Reality T.V., an enigma of the 21st century. From a young age, I’ve been exposed to reality shows, specifically Jersey Shore. I remember watching this as a kid, seeing the fights and all the other things Snooki and her friends would do. I was also influenced by Keeping Up With the Kardashians. 

But what is reality T.V.? It is defined as television programs in which real people are continuously filmed, designed to be entertaining rather than informative (Oxford Languages). It is based solely on entertainment of others, which makes it a strong business. Over the course several years, the rise in the popularity of reality T.V has climbed—but what makes it so appealing?

TLC is the leading channel of reality T.V. Created by Warner Bros. Discovered in 1980, it was first named “The Learning Channel” that focused on learning and guide videos. In 1998, it shifted from the earlier content into what we see now. Many reality T.V. shows have been produced such as Say Yes to the Dress, 90 Day Fiancé, Dr. Pimple Popper, etc. 

I feel like the appeal of reality T.V. is not so much the show itself, but the drama that ensues and the mind stimulation that comes from taking in the shows. After a long day of work, you can go to one of your favorite streaming services and turn on a show that you can relate to, or maybe just enjoy. It also may make others feel better about themselves, which isn’t completely healthy to compare yourself to a show.

Reality T.V. can be a multitude of things. It can be super addicting, causing people to miss out on things that they’re supposed to do. Since it has that addicting factor, it makes it easy to binge watch, especially because they are so easily accessible. It can also have positive effects depending on what show you watch. All in all, reality T.V. isn’t the worst thing to exist. It is a huge genre where you can find at least one show that you enjoy.