Reality tv facts essay

MTV first broadcast The Real World. The first television show that was considered reality TV similar to what we know today was An American Family, which aired on PBS in 1971It was in 2002 when CBS’s blockbuster hit called Survivor finally gave reality tv a name. The first reality tv show that has aired is An American Family.

It aired in 1971 on PBS. The MTV first reality broadcast was The Real World which aired in 1992. The producers of The Real World have stated that their inspiration was An American Family. Some types of reality TV shows are more popular and accrue more ratings than fiction based or scripted television programs. By age 18, the average American child sees 200, 000 violent acts on TV By age 18, children witnesses almost 20, 000 murders on TV — most by handguns WHY WE WATCH THESE SHOWS We like to be entertained. We like excitement. We like to see handsome men and sexy women. We like to safetly experience the experiences of other people.

We like to be drawn into fantasy worlds that we will probably never be able to experience first hand Reality television is the most popular genre of television in America the type of reality show that seems to get most of America’s attention is reality dating shows. Each week millions of viewers tune in to their favorite reality dating shows to see what drama and fights occur, who has the better chance of winning, and who will be eliminated the show “ The Bachelor” came out and changed reality television history. Each week the audience got to know each contestant more and more and became more addicted to the show.

Bachelor-like spin-off shows have come out recently that give the term reality television a whole new meaning. These shows are full of fighting, craziness, drama, and sex appeal; this is what America is drawn to. For many parents, the reality TV trend is probably a bit like having your teen’s most troubling friends hanging out, cursing and smoking, in your living room — except you can’t kick them out. There are no consequences, no value judgments to temper the snotty comments, selfish rants and rampant promiscuity spotlighted in the shows.

According to Maria Ivancin, Assistant Professor of Communications at American University, many preteens and teens are unaware that these programs have producers who work hard to make the shows appealing. People try to mimic the behaviors without having the controls. Gender roles are also presented positively on some television shows. Rivadeneyra’s research of television and gender roles found that teens who watched shows with nontraditional female roles, CSI and Law and Order, for example, were less likely to have traditional gender roles ideas and more likely to have more egalitarian gender roles ideas. “ Television is appealing.

And if you can use that to help teach your child about something, that’s pretty powerful,” Rivadeneyra says. With reality TV, we can teach our kids to think critically about what they’re watching. What’s real about the shows and what’s not. It’s important for them to have media literacy. ” ? ? TV characters often cause risky behaviors, such as smoking and drinking, and also reinforce gender-role and racial stereotypes. The average American child will witness 200, 000 violent acts on tv by age 18.

Kids may become less sensitive to violence and become more aggressive. TV violence sometimes begs for imitation because violence is often promoted as a fun and effective way to get what you want. Even though kids are taught by their parents that it’s not right to hit, television says it’s okay to bite, hit, or kick if you’re the good guy.

This leads to confusion when kids try to understand the difference between right and wrong. And even the “ bad guys” on TV aren’t held responsible or punished for their actions most of the time. Studies have shown that teens who watch lots of sexual content on TV are more likely to initiate intercourse or participate in other sexual activities earlier than peers who don’t watch sexually explicit shows. http://www. reality-tv-online. com/articles/history-reality-tv. html http://kidshealth. org/parent/positive/family/tv_affects_child. htmlhttp://www. cybercollege. com/frtv/frtv030. htmhttp://www. oppapers. com/essays/Influence-Reality-Television-America/137600http://www. cleveland. com/entertainment/index. ssf/2008/03/does_reality_tv_for_teens_indu. htmlhttp://www. education. com/magazine/article/reality-tv-equal-real-learning/