Why Reality Shows Draw in So Many Viewers

It doesn’t take a genius to see that reality television is booming like never before. Not only does this genre inundate general television programming, but now streaming services like Netflix each have their own handful of reality shows that bring in a plethora of loyal viewers. But what is it about reality television that creates a cult-like following of dedicated fans?

Reality Television Grabs the Audience’s Attention

Have you ever wondered why a show’s preview may showcase pieces of conversations taken out of context in order to gain interest in the upcoming episode? This is all a gimmick to captivate the audience’s attention and keep you tuning in to see how everything unfolds. Sometimes the next episode is just as dramatic as you anticipated, while other times, you can recognize how certain aspects were taken out of context. Even though you may recognize this pattern, it still never fails to keep you tuning in to the next episode.

The fact of the matter is that reality television is attention-grabbing. Even if each episode or season follows the same schematic pattern, you keep tuning in to meet new characters or see how everything unfolds.

Viewers Develop a Personal Connection to These Individuals

Contrary to fictional shows, reality television shows a person’s true personality, though these personalities are fabricated at times for your entertainment. By seeing these personalities on your screens, you’ll most likely feel as if you know them personally. This exposure coupled with social media explains why many reality stars, like contestants on The Bachelor, gain an insane amount of followers and often step into influencer territory after the show has aired. The more regularly you watch a show, the more connected you will feel to the individuals on the said show. This will encourage viewers to tune in weekly, as they will likely pick favorites to watch.

Reality Shows Give Viewers “Permission” to Criticize Others

Another common reason reality shows continue to bring in an immense amount of viewers is due to the conversations they bring about. Reality television promises to show you other individuals’ biggest failures and successes, which often allows the average viewer to think they have a right to judge these stars’ decisions. Even though it can do harm to judge these stars or contestants too harshly, it doesn’t stop viewers from forming an opinion in their minds and even using these scenarios to feel better about their own lives. It can create an addiction to the show and keep viewers tuning into each episode.

Though people love to trash on reality television, it is dominating our screens like never before. There is an obvious draw to these shows, one that will continue to fund the production of reality television for years to come.