Ratings show us Americans crave reality TV as much as Kim Kardashian's family says the Bible every time she swears she doesn't won't be upset by another leak story. But while we think we know the authenticity of reality TV stars on the flat screen, what can we say about viewers who regularly watch reality TV? In a media society, the appeal of reality TV programs is mainly explained by the media uses and gratifications approach, developed by Blumer and Katz, as well as by the theory of social comparison, developed by Leon Festinger. Evidence supporting Blumer and Katz's approach, as well as Festinger's theory, includes: the fascination people began to have with reality television, the Snooki effect, the ethics of reality television and the difference between social experiences and sensitivity to scripted reality. Other points related to the appeal of reality TV that will be covered along the way are the differences between an experiment and a survey, the importance of content analysis, and the main ideas behind research theory. social learning, agenda setting and the culture effect. Nevertheless, reality television offers fans an extra-aesthetic satisfaction of entertainment. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"?Get an original essayThe main influences that led to scientific research on media in terms of the appeal of reality television programs were fascination that people started getting for reality TV shows. such as: “Survivor”, “Big Brother” and “Temptation Island”. The uses and gratifications model approach, developed by Blumer and Katz, helps to justify the fascination that led to scientific research. Blumer and Katz's approach suggests that we choose to watch certain programs because they satisfy a need or satisfy a pleasure. In doing so, the viewer has four needs that trigger attraction; diversion (the need to relax and escape), personal relationships (using media to form personal relationships), personal identity (using media to learn more about oneself), and surveillance ( use the media to find out what is happening around us). ).In her article "Why We Watch Them Sing and Dance: The Uses and Gratifications of Talent-Based Reality TV," Kristin Barton explores the demands of reality TV shows that bestow talents on people and require them to to compete. Barton begins by defining reality television and discussing the genre in a global sense. She then discusses the subgenres of reality television and states that it is easier to analyze studies by inspecting specific subgenres. The article uses a myriad of studies and surveys that observe the subgenre of talent-based reality television. The first survey asked people why they watch reality TV, with responses including "I like to imagine myself as a contestant" and "I like to watch real people, not actors." Based on the responses, Barton stated that "the subgenre of talent-based reality television generally captures the use of personal identity" (Barton 232). The idea of ​​personal identity is linked to another major influence, social comparison theory, a theory that was developed by social psychologist Leon Festinger in 1954, which focuses on the belief that it exists within individuals a desire to obtain accurate self-assessments for which they turn to thereality TV. In a study conducted by the Department of Communication at the University of Arizona to assess differences between regular and occasional viewers of reality television, two gratifications related to personal identity were examined: self-awareness and downward social comparison. Based on the results, regular viewers significantly responded that they watch reality TV programs “mainly because they find them entertaining; they further enjoy gaining insight into the lives of others and the self-awareness they gain through viewing” (Nabi, 322). The study also found that regular viewers found parasocial relationships attractive. Finally, "regular viewers do not at all agree with the idea that they watch because they are bored, to escape, to obtain useful information or for the social utility that such a viewing could bring” (Biely, 322). To elaborate on the two most used media strategies which are often used together but yet so different, reference to a textbook, Mass Communication - Chapter 18: Social Effects of Mass Communication will serve as a platform to explain the experiments and investigations . These are the two main quantitative techniques used to study the effects of mass communication. Experiments have shown that television can produce prosocial behavior, and some evidence of this effect has been found in surveys. The differences between experiments and surveys as media research strategies in terms of reality TV appeal go even further. An experiment is now a social experiment in which you see human nature without manipulative variables. Where you would expect an outcome in an ordinary experiment, the social experiment of reality TV gives the overall depiction of an authentic reaction instead of having a sensitivity to scripted reality. Some say that shows like Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Jersey Shore have a scripted-reality sensibility because the reactions of small-screen stars don't seem realistic or probable enough for general audiences to relate to. However, Utopia, a show that aired on FOX but is now on hiatus, took 15 people to an isolated location for a year and challenged them to create their own world. In his article “Why TV Networks Are Buzzing With Social Experiments,” Nordyke explains how TV networks are now using social experiments as a central theme to see how people react within the show and watch a show. “With a social experience, you really feel like people are experiencing something that feels real and authentic. We see how people react to a certain situation in a real and authentic way” (Nordyke, 3). This form of experience attracts viewers because human nature is raw in this aspect, therefore accessible and sociable. As for surveys, they refer to "Social comparison theory. Surveys are capable of collecting any type of data based on the questions provided. Many reality TV surveys aim to collect how TV viewers feel- According to a national survey from the Girl Scout Research Institute, "Real to Me: Girls and Reality TV," teenage girls who watch reality TV often expect a higher level of drama, aggression and bullying. in their own lives, while measuring themselves primarily by their physical desirability. The survey found that the majority of girls, 86%, think that women inReality TV shows are intentionally plotted against each other to motivate anticipation. "Girls today are bombarded with media - reality TV and otherwise - that more often portrays girls and women in competition with each other rather than in support or collaboration. This perpetuates the stereotype of "mean girls" and normalizes this behavior in girls," says Andrea Bastiani Archibald, Ph.D., developmental psychologist at Girl Scouts of the USA. "We don't want girls to avoid reality TV, but we do. it is up to them and their parents to know what they are getting into when they watch it” (Bastiani, 1). summarizing any form of content by counting various aspects of the content This allows for a more objective evaluation than comparing content based on a listener's impressions Content analysis is important because it relates to media research strategies. The main reason to do a content analysis is to be able to make connections between them. the causes (e.g. reality TV) and effects (e.g. viewers). Content analysis is mainly used for statistical purposes. The following statistics are provided by Time magazine: “Seventy-five percent of girls say reality TV represents people with different backgrounds and beliefs. Additionally, 65% say these shows introduce new ideas and perspectives, 62% say the shows have made them aware of social issues and causes, and 59% have learned new things they wouldn't have learned otherwise. Based on these statistics, content analysis shows that there is a correlation between reality TV and its viewers. Each statistic also relates to most of the needs of the uses and gratifications approach to media. There are many main ideas behind social learning theory, agenda setting, and cultivation theory. Those of social learning theory are that human behavior is learned through cognitive factors, behavioral factors and environmental factors. Behavior is learned from the environment through the process of observational learning, proposed by Elbert Bandura in 1965 and later called social cognitive theory. To test his theory, he created the Bo-Bo Doll experiment in 1966, whereby when children were shown to be aggressive, they would model it. Bandura's social learning theory parallels that of Festinger's social comparison theory. In terms of reality TV, viewers use observational learning, also known as the monkey-see-monkey-do effect, primarily when watching reality TV to help them obtain self-evaluations precise. The main idea behind the agenda-setting effect allows the media to have the opportunity to choose and emphasize certain topics. Agenda setting is usually about the news media. In the book The Ethics of Reality TV: A Philosophical Examination edited by Wendy N. Wyatt and Kristie Bunton, James Poniewozik asks in the foreword whether reality TV is ethical and then answers his own questions by saying that it is not. is not the case. In chapter two, “Stereotypes: Reality TV as Both Creator and Adversary,” Burton explores the ethical critique of reality TV stereotypes. Burton begins by describing ABC's The Bachelor as "his most beloved and popular romantic reality series, which features a handsome bachelor looking for.