I must admit there are some reality shows that I think are beneficial where they help everyday people to live out their dreams, such as The Biggest Loser where individuals who severely overweight or obese compete to lose weight and get in shape. Another good example is American Idol, where thousands of singers audition and compete for money and a recording contract. Even those who don’t win still get a piece of the fame and fortune, and a selected few are offered other opportunities to become a superstar. In the past decade or so, the concept of reality shows has revealed that viewers prefer realism instead of fiction. Because reality TV is so popular, lots of people either want to take part in them or copy or imitate what they see on television.
“Though often studied within popular culture, television has been transformed by and has touched nearly every aspect of American life and institutions” (Katzman pg. 5). It is debatable that people might shape views as individuals with the number of issues that occur in our media. For instance, television shows can have an incredible effect on youth with fashionable clothes, makeup, cars. The American youth follow their favorite television shows, actors, and actresses.
The mass media aims and is successful in getting a brand in front of a child’s face 24-7, whether it be through brand licensing, product placement, viral marketing internet, videogames or many other ways. The film discusses the mentality of “cradle to grave brand loyalty” – they are essentially owning children for life. The marketers hold the strings and these influential children are just puppets in which they exploit and tap into their emotions and intuitions in order to establish an emotional connection to the product they are selling in order to make money. They do this in a number of ways which are pretty deceptive, such as product placement that subliminally plants messages in kids brain without them paying attention. The reality is that there are no media boundaries for these children – they face marketing and advertising everywhere, and even in their schools!
For some reason the bickering and fighting on these shows tends to attract a large audience. The drama seems to excite people who just happen to have little to no excitement in their own lives. Reality TV has become a way for people to escape they’re uninteresting lives into the lives of people with more day-to-day action. Reality shows can serve many adequate purposes for both the participants and the viewers. People can actually learn a lot from these shows.
Reality TV has had high rating since the beginning because of the entertainment it provides for all viewers. Numerous people compare their lives to the ones on reality TV, because many wish to be them or many just choose to judge their way of living since it is on aired nationwide. In “The ‘normal’ Narcissism of Reality TV” by Jean M. Twenge she explain how narcissism shown in reality TV affects the younger generation’s view of the world, by making narcissism seem normal. Narcissistic people on reality TV have affected the younger generation and the obsession they have of themselves. Twenge states, “To many older people, it’s funny.
Steroid Use in Professional Sports Effect on Young Athletes Do you ever wonder how many children grow up closely watching and idolizing their favorite sports superstars? I know as a child, everyone in my age group wanted to be like Michael Jordan or Bo Jackson. I often wonder if these superstars have any idea of the impact they have on the younger generation. If a professional sports star gets caught behind the wheel driving intoxicated children might think that it is justified because of his lime-light status. Taking on a professional sports contract brings many large responsibilities that most are un-aware of.
Media is the backbone of American society today. People thrive on the drama of knowing what celebrity did what with who, or what stocks crashed this week, or even what the next act of congress might be. Every individual will have their own opinion on how important all of these topics are, but the fact still remains that without media, the large majority of people in today’s American society would be lost. One of the most common forms of media that is accessible by every American today is television. Television allows people to know what’s going on in the world, it gives people endless hours of entertainment, and it even has a certain value in advancing people’s knowledge on certain topics.
By the age of nine months an infant can be wary of strangers and frequently seek their caregiver for reassurance. Before speech develops an infant will smile and mirror behaviours to socialise, it is their way of interaction. By 18 months they will become increasingly independent, which is regularly demonstrated when they try to feed themselves. At this age they will mimic behaviours when playing and interacting with others. Between the age of 2 and 3 years a toddler enjoys routine, they will often choose to play alone doing repetitive tasks which they find stimulating.
I have seen young kids 13 years old, some in their slightly older teens walking through Target and seeing the latest season of Jersey Shore for sale. And you know what they say when they see it? Mommy/Daddy I love this show, can I please get it. These children are paying attention to this show, they enjoy it, and they are at that stage in their life where they are easily influenced. And when they spend their days watching these “stars” and their horrible habits they are getting influenced and are thinking that acting that way is cool; it isn’t.
If a concept is presented as acceptable and “cool” through the use of media then this portrayal is found reflected in the behavior and personality of these individuals. How many times has a kid viewed something in an action scene on television and then shortly after attempted to mimic this event? Nearly every adolescent in school repeatedly quotes humorous lines or phrases from a movie they have recently seen. The media has an astoundingly prodigious affect on today’s youth. Whether it is immoral physical behavior, fighting, or the use of drugs, if this action is made out to be desirable or humorous through the media many teens will seek after or take part in this detrimental action.