Reality TV has become quite the influence over the way we perceive love, romance, and commitment in the past few years, with dating shows like Splitsvilla, Love Island, and Too Hot To Handle. The blend of romance, competition, and drama is simply irresistible to watch. But as these shows become increasingly influential, there is a question of whether they might be setting unrealistic standards of love in young minds.
Love in the Cutthroat Arena
At their core, these reality TV shows are essentially about contestants trying their luck at finding romance amidst the cutthroat arena of competition. Shows like Splitsvilla are essentially like dropping contestants into the midst of an extremely volatile mix of romance, loyalties, and alliances.
Shows like Love Island drop contestants into a villa where finding romance is the only way for contestants to survive the game, and Too Hot to Handle tests the contestants’ desires for each other by keeping them at an arm’s length from each other.
The way these shows influence young minds, particularly the younger demographic of the population, makes for an illusion that romance happens quickly and ends just as quickly too.
Dating shows have come under a lot of criticism for influencing people to be involved in temporary relationships. The participants of these shows quickly switch partners, and this could be due to various reasons.
The shows may inadvertently be sending a message to viewers that relationships can be easily replaced. People may come to associate relationships with a lot of drama and activity rather than stability and intimacy.
Love as Strategy and Entertainment
Reality dating shows often use love as a strategy to entertain viewers. The participants of these shows compete to find love, but it appears that winning the competition may be important to them.
The participants may switch partners to gain an advantage in the competition. This may send a message to viewers, particularly the younger generation, about what love should be. The younger generation may be influenced to believe that love should be a competition.
Beyond the Glitter: The Realities of Relationships
Ultimately, the level of influence that reality shows have on the way people date in the present depends on the way that people consume the content of the shows. They provide us with juicy stories about love, competition, and attraction, but they don’t provide us with the realities of the way that people ought to be in a relationship.
After all, the realities of the way that people ought to be in a relationship have nothing to do with competition and everything to do with communication, trust, respect, and maturity.
However, reality shows about dating continue to dominate screens, be they on traditional TVs or online, and perhaps we ought to be critical about the content of the shows.
Views expressed by the author are their own.
