Keeping it reel
On why when it comes to reality television, I now prefer low drama over Love Island
Like any millennial with access to a television or streaming services, I’m partial to a spot of reality television. I’m part of the generation who grew up in parallel with the format, which quickly became a mainstay in the top slots across all major channels, and became an integral part of our culture.
From the early days of obsessively watching Big Brother and Shipwrecked (anyone else remember spending whole Sundays catching up with it on T4?) to binge watching Jersey Shore and Geordie Shore at uni surrounded by Domino’s debris, there’s always at least a couple of shows on rotation in my watch schedule. I am not ashamed to admit that I have watched whole seasons of Selling Sunset the day it’s been released. Not all heroines wear spandex people. But lately, the desire to witness people’s trauma on screen has waned. In its place are the quieter, slower-paced shows, where the biggest drama involves someone messing up a hem, or picking the wrong height of banquette seating.
The Great British Sewing Bee is currently my top choice of drama-free reality. I no longer feel the adrenaline spikes I used to get watching relationships break down. Instead, I get a mild thrill when someone gets their zip caught on the machine or, heaven forbid, their needle snaps! Rather than the tongue-burning spice of shows such as Love Island, or Married at First Sight, it’s like taking a bite of a tea-soaked digestive. It’s comforting, nourishing and utterly feel-good. Do I have any interest or skill in sewing? Do I fudge. The closest I’ve ever come to making my own clothes is ironing the fabric while my incredibly talented friend made me an Ariel costume from scratch. (I’ll caveat this by saying that I was meant to be “leaning”, but having watched me struggle to even hold the fabric straight my friend quickly and wisely relegated me to the ironing board.)
I know a LOT of people still religiously watch these high-stakes shows, but I wonder if there is something in the fact that they leave us feeling stressed and anxious, rather than relaxed and fulfilled. Television is meant to be a leisure activity right? So it seems counterintuitive to subject ourselves to content which has the opposite effect.
“Shows with positive messages can lighten our mood and better prepare us for sleep. But on the flip side, shows with dark or violent content can increase feelings of stress and disrupt sleep,” says Dr. Weigle, associate medical director of ambulatory programs at Natchaug Hospital.
And if you’re a Kardashians obsessive, or a Love Island lover, there’s more bad news. The editing and enhancements that make reality shows so appealing could be hurting your self-image.
“Many viewers unconsciously compare themselves to people’s lives as depicted unrealistically on television. This unfair comparison can contribute to low self-esteem and disappointment when our real lives don’t measure up,” says Dr. Weigle. This contradicts the idea of tv being escapism if, instead of distracting us from our worries and problems, we become hyper-focused on them instead.
Furthermore, according to a 2019 survey by The Mental Health Foundation of 4,500 adults in the UK about the impact Love Island, around 25 per cent of people aged 18- 24 said reality TV made them worry about their body image, and more than one in seven self-harmed because of concerns about their body. That’s without even touching on the lack of diversity in terms of race, body shape and size.
With all that being said, I’m very happy to stick with my mellow reality shows, where the thrills are based on frills and the worst argument is over missing meringue or bonky buttonholes.