Love Island is Actually Healthy for Viewers

You may hear ‘Love Island’ and think about airheaded, swimwear-clad stupidity made for people who lack culture or intelligence. It’s not an uncommon opinion, in fact, I felt that way in past. However, a few months ago, my friends and I sat down for a wine and decided to pop on some trashy TV for a laugh. We did laugh, but we also became invested. We found ourselves sharing social media clips and getting into invigorating debates about the ‘islanders’ (contestants).

“It takes the voyeurism of reality TV to a whole new level, with declarations of attraction, flirting and rejection all taking place in front of millions.” Sonia Sodha, The Guardian.

Upon my newfound investment, I realised some things…

While Love Island (Or Love Island USA) may not be entirely unscripted, the situations, conversations, and connections (at least some of them) are real. Real enough to be reflected in our lives with intricacies and absurdities that formulated scripts could never replicate.

“It’s not like just because you have two fishes, you gotta, like, put one back. You can just have two fishes and be like, wow, these are beautiful fish” a real quote by Sincere, a season 8 islander on two potential love interests.

In scripted shows, the writers will ‘rescue‘ characters from situations that don’t work. It must be done to keep audiences engaged. In Love Island, audiences had to endure relationships so toxic, so codependent, so manipulative, they would never end.

But even if it’s authentic, how is it ‘healthy’ for viewers?

Everyone knows someone who kept returning to a terrible relationship. It’s often hard to recognise red flags in real life, but Love Island proudly displays them for all to analyse. This means audiences can learn to recognise signs of a manipulative relationship, or how to approach a friend in a troubling situation. Social Learning Theory shows people can learn complex things by watching others, even without immediate reward. It’s done through a pipeline of attention, retention, reproduction and motivation.

To sum it up, the level of authenticity reality TV provides cannot be replicated by a script. People who learn from reality TV are less likely to be stuck in a toxic relationship. The behaviour of real people can uniquely teach audiences how to recognise red flags, and that’s good for everyone.