from these reality shows. Six major professional societies in the United States- the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Psychiatric Association-… concluded [in 2000] that “the data point overwhelmingly to a casual connection between media violence and aggressive behavior in some children” (Anderson, Craig and Bushman, Brad 11-12). This comes from the fact that male and female equality has gotten much worse; most women are being viewed as something they are not when they are referred to as “bitches” or “sluts”. When this sort of name calling escalates it can lead to greater things such as a verbal or even physical fight, “Recent large-scale longitudinal studies provide converging evidence linking frequent exposure to violent media in childhood with...
Words: 583 - Pages: 3
...How is Reality TV Shows Influence Us? Reality TV shows have been capturing people’s attention since the late 20th century, it refers to television programs in which ordinary people are continuously filmed, designed to be entertaining rather than informative. (Oxford) reality shows getting more and more popular because of people get to experience things that they cannot or have not experienced in their lives, they also try to figure out what they would do in the situations that the characters are in.( Robert reid) Those shows have both positive and negative impact on viewers. People found that reality TV show are inspiring, encouraging and entertaining; on the other hand, it also generate some negative effects that they may not notice while they are watching, such as misleading, promoting immoral behavior and produce unreal expectation. These entertainments are more harmful than people expected. Reality TV shows inspire viewers, for example, “The Apprentice”. It is a reality game show hosted by Donald Trump, a winner will receive a prize of a one-year, and twenty-five hundred thousand dollars starting contract to run one of Trump’s companies. The show plays a role in emphasizing resources for self-help and self0empowerment. Through the show, viewers may learn skills or thoughts that will benefit them in the real world problem. In addition, Reality shows encouraging people to chase their dreams. There are a lot of talented people that is not yet be discovered, shows like “American...
Words: 1017 - Pages: 5
...When discussing reality television there is much debate over whether or not it has a positive or negative impact on society. Currently there are so many different types of reality television programming, that it is hard to determine which side to be on. Some reality programming has merit and it is understandable why it would be broadcasted, but other reality programming just produces garbage that should not be on television or even put on the internet for that matter. There is a major difference between the two though. Good reality TV should be able to keep broadcasting, but shows that are produced on MTV, VH1, and other networks should be banned from television because it promotes stereotypes in relation to race, gender, and ethnicity. In today’s infinitely expanding world of technology it is becoming easier and easier to influence the minds of viewers with TV, therefore reality TV poses a dangerous threat to society and the way are thoughts are molded. However not all reality TV is bad and should not be punished for the programming that is damaging our society’s future by changing our views and thoughts. When talking about reality TV that has a bad influence and is dangerous to society the first thing that should put into someone’s mind is any programming that is on MTV. MTV produces mind altering and numbing shoes that create stereotypes for gender, race, and class. There biggest success and the most dangerous show of all is their most popular show the “Jersey Shore”...
Words: 928 - Pages: 4
...values people accept. Media is all around us, from the shows on television to the books we read each day. However even with its perks, it has both positive and negative effects. Some people wonder if the negative effects dominate the positive effects. One might say it causes violent and harmful behaviour on our youth as many studies have attempted to show this link. Another might say, it leads to desensitization due to its gruesome effects on the teen brain. Some people are concerned with the negative connotations that media has, as they believe it might negatively shape one's perception of the world. Media violence can have disastrous effects on teens as this type of interaction can cause harmful behaviour, desensitize teens from other violent stimuli and lead them to perceive the world more negatively. The majority of youth retaining any form of violent stimuli via media can result in harmful behaviour shown and/or cultured in many forms. Many studies have proven that interaction with violent stimuli, especially in youth, can result in aggressive behaviour. Virginia Tech Research Division showed some students a number of non-violent movies preceded by an extremely violent one. The end result was an increase in the number of hostile behaviour among those who were exposed to the violent stimuli . This showcased that even with the majority of exposure being non-violent, the one that exhibited violence had a major impact as those students might have imitated that behaviour or...
