Reality television why do we watch it

Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Good Subscriber Account active since Shortcuts. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. It often indicates a user profile. Log out. US Markets Loading H M S In the news. Science Contributors. The investigative paper presents findings that prove people who score higher on a voyeurism scale are more likely to prefer watching reality TV.

Others have posited that the desire to watch reality TV stems from fantasies about easily acquiring fame. Lemi Baruh, a Turkish psychologist, published a paper in stating that voyeurism and social comparison tendency were positively correlated with the preference to watching reality TV.

However, like most studies, more work always needs to be done, so Baruh dug deeper and recruited over U. The respondents were then asked to rate the frequency of which they watched each television program, both reality and fictional, out of a list of 28 options. What Baruh found was after controlling for demographics, voyeuristic tendencies alone are strongly correlated with the consumption of reality TV and that social comparison tendencies are no longer related. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances.

When commenting, be considerate and respectful of writers and fellow commenters. Try to stay on topic. When people turn on their televisions at home or they are watching television somewhere else, they will possibly find a reality show somewhere. Reality television shows have been on television for numerous years and are changing. Although reality television is wildly entertaining and popular, many young teens and adults look up to their favorite reality show actors and their lavish lifestyles and overdramatic antics.

People who watch reality television regularly have different expectations and views on how the world actually works and feel differently about themselves. People follow their favorite reality show stars and it makes them want to change and leaving the rest of us wondering what reality actually is. Every day, millions of people turn on their televisions to indulge in a wide variety of shows, the most popular choice being some form of reality television.

This catch-all genre is somewhere between information and entertainment and contains all types of programming involving everyday individuals. Some debate that this type of programming is senseless and debased, where others view it as amusing as well as enlightening.

Regardless of which side a person may agree with, there is still one undeniable fact: reality television is here to stay. The target audience, the cost of production, and the ability to give the viewer an outlet are three main reasons why this is possible.

The world is changing in many different ways and people are influenced by many different situations. Teenagers are however, easily influenced by the good, the bad, and the reality. The genre is appealing to viewers because it provides them with a first-hand look into the lives of everyday people, which allows them to observe social behavior that helps them determine what is appropriate or not Tyree, , p.

Since the majority of modern reality stars start out as unknowns, frequent viewers of reality programming believed that fame is obtainable if they appear on a popular show Mendible, References Bell-Jordan, K. Black, white and a survivor of the real world: Constructions of race on reality tv.

Remember when you were a child and you enjoyed playing house? Ultimately, though, each expert agrees that reality TV provides a glossy, fun escape from our everyday lives.

We get to see lavish lifestyles, outrageous arguments, and never-ending drama. And should we be concerned about the voyeuristic undercurrent involved in spending hours vested in the lives of strangers? Absolutely not, according to Dr. The questions she says to ask if you're concerned are as follows: "Are you obsessing about the people you watch to the point of knowing everything about them and trying to find them in real life? Are you neglecting work, your friends, your family, your real life to tweet these celebrities or send them messages on Instagram?

Are your real relationships impacted by your level of fandom? The bottom line, according to Dr.