Reality Shows: Their Effect on American Teens
Reality Shows: Their Effect on American Teens
Martha Wallace
ENG 122: English Composition II
Professor Kathy Conner
August 8, 2011
Reality Shows: Their Effect on American Teens
The values of our forefathers for America have disappeared. Each year more and more of American children are judging themselves based upon the lives portrayed in popular media. Certain media in the music industry portrays the life of getting rich fast and having a lot of girls. Movies depict a life of fast cars, many sexual partners, and dishonesty. The latest media that has become very popular in portraying negative values is reality shows. Reality shows have replaced traditional family values shows such as: Happy Days, Seventh Heaven, The Cosby Show, Family Matters, and Growing Pains. Today’s family values are now being portrayed through shows like: Keeping up with the Kardashians, Teen Moms, The Real World, Jersey Shore, and all of the Real Housewives shows. Reality shows have changed the way American teens view family and the values of marriage, honesty, and respect.
Today’s teenagers view marriage as a commitment between two people who are in love. Once the love is gone, the marriage is over. On the other hand, some adults may think differently. Marriage is not just the result from love between two people. There is much more to it. A successful marriage is like a good recipe whose main ingredients, besides love, are commitment, understanding, concern and loyalty. If you can include these qualities in your married life you can find happiness in your marriage.
Yet, the future of the stability in American marriage is slowly decaying. Adults and teens alike are viewing marriage in a different way. This view is being persuaded by new television shows called Reality television. It is a known fact the media plays an important part in how teens view themselves and others. Almost every person in the United States has access to television and the younger generation is the ones who
Martha Wallace
ENG 122: English Composition II
Professor Kathy Conner
August 8, 2011
Reality Shows: Their Effect on American Teens
The values of our forefathers for America have disappeared. Each year more and more of American children are judging themselves based upon the lives portrayed in popular media. Certain media in the music industry portrays the life of getting rich fast and having a lot of girls. Movies depict a life of fast cars, many sexual partners, and dishonesty. The latest media that has become very popular in portraying negative values is reality shows. Reality shows have replaced traditional family values shows such as: Happy Days, Seventh Heaven, The Cosby Show, Family Matters, and Growing Pains. Today’s family values are now being portrayed through shows like: Keeping up with the Kardashians, Teen Moms, The Real World, Jersey Shore, and all of the Real Housewives shows. Reality shows have changed the way American teens view family and the values of marriage, honesty, and respect.
Today’s teenagers view marriage as a commitment between two people who are in love. Once the love is gone, the marriage is over. On the other hand, some adults may think differently. Marriage is not just the result from love between two people. There is much more to it. A successful marriage is like a good recipe whose main ingredients, besides love, are commitment, understanding, concern and loyalty. If you can include these qualities in your married life you can find happiness in your marriage.
Yet, the future of the stability in American marriage is slowly decaying. Adults and teens alike are viewing marriage in a different way. This view is being persuaded by new television shows called Reality television. It is a known fact the media plays an important part in how teens view themselves and others. Almost every person in the United States has access to television and the younger generation is the ones who
References: Dillon, S. (2010). Respect, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2010 Edition). Retrieved August 1, 2011, from <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2010/ entries/respect/>. Goldberg, E. (Writer), & Ray, C. (Director). (2011). Divorces and Marriages [Television series episode]. In M. Baldwin & R. Seacrest (Producers), Keeping up with the Kardashians. Los Angeles: Bravo. James W Chesebro. (2003). Communication, Values, and Popular Television Series - A Twenty- Five Year Assessment and Final Conclusions. Communication Quarterly, 51(4), 367- 418. Retrieved July 25, 2011, from Research Library. (Document ID: 522124551). Jones, V. (2006). Pondering: Teens view of marriage. Retrieved July 30, 2011 from http://evolvingslices.typepad.com/pondering- teens-view-of- marriage.html Kids These Days :[ALL 07/07/97 Edition]. (1997, July 7). The Christian Science Monitor,p. 20:1. Retrieved July 25, 2011, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 12809175) Neilson Media Research (2011) Television rating for January 30, 2011, bravo television. Retrieved July 28, 2011, from http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/top10s /television.html Schneider, M and Adalian, J. (2004). Spouse swap a fit for FOX. Retrieved July 29, 2011, from http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117907017?categoryid=14&cs=1