Reality TV is Good For Kids?

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! According to new research done by Jacinta Hawkins, reality television shows can be just as frightening to children, so frightening in fact that they may be helpful in keeping children from becoming obese. Although reality television often gets a bad rap for corrupting children, there may be new, unexplored benefits.

While reality television shows about obesity are entertaining for the rest of us, the images of obese people may scare kids into living healthier lifestyles. In Hawkins study, she was able to prove that children are receptive to the content. The children in this study were learning patterns of eating and exercise from television shows. Along with learning healthy lifestyle habits, most children were able to recognize the role families played in the obesity of their children. This could lead to many discussion of obesity within families, and ultimately the prevention of childhood obesity.

The "fear factor" of exposing kids to obese body images does not seem to cross the line of too scary, but it does drive home an image of what these children could become. Obesity is something that could potentially be in all of our futures if we don't take care of ourselves. No one is immune, and because many reality shows focus on young people or families, it gives children an image to relate to. If reality television is further explored, there may be other possible learning uses and benefits that could come from it. There will always be television shows that are trashy, and contribute nothing to society, but it's refreshing to see that some good may still come from reality television.

There are shows out there that attempt to better society and make an impact. Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution is certainly out there trying to teach families and children to make healthy eating choices. He has focused on children, because our decisions start young. Most of us did not develop a sweet tooth in our 40s, but instead in childhood. The longer we live our lives eating junk food and not exercising, the harder it is to start. Oliver goes straight to the source of one of the biggest problems facing America today: delicious, greasy, unhealthy fast food. He tries to teach people that there are healthy, tasty options, and also tries to scare people away from unhealthy food by showing them just how bad it can be. This show is certainly educational, and while some children on the show may not be grossed out by how chicken nuggets are made, it appears that an impact is being made on children watching at home.

The ease of which an impact can be made on children is certainly useful in positive situations, however, it could definitely turn out to be something harmful. If children are consuming only shows with a beneficial message, then ensuring that those messages are reaching children is comforting. However, with so many negative images and trashy reality shows, it is hard to know what children are watching and watch is impacting them. Hopefully television producers will be able to use this information wisely, and will make a conscious effort to create educational and useful content. After so many years of hearing about how television made people fat, who knew it could one day have the opposite effect?