Reality TV
Reality television shows are often no realer than scripted television shows. In fact, reality television shows often portray similar situations as soap operas, such as people stabbing each other in the back or bickering incessantly. However, people bickering and betraying one another does reflect reality. When placed in a competitive environment, and especially with a large sum of money at stake, most people would look out for themselves and not care about the other contestants unless caring was to their benefit. Contestants who did become sentimental would be likely to either lose or their kindness not included in the final edit of the show because conflict makes for better drama than harmony and peace.
On the other hand, reality television shows depict the worst in human nature and rarely the best. Built on a model of intensive competition, the shows encourage egotism and individualism. Even when participants work on teams, they don't demonstrate cooperation or collaboration because in the end only one person will win the big money. Therefore, betrayal is usually inevitable.
Some shows are more palatable than others. The contest shows such as "America's Top Model," or "American Idol" are in general less about interpersonal problems and more about the competition. However, shows like "Nanny 911" or the various wife-swapping shows depict so much screaming and shouting that they fail to be enjoyable to watch. "Survivor" and "The Amazing Race" include a lot of bickering and most likely the editors of those shows do not include scores of footage of the participants getting along because those scenes would be boring and the networks would lose viewers. Some of the situations reality television shows depict are realistic in the sense that everyone argues and occasionally harbors ill will against others, especially in competitive situations. On the other hand, the shows fail to reveal positive aspects of human nature that are equally as realistic. By focusing on negativity, reality shows sometimes send dangerous messages about social norms and behaviors and have the potential to transform our culture into an even more hostile world than it already is.
