Reality TV is extremely popular among the millennial generation (about 1981-1998). Exposing the “real” lives of people has been embraced by almost every television network.

Reality TV has expanded from showing outrageous behavior to cooking and real estate. As reality TV creeps into every corner of life, many are oblivious to the effects it has on viewers.

“I like reality TV, since it is not planned, it is so funny,” senior Hannah Bergh said.
Many share Bergh’s opinion. However, the truth is that most reality shows are planned and sometimes just as scripted as a drama series.

The producers behind reality TV shows put a lot more thinking into the dynamics than what meets the eye.
It recently hit the media that the popular HGTV show House Hunters, where clients choose one house among two others with a real estate agent, is pure fiction.

Bobbi Jensen, who appeared on a 2006 episode of House Hunters, wrote on her blog about how different the reality of the house hunting situation is than what is portrayed on the camera.

“The [houses] we looked at weren’t even for sale,” Jenson said. “Then [the home buyers] pretend to deliberate…and choose the house that they already chose from the beginning.”

The experience Jensen had is a common practice among many reality TV shows.
Many viewers don’t realize that reality shows are, “heavily formatted, where events are planned before shooting,” David Rupel of Writers Guild of America said.

But when does deceiving viewers really become harmful?
According to Psychology Today, “the more time people spend ‘living’ in the television world, the more likely they are to believe in the social reality presented on television.”

“Reality TV can have a negative influence because it sometimes shows people acting out and getting rewarded for it,” sophomore Ana Thompson said.

Although some shows promote bad behavior, others have influenced a change for the better.
The MTV show 16 and Pregnant created much buzz on social media and effectively spread the word about birth control and contraception among teenagers. Researchers from the National Bureau of Economic research found, “a 5.7 percent reduction in teen births in the 18 months following [the show’s] introduction.”

When taken light-heartedly, reality TV can be an outlet for entertainment. Many students and teachers at Orono enjoy watching reality TV.

“I love watching the Kardashians. It is mindless entertainment and helps me space out after a long day,” math teacher Michelle Magy said.

“I always wanted to be a dancer, and I love watching the drama,” Thompson said about the popular reality TV drama, Dance Moms.

“Real Housewives of Orange County is ridiculous…it is hilarious to watch,” junior Annika Sherek said.
As reality TV adapts to every type of television, viewers need to be conscious that what they are viewing is not actually reality.
Viewing it as reality can create false perceptions, which can be harmful.