Does Reality Backbite? Reality As Presented By Television

Wouldn’t you enjoy if we created a more suspense Hunger Games for our 75th anniversary? Believe it or not it is possible to entertain ourselves even more and at the same time do something good for our society. But before we can discuss on how this procedure will take place, let us examine and critique “Does Reality Backbite? Physical, Verbal, and Relational Aggression in Reality Television Programs,” by Sarah M. Coyne, Simon L. Robinson, and David A. Nelson. In their article, they discuss the consequences brought upon individuals who become victims of reality TV programs. In the same way “Reality as Presented by Television,” by Dallas W. Smythe, explores how TV producers and TV viewers take in the information presented on reality TV shows. Transition Although the Hunger Games is our source of entertainment, we must stop televising the tributes in the arena to decrease if not eliminate the damage imposed to our young children once and for all. By preventing the televised Hunger Games the capitol can stop the psychological damage on children caused by the prolonged exposure to fear. As Dallas Smythe argues in “Reality as Presented by Television”, different interpretations can be made of the same activity. For example, he offers professional wrestling which he suggest could be thought of as a “sport”, “skillful use of trained bodies,” or even “gross sex aggression”(144). Smythe concludes that everyone will have an opinion as to what the concept is behind every tv show. What one may perceive as fun and entertaining, another may perceive it as harmful and uneducational. It is all based on how we wish to interpret information. This goes for the Hunger Games as well. What the sponsors and game makers consider a source of excitement and entertainment, the tributes and their districts perceive it as harsh and cruel. The reality is that even though the Hunger Games serve as a source of entertainment for our citizens in the capitol it is causing a major problem to our citizens in the districts. As the reaping occurs every year and as the tributes are being televised in the arena, the young children watching all of these scenes are being harmed by the explicit images being aired on Television. All of the young children watching those harsh scenes at home of the tributes in the arena are being emotionally traumatized as those scenes are depicting what awaits for them in the future.
The emotional damage is so great that it could affect them in many different ways. According to Coyne, Robinson, and Nelson, “Regardless of sex, victims of relational aggression may experience severe consequences, such as heightened feelings of loneliness, anxiety, depression (Crick, 1996), and a decrease in self-esteem and global self-worth (Paquette & Underwood, 1999)” (285). Relational aggression as explained by Coyne, Robinson, and Nelson, is one that it is not often “measured” and can be found in the media; it is the behavior when the damage created goes directly to “relationships, or the social environment” and it involves anything from “gossiping, spreading rumors, social exclusion, and relational manipulation”(284). In other words, Coyne, Robinson, and Nelson believe that, individuals who suffer from things such as anxiety problems, and depression could be suffering thanks to the contents they have experienced on TV. Things such as gossiping and spreading rumors are typical in reality TV shows; therefore, it can be concluded that the exposure to reality TV shows can lead to depression and or anxiety problems. No matter what gender, individuals who experience some sort of relational aggression could later on suffer from isolation, nervousness, depression, and from low self-esteem. Relational aggression can be easily found in the media, sadly, very seldom do TV producers filter its content which include things such as gossips, rumors, isolation and bullying. Such problem caused by the Hunger Games has been studied for

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Does Reality Backbite? Reality As Presented By Television

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