Reality TV

8 Pages 1884 Words

Reality television is the basic idea of taking every day people and putting them in a situation or a game where a camera follows them around and records almost every move. Reality TV plays a big part in the psychology department, especially social psychology. But let’s start with a brief history of how it all started.
A new genre was introduced to television when entrepreneur Mark Burnett stepped over a boundary that nobody had before. He developed the “unscripted” drama series Eco-Challenge which made it’s debut in 1995. This program was a video taped race where teams of contestants compete to be the first to complete a journey through a strenuous course that covers several difficult terrains. This show was a huge success as television audiences became hooked on the suspense of the competition and grew fond of the contestants. The success of Eco-Challenge led Burnett to produce reality TV’s highest rated series, Survivor. Today, more than ever, reality TV shows have been popping up everywhere. Over 71 reality TV programs have been produced, and plans are being made for the production of many more. Almost every network airs some form of reality TV show. Reality TV has been around for quite some time now, but the recent explosion of new programming and increased popularity in the shows has grabbed the attention of many people. But how has this recent craze affected our population? Has it given a false reality to people or are these programs just the same as every other TV show?

There’s a chance for anyone to be on a reality TV show. Reality TV shows are supposed to portray real life, events that would really happen and things that people would really do. People appearing on reality TV shows are willing to do many things that most people would never realistically consider doing under normal circumstances. They are willing to eat strange and horrible things, perform dangerous stunts that could be life threatenin...