Reality television isn’t just a guilty pleasure – it’s a cultural phenomenon.
In Australia, shows like Married at First Sight and Love Island draw in millions of viewers every season, sparking conversations that spill from our living rooms to our social media feeds. But what drives this obsession?
The answer lies in a fascinating mix of human psychology, social dynamics and the thrill of unpredictability that reality TV serves up like no other genre.
In 2021, a survey conducted by ACMA found that 76% of Australian’s have watched relationship-based reality TV; driven by the drama, peak into other lives and the social context of it all.
But the demand for this style of television doesn’t just lie in the dating world. TV ratings released by Media Week last month saw Channel 10’s MasterChef reach over 1.2 million people.
Psychologist Jenni Tyler says, “They are designed to trigger really intense emotional responses…it is easy to get lost in it, because what’s going on in the rest of the world can be quite overwhelming.”
So, do we as a modern society, derive pleasure from other people’s misfortune? Catch up on podcast to hear all about it (hyperlink to Podcast).
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