Reality TV Shows Could Be Causing Mean Girl Epidemic

The Girl Scouts of America are warning parents about a possible epidemic taking over young girls. A new study was done to determine what kind of effects all these reality TV shows are actually having on girls and the results weren’t very good.
The survey involved 1,141 girls between the ages of 11 and 17 and generated information like, 86 percent of them think reality shows “often pit girls against each other to make the shows more exciting”. Another 73 percent think shows “make people think that fighting is a normal part of a romantic relationship,” and 70 percent thought reality shows “make people think it’s okay to treat others badly.” These girls also backed up comments like “you have to be mean to others to get what you want,” and “It’s in a girls’ nature to be catty and competitive with one another.”
The most unsettling find by far was the fact that between 50 percent and 75 percent of these girls believed these reality shows were “mainly real and unscripted."
“Girls today are bombarded with media — reality TV and otherwise — that more frequently portrays girls and women in competition with one another rather than in support or collaboration. This perpetuates a ‘mean-girl’ stereotype and normalizes this behavior among girls,” said Developmental Psychologist with the Girl Scouts of the USA Andrea Bastiani Archibald in the study.
This isn’t all bad though. Shows like The Biggest Loser and American Idol can be inspiring and push the concept that anything is possible.
What are your thoughts? Is reality TV really ruining the young girls of America?
Sources: Entertainment Weekly
Photo Source: Stock.xchng
Source: http://blog.starcam.com/post/Reality-TV-Causes-Mean-Girl-Epidemic.aspx