Why is Reality TV Successful?

Humans develop a variety of interests throughout their lives. We seem to have a natural response to the things we like. Media and entertainment, have proven to be areas of heightened engagement with our people. Added to the wide range of ways we can be entertained, comes television's latest sensation; Reality TV. Its success has recently led to the following questions:

• What attracts viewers to this form?
• How is Reality TV entertaining?
• Can it survive?

This category's attraction derives from, a sense of relatability. An audience can sense that someone like themselves, is dealing with a real-life situation. Secondly, "Producers try very hard to pick people that will mirror today's society. Most shows have an even number of men and women, at least one minority and at least one person who is homosexual." (Oregon University) This helps an audience identify, empathize and develop a relationship with different cast members. Subsequently, the viewer's interest is likely to grow and be sustained.  

Challenges are often presented in some way on Reality TV shows. A vast amount of people experience arousal from conflict and watching how these conflicts go resolved or unresolved. It is fun for some persons to absorb. People are also drawn to Reality TV Shows, for its natural flow; non-rehearsed movement and lack of scripts. "Most Americans are addicted to the goings on of these normal people in extraordinary situations." (Oregon University) 

Enjoyment typically is defined as a positively emotional experience, mainly from individual’s cognitive interaction with media-entertaining content, which may or may not be positive. That is, certain entertainment contains suspense, conflict, violence, and horror elements that do not naturally induce a positive emotional response; but still can be perceived as an enjoyable experience. (Lee, Chen, Harmon)  

In addition, I think the cast members that are chosen to be recorded, are usually intriguing figures. I also think, some viewers want a break from their personal lives, while others are hooked to the spontaneity of the shows; a sense that anything could happen. These automatic elements, are grounds for survival of the form. It is unique to itself. The stimulation that Reality TV offers, could not be attained from a film portraying Medieval Times. The uniqueness its production provides, will be enough to sustain its existence. 

<a href=>
Oregon University
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<a href=>
https://greatist.com/happiness/why-were-obsessed-reality-tv
</a>

<a href=>
http://lib-proxy.sunywcc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=118281053&site=eds-live
</a>

<a href=>
https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200109/why-america-loves-reality-tv
</a>