Reality TV fuels people ’s belief in the American Dream

By Matthew Warren The “American Dream” is deeply rooted in the national identity of the United States. It promises that in the Land of Opportunity, any individual can climb the economic ladder and prosper through hard work and ambition alone. And yet, young Americans today are struggling to earn more than their parents did at the same age, and upward mobility in the US actually compares unfavourably to that of other industrialised nations. So why does the idea of the American Dream persist? A new study in the American Journal of Political Science identifies one factor that has been overlooked: the influence of reality TV. Reality shows have come to dominate US television over the past 20 years, notes Eunji Kim from Vanderbilt University. And her analysis shows that the overwhelming majority of these have a “rags-to-riches” storyline: they feature ordinary Americans who work hard to achieve great economic success. Think of something like American Idol: these are everyday people who put in a lot of work rehearsing and going through multiple nerve-wracking performances, before potentially receiving a life-changing record contract and several thousand dollars. And while these programmes are regularly among the most-watched shows, news broadcasts — which paint a more realistic view of the economic hardship faced by millions of Americans — get a much smaller proportion of the viewership. So rags-to-riches stories are ubiquitous on TV — but does watchi...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Media Money Source Type: blogs