3 weeks ago

Science Says Your Reality TV Obsession Is Totally Normal

Science Says Your Reality TV Obsession Is Totally Normal
Guilty Pleasure? Science Says Your Reality TV Obsession Is Totally Normal · freepressjournal.in

Reality TV shows are programs where real people, not actors, share a house or take on challenges on camera.

A lot of people love watching them, and some feel a little silly about it.

But scientists say that is totally okay.

Our brains are built to be curious about other people and how they behave.

When a show makes us wait to find out what happens next, our brain's reward center gets excited, like when you are about to open a present.

Watching others also helps us compare ourselves and learn about our own choices.

When we watch someone for weeks or months, we start to feel like we know them, almost like a friend.

That is called a parasocial relationship, and it is a normal brain trick.

Big shows like Bigg Boss are watched by hundreds of millions of people.

So if you love reality TV, you are just being a normal, curious human.

Key facts

Dominant format
Reality/unscripted TV replacing daily soap operas
Bigg Boss 2025 viewers
Over 500 million
Bigg Boss 2025 viewing minutes
More than 438 billion
Shows cited
Bigg Boss, Lock Upp, Khatron Ke Khiladi, Alliance
Expert quoted
Mehezabin Dordi, Clinical Psychologist, Dept. of Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine, Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital
Key psychological concepts
Reward centers, social comparison, parasocial relationships, escapism

Quotes

Mehezabin Dordi

Clinical Psychologist at Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital

“Although reality TV appeals to our natural curiosity about human affairs, it goes well beyond simple voyeurism.”
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“I love reality shows, the drama, the fights, it all works on survival instinct.”
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Sources

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