Reality TV is bad for your health

Reality television is a continuation of Stanley Milgram's physchology experiements. The shock treatment experiments followed a give order, take order pyschology, where the experimentors practiced their powers over the subjects. It is in this way that many of the reality television shows work now a days. Many of these shows take average people who choose to sign up for competitive reality shows that promise the winner a large sum of money. These shows, however, reveal embarrasing personal information of the participators and use Milgram's pyschological findings to persuade the participators to do whatever is asked of them. The way this works is through the pyschological authority that is conveyed upon these participators. Milgram's findings concluded that through this authority complex, the subject, in this case the people who are participating in the show, feel they must give in to the authorities wishes despite how they feel about it. Then, as viewers, we are able to view this whole thing play out in the pain of these participants.

While this point makes a strong case, consider the fact that the people who participate in these reality television must agree to participate. They are given prior knowledge of what is expected of them and are also in the running to win something, typically a large sum of money. While this point does correctly address the problem of whether the show is morally right or wrong, these participants are given a choice, and are among many thousands of people who also want to participate regardless of what is expected of them. They are typically involved for the publicity to hopefully recieve some sort of extrinsic rewards other than the winnings.