Reality television is an approach in television programming where one touches base on a wide variety of real-life documented situations which maybe sentimental, humorous and sometimes out-of-the ordinary. These are shows that relate to daily living, games, beauty contests, singing competitions and other issues that could arouse interest from the viewing public. Relatively, they started when tv media was only in its infant years. These shows still form part of television today as a way to boost profitability and to increase their popularity. Shows worth citing are Survivor, Big Brother, Oprah, The Fear Factor and Who Wants To Be A millionaire, just to name a few.

With the internet boom, more and more people are turning to their computers to watch and hear the latest news about their favorite characters, actors and stars who have somehow made their presence more felt in such social networking sites like Facebook and Tweeter. It’s pretty amazing how people practically from all walks of life have been greatly influenced by what goes on in reality television.

Take the case of Paris Hilton. She is probably one, if not, the most popular star gracing covers of magazines and the internet as she continues to be prime catch for the hounding paparrazi. Well, for most of us, this doesn’t come as a surprise. Paris Hilton, a socialite and an heiress, hails from an elite family running the prestigious Hilton chain of hotels. She became all the more famous when she went into the movies and showed her prowess in the acting arena. However, while she has been quite successful in modeling and acting, that attractive, crowd-pleaser, brainy-girl image she exudes got tainted with some incidents involving legal issues, not to mention her romantic and sexual exploits with some men. To people who hold traditional views, this maybe true, but it leaves one to wonder why her popularity ranking continues to rise.

Currently, television has ushered in what is called as “trash tv.” These are shows that don’t give weight to lessons and real values of humanity. They deal with issues about sex, extramarital affairs, prostitution, popular culture, youth rebellion and all other issues which have somehow, lost deep regard for both social and religious values.

As the human race has evolved through time, it should be an important reminder, that at the heart of who we are and what we have become, intrinsic human values should always be the focal point of a moral society. While it is hard to distinguish the line between “reality tv” and “trash tv” nowadays, watching television shows is an intelligent choice only an individual alone can make.