The cult following of reality television shows is at an all-time high, due to viewers being able to follow their favorite stars on any social media platform. Various shows have gone viral within the past few years, influencing people to start tuning in to the drama.

Senior Ariella Urias has followed various reality shows and the personalities that come with the shows.

“I like hearing how everyone has a story and all of their personalities,” Urias said.

Urias believes it is necessary to add a dramatic feel to reality shows to increase suspense and drama. She thinks that many people don’t enjoy the staged aspect of these shows, although she thinks it is important for the production value and viewership.

“Sometimes people think it’s [reality television] staged which I do agree with, but a lot of times in order for reality television to be good and interesting they have to make things seem more dramatic than they actually are,” Urias said.

Urias enjoys being able to discuss the content in the reality shows with friends and family, it gives her something to bond over.

“People like reality TV a lot because it gives them something to talk about…it’s fun to talk about these shows with friends and we can all have our own opinions,” Urias said.

Senior Ava Tommasone has always enjoyed the unpredictability of reality television.

“Knowing that these are real people and the show is actual reality makes it more fun to watch…it’s crazy that this drama actually happens in real life,” Tommasone said.

Tommasone has watched multiple reality shows and follows the continuous drama on social media.

“I love watching the drama unfold, it keeps me hooked onto the show and following the people on the shows on social media is also interesting,” Tommasone said.

Tommasone understands the over-dramatic style of reality television and it creates relatability for her.

“I know the shows can be twisted around and might seem fake…Dance Moms is specifically the most relatable to me because I grew up as a dancer and I experienced similar things that were on the show,” Tommasone said.

Tommasone expresses how watching reality television brings her comfort.
“It makes me feel less alone…I just really love watching the shows and keeping up with all of the stars,” Tommasone said.