Trashy TV
What is it that makes it so appealing?
In a world where people become ‘celebrities’ from participating in ‘reality’ shows, so-called trashy TV is now rife.
I’ll admit it, it is definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. I love to sit and watch these programs.
Often my other half laughs that we’ve got 3 kids, I’ll be shattered after putting them down for the night and then I’ll switch on a show about children, moreso a program of a ‘celebrity’ Mum with her child/children.
My partner does nights, I’m not a big fan of him doing shift work, but admittedly one thing I do like about it is having the TV to myself once the kids are in bed. I like nothing better than sitting in my PJs and laying down on the sofa to watch some trash.
I love the escapism. Yes I know most of the time it’s a load of rubbish and these people are often talentless and just fame hungry selfie addicted wannabes. But I love to switch off and watch this toot.
I don’t need to think. I don’t need to be responsible for anyone. I can just sit back and switch off.
And that is what appeals to me.
How comes some of us gorge on this junk, whilst others find it makes their skin crawl?
Take tonight, I’ve seen on catch up TV there’s a new season of a program about couples on a holiday testing their relationships - perfect! And there’s a whole season to watch.
My fiancé used to get so excited over Netflix and tell me how good it is to sit and watch boxsets and back to back programs. I used to hate Netflix as I couldn’t find any recent films on there that I wanted to watch.
Fast forward a few years, well quite a few, and suddenly I’m a Netflix addict!
I’m not so bothered about the films, it’s the binge watching boxsets!
I seem to have a thing for psychological thrillers at the moment, well, when I watch with the other half.
However, when I have time on my own it’s all about the trash. Love Island, TOWIE, baby programs with celebrity parents, relationship reality shows, dating shows, I could go on and on...
Are these types of shows harmless fun? Or are they - like the non stop social media thrown in our faces constantly - dangerous to our wellbeing?
For example, seeing these fit bodied attractive young people in the sun does it make us start to judge our own appearance? Watching a reality TV woman looking like the ideal Mum with her kids, rather than relaxing are you actually starting to doubt your own parenting?
Is this all another example of the fake socialised world we now live in? Everything is lived through social media. Not only do we like to showcase our own lives through various online accounts, but we like to watch others too.
The question is how healthy is it?
This ‘trashy’ TV, that we think is letting us relax and switch off. Is it in fact doing the opposite and trashing our well-being?
