Reality TV has undoubtedly changed the lives of students as it introduced vital life lessons like “Gym, Tan, Laundry” and the anatomy of Snooki’s hair poof. TV watchers are becoming increasingly enthralled with reality TV’s recent endeavors.

Shows like “Jersey Shore” and “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” have kept students hooked since the introduction of the series. Why have these shows been increasing in production, and more importantly, why are they becoming continually more popular for our generation?

Whether a student is an avid watcher or catches a scene during commercials, reality TV is hard to avoid. Because so many networks have taken advantage of the trend, viewers are provided with common ground.

“There’s a lot of people who have seen it, so you automatically have something to talk about, whether you hate it or like it,” said Hannah Johnson, sophomore in the Media. “‘Jersey Shore’ would definitely be my favorite, it’s like a train wreck to watch.”

Johnson feels that she doesn’t get much out of the show besides a good laugh, but she enjoys the real life premise of shows like “The Real World.”

Dr. Ivy Glennon, assistant professor in Media and Cinema Studies, explained that one of the reasons reality television is so widely enjoyed is because students can relate to the characters who are often similar in age. Viewers are able to live vicariously through reality TV celebrities like Snooki and Kim Kardashian.

“You can have distance from them because they behave so badly, and you don’t have to pay the consequences,” Glennon said.

Students can watch the brawls and sympathize with the break-ups and still be able to walk away without getting hurt.

“It’s a kind of voyeuristic pleasure, watching someone else do dramatic things that won’t affect you,” she said.

She advised viewers to remember that, though their favorite shows may not be scripted, they are directed. Sammi and Ronnie’s break-up may have been exaggerated, and Kim Kardashian’s trips to night clubs may not be as glamorous as they seem.

Glennon referred to the structure of many of the shows as “gimmicks,” such as the premise of having young adults live in a condominium on the beach and left to their own devices. Networks look for cheap ways to build the drama that is so loved by viewers.

Media and Cinema Studies Professor James Hay explained that reality TV is an attractive endeavor for networks because Hollywood is the destination for actors, not the beginning. The more popular a scripted show gets, the more expensive the actors will be. In reality shows like “American Idol,” the subjects are working toward the reward of being in Hollywood and becoming famous, as opposed to professional actors who are already rich and famous.

“I see it as a moment in which television is starting to undergo some really profound changes,” Hay said.

Because reality TV often gives viewers the ability to interact with media, networks can incorporate the Internet into their shows, which adds another dimension to watching TV. As the World Wide Web continues to evolve and expand, networks will look for more ways to target Internet users.

Viewers should continue to balance their reality TV intake with other media. Hay believes that it is vital to be aware of television around the world.

“It’s very difficult to bring in programming that students have never seen because they’re on in other parts of the world,” Hay said.

American television is often insulated from foreign media, decreasing the choices available to viewers. Reality TV’s popularity began at the beginning of the millennium and has steadily increased. It is hard to say what direct effects reality TV has on viewers because it is involved in a large matrix of media that society has built.

Though reality television seems to be here to stay, scripted shows aren’t on their way out. Glennon thinks it’s important for viewers to continue watching fiction in order to understand reality.

“The only way for you to understand your own world is to compare it to something else, and I don’t think reality shows imagine much of another world,” Glennon said.