The Effect of Reality T.V. on Children and Young Adult

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What do you actually know about reality TV? Is it “real” or “fake”? The effect of Reality TV on children and young adults is a topic not often discussed in today’s society. These thoughts haven’t been expressed to its full content, showing both sides of the situation and for you to make your decision. Reality TV has affected everyone in a one way or another, but mainly affects children and young adults since their minds aren’t fully developed yet. People in today’s society are affected by the things we see and incorporate them into our day to day lives in some way. In today’s society everything you see, hear, and read it true regardless of where it started. Many people don’t really know how ‘reality TV’ actually works, how it influences our pop culture, and why people it’s more believable than their day to day lives.
Reality TV according to Oxford Dictionaries, is “television programs in which real people are continuously filmed, designed to be entertaining than informative.” Also on HowStuffWorks they define reality TV as “unscripted programming that doesn’t employ actors and focuses on footage of real events or situations.” Unlike dramas, sitcoms, and documentaries, reality TV relies on the cameras getting everything filmed and captured as it occurs. “This is Your Life”, was technically the first reality TV show in the early 1950’s, originally starting as a broadcast on the radio in the late 1940’s. “The Original Amateur Hour”(1948) set the stage for our modern talent shows such as “Star Search”, “American Idol”, “The Voice”, “Americas Got Talent” and many others.
In 1973, a different type of reality show premiered called “An American Family”. This show was a 12-episode documentary, filming the Loud family’s everyday lif...

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Cassidy, Sarah. "Teenagers Beguiled by False Dreams of Instant Fame on Reality TV." The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 13 Jan. 2006. Web. 19 Jan. 2014.
"Definition of Reality TV in English:." Reality TV: Definition of Reality TV in Oxford Dictionary (American English) (US). Oxford Dictionaries, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
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