Reality TV has become staple entertainment or young people and adults alike. In our survey o more than 1,100 girls around the country, we oundthat the most popular genres o reality TV are competition (American Idol, Project Runway, etc.) and real lie (Jersey Shore, The Hills, etc.). Many girlsthink these programs reect reality, with 75% saying that competition shows and 50% saying that real-lie shows are “mainly real and unscripted.”While many in society might view reality TV as a relatively benign phenomenon, our research shows signifcant dierences between those girls whoconsume reality TV on a regular basis and those who do not. O girls surveyed, regular reality TV viewers* dier dramatically rom their non-viewingpeers in their expectations o peer relationships, their overall sel-image, and their understanding o how the world works. Our fndings also suggestthat reality TV can unction in the lives o girls as a learning tool and as inspiration or getting involved in social causes.
Finding 1: Relationship Drama
All o the girls in our study eel that reality shows promote bad behavior. The vast majority think these shows “oten pit girls against each other tomake the shows more exciting” (86%), “make people think that fghting is a normal part o a romantic relationship” (73%), and “make people think it’sokay to treat others badly (70%).”Regular reality TV viewers accept and expect a higher level o drama, aggression, and bullying in their own lives as well. They are considerably morelikely than non-viewers to agree that:
•“Gossipingisanormalpartofarelationshipbetweengirls”(78%vs.54%);•“It’singirls’naturetobecattyandcompetitivewithoneanother”(68%vs.50%);and•“It’shardformetotrustothergirls”(63%vs.50%).Regardingboys,regularrealityTVviewersaremorelikelythannon-viewerstosay“girlsoftenhavetocompeteforaguy’sattention”(74%vs.63%).Aswell,theyadmittheyarehappierwhentheyaredatingsomeoneorhaveaboyfriend/signicantother(49%vs.28%).
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Girls and Reality TV Factsheet
Reality TV has become staple entertainment for young people and adults alike. In our survey of more than 1,100 girls around the country, we found significant differences between those girls who consume reality TV on a…
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