Early progenitors of today’s reality television began as far back as the 1940s with programs like Queen for a Day and Candid Camera. These shows offered glimpses into the private lives of regular, everyday Americans which viewers absolutely devoured. In the early 1970’s, the newly formed Public Broadcasting Service aired a series named An American Family documenting a real family going through a real and painful divorce, thus launching the first example of modern reality television programming.
Critics of the series were careful to note that the presence of cameras intruding into the lives of these seven people automatically fostered a contrived reality at best. Pointing to a phenomenon known as the “observer effect,” which states that simply the act of observing something will inevitably alter it, they call foul at the use of the term “reality.” Today, so-called reality television is professionally referred to as “unscripted” rather than real, because virtually any storyline the producers wish to create can be constructed from the many hours of footage they capture. It’s more Frankenstein than frank. But still, we cling to the notion that what we see is true.
The advent of social media in the early 2000s expanded the sharing of our private lives to anyone with a computer. The invention of mobile devices with on-board cameras not only broadened the platform by orders of magnitude, it made us increasingly vulnerable to informational manipulation in a way we are still not adequately skilled to counteract. Our technology has grown much faster than our wisdom in using it.
Ultimately all forms of television, film and online voyeurism are expressions of our innate desire for truth. Is truth-seeking a solely human characteristic? What is the underlying impetus? Because the answer to the question “Why do we seek truth?” matters quite a lot. It has to be more than ego. It has to be more than our fear of being made a fool. What is the learning curve of truth? Is society expressing an intrinsic desire to know itself?
Like all things, humans exploit first and explore second. It’s no surprise that film and television production companies do their best to capitalize on our desire for truth by first lying to us under the guise of reality before we get a little smarter and begin to slowly work our way toward demanding honesty. We are not there yet. We are still wandering in zig-zag fashion toward actual, unvarnished truth.
Might this wandering be part of the long learning curve of an enlightening society? Are we witnessing a multi-generational process which ultimately leads to a greater culture of honesty among us?
Perhaps reality is an evolving, layered process. It begins with the question, “Is the grass really greener on the other side of the fence?” In finding that it is not, are we comforted by that thought? Are we glad the Joneses are not better off than we are? Perhaps at first. But in the future, we might find that recognizing our neighbor is not always better off activates an impulse to raise them up rather than take satisfaction in their misfortune. Is that the effect of a more widespread level of honesty? Will we love our neighbors more one day because we’ve become tired of loving them less?
Returning to our thought about the observer effect, quantum physics also notices this phenomenon. It shows that not only does an observed thing change upon observation, it changes toward what we expect. This is great news. Because it hints at a phenomenon of which we rarely take advantage, that of deliberate and purposeful manifestation.
Truth is so fluid and subjective it cannot be pinned down by any one observer, film or television show. Hence, objective truth, for all practical purposes, does not exist. Reality is malleable. Life is unscripted. But while truth may behave like a moving target, facts do not. Be careful with your facts, and impeccable with your word, as author Don Miguel Ruiz tells us. Only good will come of it.
There is no one definitive answer regarding truth and honesty. The only determining factor is our individual integrity. Do your best to cultivate beauty and inspire compassion with your personal interpretation of truth. Seek honesty with the zeal of a believer and you may just find some. Once you do, cherish it.
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