Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Bradley U chapter.

Reality TV, in my experience, is something you either really love or really hate. I don’t feel like you’ll find a lot of people that are in-between about reality shows, and that’s something I love. I am one of those people who loves reality shows. There are just so many things to love about the shows from being able to turn your brain off to having something entertaining to watch. Here are a few of the reasons why I will always agree to watch a new reality TV show. 

It’s Mindless Entertainment

Something that turns a lot of people off from reality show is that there is nothing to think about when you’re watching the shows. When you’re watching reality shows, you know that you are going to see some people doing things and find yourself asking, “Do people really do that? Do they really think that?” More times than not, the answer is a resounding yes. If you’re able to look past the fact that some people on reality shows cannot be real people with real thoughts, you can find yourself really enjoying turning your brain off and just watching people be weird and random. Being able to turn your brain off and just consume something fun is a lost art as so many shows are now focused on needing to think or pay attention. Sometimes I just want to stop thinking after a long day of presidencies, classes, internships, and work! 

You Never Know What’s Going to Happen

With a lot of media now, there’s a pretty consistent argument that it’s all been done before, and everyone knows what’s going to happen with that show or movie. With every single reality show, I’ve tried to guess what is going to happen in that singular episode and I have never been correct. Instead, there are crazy turns and twists, people are voted out, someone says something that’s the most insane thing I’ve ever heard a person say, etc. It’s just so fun to sit there and be completely in shock and completely sucked into the show because you truly have no idea what is going to happen. People are always unpredictable, and that’s a huge appeal to me. 

There is something for everyone regardless of what you like to watch, there is a reality show for you. You like watching children hard at work to reach their goal? Watch Dance Moms. You like watching people that are attracted to each other be crazy? Watch Love Island. You thought Love Island was too tame with the sexual tension? Watch Too Hot to Handle. You want to reminisce about the 2000s when children really were cutthroat about silly children’s things? Watch Toddlers in Tiaras. Interested in Mormon life and you just don’t get how people can be part of it, but you want to watch someone who might not actually be Mormon talk about it? Watch The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Even things like The Bachelorette and Survivor are technically reality television. There is no shortage of things that are made into reality shows, and they do this so there is something for everyone so they can keep saying reality shows are consumed by large numbers of people. The craziest part is that it works! I would guarantee that even if you’ve never actually watched a full episode of any reality show, you can name one and name at least one thing that’s happened on a show – even if you don’t realize. This last season of Love Island USA was quoted all over Instagram and TikTok, and it’s still a huge craze that everyone knew about, even if you didn’t watch the show.

The Episodes Are Bearable

A lost art of entertainment media is the perfect timing for episodes. For some reason, everyone and their mother is creating shows with episodes that are the lengths of movies, and only making six of those episodes. I, for one, am completely over this trend. If I wanted to watch a movie, I would watch a movie! Bring back shorter episodes in greater quantity please! Reality shows have not yet lost this art. Some of them, I will admit, do have longer episodes that I would love, but they keep you entertained. They don’t have to spend hours on hours building the world and the backstory – they plop you onto a remote mansion in Fiji where these random strangers must find love to win a disgusting amount of money. You start off in the action and follow them day in and day out for however long it runs, and you never feel like the episodes are filler or too long. It’s easy to turn it on between my classes and watch it while I eat my lunch or do my homework.

Overall, there are a lot of reasons to love reality television. I think it’s unfair to talk down about reality shows as much as we do, because they do what they’re supposed to: they entertain! I think it’s absolutely worth at least tuning into an episode when your friend is watching because you might just find yourself enjoying your time!

Kylie Kruis

Bradley U '25

I am the current president at the Her Campus at Bradley University chapter. I oversee the general operations of the chapter, run meetings, and correspond with HCHQ. Beyond Her Campus, I am also the current community service exec chair for my sorority, Epsilon Sigma Alpha. I have been part of the organization since my freshman year after leading a volunteer group for several years prior to college. I am also the current community service outreach member for Bradley's psychology club, Psi Chi and Psych Club. As the community service member for both, I am constantly reaching out to other organizations in the community to collaborate on creating a better overall town. I am currently a junior at Bradley University in Peoria, IL, majoring in Psychology and English - Creative Writing with a minor in Women's and Gender Studies. In my free time, I enjoy hiking with my boyfriend, spending the weekend with my family and dogs, and writing short stories. I'm a new Bachelor nation fan and have extremely strong opinions about most people on them. I also enjoy several podcasts ranging from comedy to true crime. My passion lies with volunteering and being a leader for others whenever possible.