PORTLAND -- Reality TV has become a popular part of TV culture for people of all ages. But a survey shows reality shows could be encouraging bad behaviors in young girls.
More: Read complete reality TV survey
The cat-fights, the backstabbing, the war of words; forget the good or the bad, it's just downright ugly. But is reality TV making young girls mean? The attitude on television seems to shout - bring it on!
“They seem so, like, fierce,” Arianna Trames, Lincoln High School senior said.
She is a fan of the shows, along with many others.
“I like watching reality TV because it's my guilty pleasure,” Tabitha Ivan, a Lincoln High School freshman said.
“It probably is the drama,” Alexis Taylor, a Lincoln High School senior added.
Not only is there drama in these shows, the two Girl Scouts polled more than 1,100 girls around the country and found that teens who watch reality shows expect more drama and bullying in their lives, too.
“I think I'm just so amazed at how these people are acting and how crazy it is,” Taylor said.
“They're just so cutthroat with each other, and I don't think that's acceptable behavior at all,” Ivan said.
The survey also found girls who watch reality shows have personalities that value being mean or lying to get ahead. They are also more likely to think gossiping is a normal part of relationships between girls.
The Lincoln High teens said they were not surprised.
“I'm personally guilty of gossiping like any high schooler is, but I think the shows kind of make it okay,” Maddy Olson, a Jefferson High School senior said.
“I feel like shows promote it more and make it seem okay, I guess, but it's really not,” Ashley Johnson, another Jefferson High School senior said.
Lincoln High school psychologist Jim Hanson said teens can often be drawn to reality TV.
“Sometimes I think they're just watching to blow off some steam and to watch people doing things that they know they shouldn't be doing,” Hanson said.
The study also found half of the girls surveyed think all reality shows are real.
So can reality TV be confused with reality?
“I don’t think it skews their reality but it has an influence on them and kind of lowers their inhibitions sometimes. They might do things they might regret later,” Hanson said.
Priya Kapoor teaches communication at Portland State University.
I think they know the difference between what is real and what is displayed in a reality show, but that particular script is attractive, it's well put out,” Kapoor said.
Kapoor added that reality TV could be encouraging bad behavior in young girls.
The Lincoln High students we talked to said they know better.
“I don’t think that's normal. I think they definitely have a lot more range because they're on TV,” Trames said.
“Jersey Shore and The Bachelor are not real, and you should be like this to create drama in the shows. I don't think people are actually like that,” Olson said.
“It really teaches you about actions before you do them and to think about what you're saying and how it's going to affect other people,” Taylor said.
Reality TV isn't going anywhere. Kapoor said its influence is here to stay, for better or for worse.
There were a few bright spots in the survey. Three-out-of-four girls polled said reality shows have opened a line of communication with their parents and friends. Also, almost as many said shows like American Idol have inspired them.
