Reality...Really?

So I just finished watching Sweet Home Alabama, bachelorette style...only Southern. After posting my thoughts on Twitter, someone commented, and told me not to believe anything that I see. I got to thinking, can you believe ANYTHING you see on tv? Especially reality tv? Is there anything real about any of these shows? Big Brother...Survivor (all like 15 seasons)...Jersey Shore...Teen Mom... Come on folks...is this what we're teaching our kids?  Merriam Webster defines reality as...

1 : the quality or state of being real

2 a (1) : a real event, entity, or state of affairs <his dream became a reality> (2) : the totality of real things and events <trying to escape from reality> b : something that is neither derivative nor dependent but exists necessarily

3 : television programming that features videos of actual occurrences (as a police chase, stunt, or natural disaster) —often used attributively <reality TV>

— in reality

: in actual fact 

 

I love that it even includes reality tv. My point is that sure these shows may follow people in their everyday lives, but is it them? How differently would YOU act if a camera and camera crew were following you around all day everyday. 

 

Yeah...that's what I thought.

We have to remember that they generation that we teach will have grown up on these kinds of shows. How can you make sure they keep in mind what "reality" really is? 

It's not blaming others for our actions. It's not acting like we're the center of this world. It's not loving conditionally.

 

So here's the question. In a world of watching others' lives, how can you make your students focus on reality...really?