Words: 1371 - Pages: 6
...one generation to the other (the cultural transmission function). The focus of the researcher in this study is not only on the entertainment function of the media, but the role the entertainment media especially television, plays in shaping social behaviour among teenagers in the society. Stephenson (1967) a British psychologist, as cited in Folarin (2005, p.170), divides man’s activities into work and play. The former involving reality and production, while the latter deals with entertainment, relaxation or self satisfaction. He further says that people use mass communication more as play than as work, more for pleasure and entertainment than for information and serious work. Folarin (ibid) corroborates this view by saying that one constant criticism of television in Nigeria is its focus on entertainment rather than on development purposes. There is no doubt that the impact of the media on young people’s lives is broadly considered within what is referred to as “media effects” debate which to a great extent focuses on the potentially negative impact of the media on young people’s lives: video violence, gambling, educational performance, mass consumerism, etc (Miles, 2000). Steele & Brown (1995) identifies three main reasons why media influence should be given a closer look: 1. Young people spend more time with the...
Words: 17153 - Pages: 69
...Your Name Instructor’s Name Course Name Date of Submission POLITICAL SATIRE Thesis Statement Political satire does in various ways alter the political history as it strengthens and accompanies political accomplishments. Political satire aims to inform individuals about matters pertaining to the general public as well as issues interconnected to government and politics, in a lighter but educational manner. It not only acts as a curative means to entertain citizens but also has a substantial effect on the political scene of a country. Based on this, “Political satire in the 21st century has a higher impact on the public opinion than a revealing newspaper article through creating humor and simplicity." Introduction The use of satire to express thoughts, themes, and opinions has been in existence since the early ages. It was written by an old Irish bard in an effort to put his solemn contempt upon the intended target. Mostly, satire targeted leaders, their styles of leadership, ideas and actions. The satire on the king, especially during the Irish king’s regime, was liable to result in his dethronement or even death. Political satire has been used in the past periods and continues to be used to criticize the political scenes in a humorous way. The use of satire over centuries as a literary tool has made it possible for essential thoughts, themes, and ideas to be passed across and expose the malfunctions and flaws in the society in a humorous manner. Over...
Words: 3053 - Pages: 13
...How TV Affects Your Child Most kids plug into the world of television long before they enter school. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF): * two-thirds of infants and toddlers watch a screen an average of 2 hours a day * kids under age 6 watch an average of about 2 hours of screen media a day, primarily TV and videos or DVDs * kids and teens 8 to 18 years spend nearly 4 hours a day in front of a TV screen and almost 2 additional hours on the computer (outside of schoolwork) and playing video games The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that kids under 2 years old not watch any TV and that those older than 2 watch no more than 1 to 2 hours a day of quality programming. The first 2 years of life are considered a critical time for brain development. TV and other electronic media can get in the way of exploring, playing, and interacting with parents and others, which encourages learning and healthy physical and social development. As kids get older, too much screen time can interfere with activities such as being physically active, reading, doing homework, playing with friends, and spending time with family. Of course, TV in moderation can be a good thing: Preschoolers can get help learning the alphabet on public television, grade schoolers can learn about wildlife on nature shows, and parents can keep up with current events on the evening news. No doubt about it — TV can be an excellent educator and entertainer. Still, too much TV can...
Words: 3994 - Pages: 16
...The Influence of Violent Media on Teen Violence Back to over two thousand years ago, Socrates once wrote: “Our youth now love luxury, they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders, and love to chatter in place of exercise.” Truly teenage rebellion has been around for a long time. Teenage is one of the most dynamic period in our life. People change the most while they are teens, both physically and emotionally. Unlike adults, teenagers may not be aware the consequence of their rebellious acts. When it comes to extreme act of rebellion it becomes violence. Teen violence comes in many forms and vary degrees. For example, verbal abuse, bully, physical fight, gang violence, and assault with or without weapons are the most common violent behavior among teenagers. Teen violence is a growing concern in our society. People often hear teenagers bullying, teenagers involved in violent crimes on the news. According to Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance, about 20% of high school students report being bullied on school property in the U.S. in 2009 (8). One third of students had been in a physical fight in the last twelve months (6). For many teenagers, violence is a way to release anger and express freedom. All parents want their teens away from violent behavior. Before we can find solutions for the youths, we need to figure out why is teen violence happening? What makes teenagers turn to violence? There’re always have different and more than one reason that...
