Jose Gonzalez-Campelo/The Cougar
On August 19th, Love Island USA concluded its sixth season with the highly anticipated reunion episode. Amidst confrontations and confessions, there was concern for the mental health of contestants following the Villa, as many have become victims of online bullying.
Although reality television is entertaining, becoming too invested can cause viewers to blur the lines between fiction and non-fiction, unfortunately dehumanizing participants.
The season took the summer by storm, amassing millions of weekly viewers and propelling the show from moderately successful to extremely widespread. Such unprecedented attention and new eyes brought contentious conversations that producers and cast members did not prepare for.
Love Island has a reputation for contestants facing mental health struggles after production.
Four individuals who appeared on the show, unfortunately, have taken their own lives. They make up the larger pool of former reality TV show cast members who have been unable to cope with newfound fame.
For many, struggles began while they were on the show. Showrunners create an isolating, controlled environment where contestants do not have contact with the outside world for months.
Additionally, they are prohibited from having their phones or any internet access, leaving them unaware of how viewers perceive them.
Throughout the season, numerous contestants expressed concerns about looking stupid on national television and even believed America disliked them.
Islander Leah Kateb, who spoke about frequently visiting the on-site psychiatrist, said she believed her family was embarrassed by her participation and hated her.
Producers and editors often prioritize entertainment over contestants’ well-being. As the genre continues to grow in popularity, shows are competing for the attention of viewers and the easiest way to catch the audience’s eye is with drama and animosity.
To successfully create drama, there must be a villain. Nobody is a saint, much less those under constant stress and living in an inescapable bubble, but producers often showcase numerous outbursts to create the narrative of a contestant being a bad person. This is harmful, as it ignores the complexities of humans and presents the individual as a one-dimensional antagonist.
Often, these harsh moments are edited out of context or provoked by producers. Viewers, however, are inclined to take everything they see on-screen as factual. This creates a polarizing relationship between fans and contestants and makes it difficult for the participants to defend themselves.
While there should be boundaries concerning fans voicing their opinions, audience interaction is often encouraged.
Many shows have embraced a viewer voting element, where the audience can decide who may be eliminated, control challenges and even have their thoughts appear on the show. For contestants who have no contact with the outside world, this creates a misrepresentation of how people view them.
The demand for reality TV, producer influence and viewers harassing contestants poses the question of how far is too far for entertainment.
Drama in these circumstances is inevitable and makes the show more intriguing, but it also has consequences. Unlike actors portraying fictitious characters, there is no separating the person on-screen from their real-life self.
Indulging in reality TV as a guilty pleasure and judging people from the comfort of one’s home is relatively harmless. Expressing malicious opinions to said individuals is not.
Love Island USA’s recent popularity presents an opportunity for boundaries to be drawn and allows viewers to reflect on their relations with cast members. While they are here to entertain, contestants are responsible for being the brunt of harassment and apathy.
Anaya Baxter is an integrated communications junior who can be reached at [email protected]
