By Henriikka Niemi
Staff Writer

It is that time of year again, when girls make themselves look like fools on national television to win the affection of some man they just met.

The Bachelor is just one among the many unrealistic reality shows that is obviously scripted and manipulated by the producers to earn the highest ratings and the most views. If I were to guess, the dramatic girls on the show are placed by producers to increase the action, not to win the Bachelor’s heart, and their video segments are edited in such a way to make them look like complete lunatics.

So why do so many girls, including myself occasionally, find themselves tuning in to such shows each week?

We find ourselves eating up the skewed version of reality that these shows provide because they contrast with our daily lives. In many cases, the stars have a completely different set of problems than making good grades, working at a minimum wage job or getting into college. It is refreshing to escape into their life for that short 60 minute period, fantasizing about what it would be like to walk a mile in their shoes or learning to appreciate yours even more.

Take the Real Housewives franchise for example; a bunch of filthy rich women get together and start petty arguments, then retire to their huge mansion only to repeat the next day. While many of these women have successful jobs, the scripting and even the title of the show indicates that they do nothing but cater to their rich husbands.

While it is certainly entertaining to watch the drama and dysfunction, young girls find themselves idolizing the stars of these shows for the wrong reasons. I once even came across a Yahoo! Answers post that has spread around the Internet in which a teenage girl asks for the quickest way to land herself on the MTV show 16 and Pregnant. Girls should not be glorifying or  modeling their goals and behavior off of what they see on reality shows.

While there are definitely bigger forces at play including pressure from the media and peers, we should be aiding girls in finding positive role models so that they can become independent, intelligent and strong young women instead of the next teen reality star or rich housewife. Girls especially are vulnerable to influence and doing whatever they can to fit in. Although this is not likely to change anytime soon, we should do everything in our power to boost their self esteem and confidence.

Not all reality shows fall under this category and some can even be positive influences. Shows like the Biggest Loser can instill workout and healthy eating habits in viewers and others like Intervention or Hoarders educate the public on real issues that thousands of Americans are faced with.

If you are not susceptible to falling prey to the scripted, fabricated shows that pass as “reality,”  then by all means keep tuning in, but keep in mind that the name is completely misleading.