If you were to read the Guardian’s take on Reality Television and young people it would have you believe that, in this time of economic uncertainty, youngsters are not only lacking self-confidence but they are deeply depressed about the future all because of reality TV. You might even believe there is a brutal battle ensuing between Big Brother self made celebrities and news reporters who present the real ‘truth’ behind the current downturn. In the middle of this battle are impressionable youngsters who do not know whether to get an education and a steady job or risk it all for a big break on TV!
If you are anything like me the mental imagery that results from this article is damaging enough in itself. Not only does it involve multicoloured Lycra body suits, careful placed cameras and oversized novelty microphones but it suggests a relationship exists between Big Brother and young people’s perceptions of their future pathways. Are we really taking the influence of TV shows like Big Brother on 16-24 year olds this seriously? When did we elevate TV to the be all and end all influence in young people’s lives and what are we to think of young people upon reading this article?
According to a survey of youngsters (16-24 years) a ‘culture of celebrity and television and celebrity shows such as Big Brother and The Apprentice” have impaired their confidence’ (Malik, S. 2011). The author goes further to suggest that 82% of British youngsters said UK’s celebrity culture has created unachievable role models. Unachievable role models you may ask- when did the contestants of Big Brother become role models? Is it wrong of me to also question the nature of research that has been presented to represent an entire country’s population of young people that only surveyed 1,500 participants? Which might I add was undertaken by a mobile phone company?
Perhaps it is not the ‘unachievable role model’ that young people are frustrated with but rather the fact that ‘unachievers’ continue to be portrayed as ‘role models’ in the media and more specifically on Reality TV. I would like to think I have a little more faith in young people that they are not questioning their own identities in reference to Big Brother contestants; rather they are questioning the systems that show hardworking people being rewarded with unemployment and stupidity rewarded with celebrity.
Maliks, S. (2011). "Reality TV' Harming young people's confidence in job market' Sourced: 19/09/2011 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/aug/05/reality-tv-harming-youngsters-confidence
No comments:
Post a Comment