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Kyle Tremain
Professor Holly Batty
ENG 114B
5 February 2014
Reality TV: The Real Consequences Teens Miss
Reality television has become a very popular TV genre that young teens watch and
follow. Viewing reality television is becoming more and more of a source of good entertainment
for the young people of today. Teenage girls and boys have so much pressure and troubles to
deal with in their own life that they should not have to be bothered with someone elses troubled
life in reality TV. Reality television shows, such as Jersey Shore and Teen Mom, cause teens
to believe in disregarding the negative consequences being portrayed, while displaying mature
content and putting pressure on teens to appearance and behave differently.
Most of the reality shows available for teens to watch contain a high amount of explicit
content that they are not mature enough to handle or comprehend. In an ABC broadcasting report
of the TV reality show Teen moms, Andrea Canning, a professional news reporter, depicts the
result of a brutal girl fight: Janelle Evans, 19, was arrested Sunday after video surfaced of her
punching another woman at her Oak Branch, N.C. hometown. She was charged with simple
assault and simple affray (Cannning 1). The teen mom, Janelle is caught punching her friend
and later charged for her actions. Instead of realizing the consequences of acting out of line,
teens only view the spoiled teenagers getting away with irresponsible action. Reality shows that
display visual mutiny are not meant for the innocent mind of a young teenage boy or girl. In his
research article, Fergus Sheppard demonstrates how many teens watch mature content when he
states, Last night's debut episode of the new series of I'm a Celebrity was watched by 9.4 million
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viewers and it again proved popular with the younger audience, capturing more than 42 per cent
of its target 15-30-year-old audience. It featured the odd bleeped-out expletive from contestants
(Sheppard 2). In this quote, Fergus is emphasizing the amount of teens that are attracted to this
inappropriate drama. Reality TV shows like this one program teens to believe that it is okay to
talk in a vulgar language whenever they want, or that it is cool to do. When it comes to reality
TV watching, teens choose to watch what amuses them even if their minds should not be
exposed to such language and ferocity.
Teens see certain individuals in reality television show and, regardless if it is going
against who they truly are, to be the person who is labeled by society as accepted. Professor
Thomas Pruzinsky, a licensed psychological researcher, committed a survey on older teenagers
who receive plastic surgery with results affirming four of five patients reporting that television
influenced them to pursue a cosmetic surgery procedure (Pruzinsky 1).Through this survey it is
clear to realize that there is a strong causation with young teens, girls and boys watching other
people in reality TV get plastic surgery causing the viewer to now follow in their footsteps. This
is an example of how reality TV has many negative role models in which girls and boys get
drawn to think are popular and cool resulting in these boys and girls mimicking their reckless
actions. David Rassic, a researcher from Scholastic Scope, questions the manipulation of teens
by asking, Are all girls obsessed with clothes and spray tans? Are all boys obsessed with getting
toned abs? That's what many of the most popular reality shows would have you think (Rassic
1). Mr. Rassic is showing the desire of teen boys and girls to portray the exact figure and shape
of the celebrity teens they view on TV. Teens doing such action destroy their self-esteem,
making them think they are not good unless they are as good-looking as a reality TV star figure.
Reality shows give the wrong message to teens when it comes to how they are supposed to look.
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Even though the vast majority of teenagers definitely do get manipulated by the way
reality TV stars behave and act, there are a few who realize that what they see on TV is not
always rational. Journalist, Herald Daily interviews a young teenage girl in junior high asking
her if she looks at Snooki from Jersey Shore as a role figure: "I don't think Snooki has inspired
me to do anything," said the 13-year-old, laughing and referencing one of the show's stars, "I
don't take it so seriously" (Daily 3). Seen in this quote, this 13-year old teen girl is smart enough
to understand that Snooki is not a good role model for her and does not take after her actions.
For the young men and women who try to shape their image in the eyes of reality TV
expectations, severe results can occur.Through Herald Dailys study of more than 1, 100 teenage
girls, he concluded that, Girls who regularly watched reality TV accepted and expected a higher
level of drama, aggression and bullying in their own lives (Daily 1). Based on this documented
survey there is a correlation between the behaviors of people in reality shows and the mimicked
behavior teens watching these people have on their own life. Disruption of teen girls natural
personality gets destructively altered by the persuasive media pressure of wanting to be like a
reality TV star. The ruthless behaviors of older teen girls in reality TV shows have a strong
influence on young teen girls who are trying to be like famous reality TV stars, no matter how
mean and violent they can be.
Reality television shows, like Jersey Shore and Teen Mom, disrupts the natural
essence of a teenagers life by containing content that is overly-mature, causing them to change
their behavior, and be the idealistic body image depicted. The teenage population gets trapped in
the manipulative influences of reality TV, such as making one want to copy the stars behavior,
focusing on their physical looks, and dealing with having to change who they truly are
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completely. In conclusion, the effects that reality TV causes for teenagers are overbearing and
literally take over their actual lives.





















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Work Cited
Barradass, Daniel T., and Janet E. Fulton. "Parental Influences on Youth Television
Viewing." Parental Influences on Youth Television Viewing. NCCD, 24 Aug. 2007.
Web. 01 Feb. 2014.
Christakis, Dimitri A. "Early Television Exposure and Subsequent Attentional Problems in
Children." Early Television Exposure and Subsequent Attentional Problems in Children.
Highwire, 17 Apr. 2003. Web. 01 Feb. 2014.
Gorely, Trish, and Simon J. Marshall. "Couch Kids: Correlates of Television Viewing among
Youth - Springer." Couch Kids: Correlates of Television Viewing among Youth -
Springer. Springer, 01 Sept. 2004. Web. 2 Feb. 2014.
Sotonoff, Jaime. "Reality or Just Reality TV? Influence on Girls." ProQuest. Daily Herald, 3
Nov. 2011. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.