Why Are Reality TV So Fascinating?

Reality shows have become a regular part of televised programming in different countries. In almost all of them they have had an overwhelming success, which diminishes with time, until another new show, with the same format, takes its place. Audiences for these types of programs number in the millions.

On many occasions, reality shows have been classified as “junk television”, especially when they show and recreate, in the crudest way, the worst of human beings.

However, this has not made a dent in the audience. Thousands upon thousands of people are still completely trapped by these programs and enjoy them with a kind of “guilty pleasure”.

Realities began to appear in the 90s, but their true peak occurred in the 21st century, simultaneously with the pre-eminence of virtual reality and the full focus on the so-called “post-truth”.

The question is: what do these programs have to captivate so many audiences and capture the attention of so many generations together?

The protagonists of reality shows

Ultimately, the reality business is “broadcasting life live” or, at least, that is what they want to believe. To achieve this you need, on the one hand, people who have no problem exposing their private life. Likewise, in front of the screen, viewers are needed who are interested in knowing the details of these private matters.

Every time a call is opened to participate in one of these programs, thousands of people attend. The lines are spread over entire streets. Those in charge of making the selections have said that all these people have a common purpose: they want to turn their lives around. They think that going to television is a golden opportunity to do so.

Although, apparently, anyone can participate in a reality show, the truth is that it is not like that. When making the selection of those who will participate, certain traits are taken into account.

The most important thing is that the participant has some characteristic, physical, psychological or cultural, that is oversized. This type of program does not need “ordinary” people.

The characteristics of the spectators

Some experts have pointed out that the viewers or followers of reality shows are basically of two types. They both have one thing in common: they are voyeurs .

This means that they like to look without being seen, especially the intimate aspects of the lives of others. However, this voyeurism is not motivated in the same way in all and that is why there are two groups.

The first group is that of the pure and tough snoopers. They want to see others exposed in their raw, as this gives them a certain sense of power. That is why they sit in front of the television and behave as judges of human behavior. They are there to tell the device how each other should behave.

The second group is the one that wants to contrast with the reality show participants. He seeks to identify with some of them and is deeply committed to their defeats and achievements.

Ultimately, they want to make their own fantasies come true in someone else’s body. What operates there is a projection mechanism. They see themselves as part of the adventure, in a foreign body.

The problematic aspects

A study published in Psychology Today points out that viewers become so immersed in these types of programs that they end up creating ties with them that closely resemble an addiction. As with drugs, reality shows cause strong discharges of endorphins and, therefore, generate a dependency that can be classified as chemical.

Likewise, reality shows often create the fantasy for viewers that they too are part of the plot. The audience can often vote to remove or save a contestant, creating an illusion of control.

However, in the end, viewers never stop being just that: viewers. They are witnesses of the lives of others, while they stop living theirs.

Hardly a reality show provides more than a time of entertainment or escape. In general, they are “bookmarked” or, at least, edited. This means that they lack that spontaneity that in theory they presume: they falsify what happens to awaken morbid appealing to the most basic motivations of the audience. In short, they are not a good alternative to spend quality free time.