Development of the Adolescent
Crystal Herring
September 3, 2003
Mr. Boyleston
English 101
Face it! Reality TV is here to stay. No matter what you do or which channel you try to
derail you are eventually going run into to one of those shows that reals you in. It's something
that keeps the TV audiences on the edge of their seats with their cliff hanger endings, displays of
raw, unbridled emotions, and insane ways people behave for love, money and fifteen minutes of
fame. Through the eyes of a classic example of a teenager growing up on MTV's Real World, I
see reality TV as an escape from the boring rigors of my own life to then in turn concentrate on
something more exciting and humorous. It's clearly apart of our society, and many others also,
that we as Americans thrive on these sort of sitcoms. When we think our lives are at their worst
just watch a complete stranger having troubles and it is strangely comforting. Is quality entertainment infact watching people make complete fools of themselves for the soul cost of
being on TV? Well, that is a question which is personally acquired. For me, eating bugs doesn't
validate my insecurities and make me feel that I am the bigger, stronger person. Personal
acheivements and triumphs definately fill that void for me. So I agree that the producers of these
shows can sometimes take them to extreme measures for ratings, but isn't that the purpose? It's
a dog eat dog world, survival of the fittest. My response to this is I can simply choose to
entertain myself with certain reality shows such as The Real World and hate Fear Factor. That
is the beauty of it all. Don't let one bad apple spoil the whole tree. Give a particular show a
chance. You could find things in yourself you would personally like to change by seeing flaws in
other people and watching this blunt form of reality can really make you realize what kind of
people you like. Reality shows are harmless, entertaining and clearly not
September 3, 2003
Mr. Boyleston
English 101
Face it! Reality TV is here to stay. No matter what you do or which channel you try to
derail you are eventually going run into to one of those shows that reals you in. It's something
that keeps the TV audiences on the edge of their seats with their cliff hanger endings, displays of
raw, unbridled emotions, and insane ways people behave for love, money and fifteen minutes of
fame. Through the eyes of a classic example of a teenager growing up on MTV's Real World, I
see reality TV as an escape from the boring rigors of my own life to then in turn concentrate on
something more exciting and humorous. It's clearly apart of our society, and many others also,
that we as Americans thrive on these sort of sitcoms. When we think our lives are at their worst
just watch a complete stranger having troubles and it is strangely comforting. Is quality entertainment infact watching people make complete fools of themselves for the soul cost of
being on TV? Well, that is a question which is personally acquired. For me, eating bugs doesn't
validate my insecurities and make me feel that I am the bigger, stronger person. Personal
acheivements and triumphs definately fill that void for me. So I agree that the producers of these
shows can sometimes take them to extreme measures for ratings, but isn't that the purpose? It's
a dog eat dog world, survival of the fittest. My response to this is I can simply choose to
entertain myself with certain reality shows such as The Real World and hate Fear Factor. That
is the beauty of it all. Don't let one bad apple spoil the whole tree. Give a particular show a
chance. You could find things in yourself you would personally like to change by seeing flaws in
other people and watching this blunt form of reality can really make you realize what kind of
people you like. Reality shows are harmless, entertaining and clearly not