Words: 1171 - Pages: 5
...begun to heavily impact American morale causing panic and fear to spread across the country. The upsurge of shootings in public places has captured media coverage and is generating the perception that public shootings are an irreversible consequence of freedom. However, how can America idly sit by and not enact drastic measures to battle against these atrocious actions? What is the true cause and purpose behind the enactment of violence through gunplay in a school atmosphere? These questions must be resolved in order to prevent unfortunate events such as the Red Lake...
Words: 840 - Pages: 4
...Spring 2003 TV Violence Since the advent of television, the effect of TV violence on society has been widely studied and vigorously debated. Based on the cumulative evidence of studies conducted over several decades, the scientific and public health communities overwhelmingly conclude that viewing violence poses a harmful risk to children. Critics of the research challenge this conclusion and dispute claims that exposure to TV violence leads to real-life aggression. As we move into the digital era with enhanced images and sound, media violence will undoubtedly continue to be a focus of public concern and scientific research. Prevalence of Violence on TV The National Television Violence Study is the largest content analysis undertaken to date. It analyzed programming over three consecutive TV seasons from 1994 to 1997.1 Among the findings: • Nearly 2 out of 3 TV programs contained some violence,2 averaging about 6 violent acts per hour.3 • Fewer than 5% of these programs featured an anti-violence theme or prosocial message emphasizing alternatives to or consequences of violence.4 • Violence was found to be more prevalent in children’s programming (69%) than in other types of programming (57%). In a typical hour of programming, children’s shows featured more than twice as many violent incidents (14) than other types of programming (6).5 • The average child who watches 2 hours of cartoons a day may see nearly 10,000 violent incidents each year, of which the researchers estimate...
Words: 3396 - Pages: 14
...showed wasn't at all what I expected, I expected to see all major crimes take place one after another and grueling shootouts the whole movie but they showed his kind and calm side and it actually turned out to be a great movie. Another example of crime and the movies but on the other side of the law would be any of the “X-Men” series. These people may be mutants but most of them use their gifts for good rather than break the law. A classic example would be “Robin Hood”, he broke the law only to help those in need. (rottentomatoes.com) There are other examples where crime and the movies coexist on both sides of the law, whether it would be cheering for the good guy or cringing when a killer kills their victim, movies cannot show you the whole story and cannot show you the real justice system. During my research I came across this essay called “Does Movie Violence Increase Violent Crime?” (Dahl & DellaVigna, 2006) an excerpt from the essay caught my attention because I believe it is true. That excerpt says: “Warnings about media violence are largely based on the psychological research. As Anderson and Buschman (2001) summarize it, “Five decades of research into the effects of exposure to violent television and movies have produced thoroughly documented research findings. It is now known that even brief exposure to...
Words: 2974 - Pages: 12
...Daniel Holland April 13, 2014 Why We Love TV’s Anti-Heroes Is it possible today’s generation gradually evolved into an era in which selfishness and evil overpowers good? Over the past years society perceives the idea of a hero differently than it was perceived in the 21st century, nevertheless impacts our society hugely. It is no surprise why youth of today enjoy T.V. shows that are driven by torture, killing, drugs and drama. In fact these are among the T.V. shows with higher ratings. Hero is characterized as a person of good character who performs beneficial acts towards a community and influence an individual self-concept in a good manner. Today, the new hero is the anti-hero and his morally reprehensible conduct is excused by a good cause turning evil into good and at many times it is praised. In “Why We Love TV’s Anti-Heroes” Stephen Garrett describes this world as one with a strong desire and acceptance for anti-heroes. Garret uses ethos appeal by appealing to society’s moral and values. Garret states, “The moral compass is spinning on his axis” (320). Garret believes the audiences easily sympathize and identify with these despicable TV personalities because they reflect society’s own moral ambiguity. As a result it reflects the actions and behavior in today’s culture. Anti-heroes of today are embraced by society because they are more relatable to today’s cultural morality because being extremely good feels unattainable, therefore this culture opts for the middle...
Words: 1390 - Pages: 6
