VIEWPOINTS: Mental Health and Reality TV: How society has lost our moral compass

Little did I believe at the time that while attending a clinical psychology class in college almost three decades ago that the prophetic words of a former professor would be so relevant today. Those echoing words that beckoned, “Watch and see, within the next two or three decades, society is going to witness an explosion in the form of everything from violent crimes to other unimaginable acts that will be linked to mental health and shifting societal norms” always stuck with me. And sadly, one key word — “explosion”— is an understatement as it relates to daily tragedies now taking place throughout America and around the world.
Two major factors which often continue to fall on deaf ears of law enforcement representatives and court systems to households in every urban community is the fact that mental health issues (often undiagnosed) are frequently and directly attributed to the vast majority of offenses taking place today. Especially since research reflects that one out of every four people in America (and the percentage is rising) suffers from some type of mental disorder whether it is diagnosed or undiagnosed. Factor in the likelihood that most black and Latino families often refuse to acknowledge when their family member has exhibited subtle signs/symptoms of a mental health concern, but instead of seeking to support the individual(s) in getting the proper help, the concern is ignored due to a sense of embarrassment. Much like the subject of organ donation, which could help save the life of another individual, there are certain topics of conversation that are totally avoided in the dialogue of urban communities unlike they are openly discussed throughout other ethnic communities, with mental health being another such example.
Add to this mixture the often misleading and de-valuing lessons exhibited in episodes of the latest reality TV shows of today and you have a Molotov cocktail in the form of a disastrous recipe for moral failure. Often promoted and viewed as “entertainment” to a world of thrill-seeking millennials who struggle for a sense of acceptable direction, most viewers are clueless to the propensity which such shows negatively impact young impressionable minds.
While many may argue that some rap lyrics and videos have done a great harm, reality TV shows have led to a far greater breakdown in the way women of color are viewed in the world, which has also been glorified by a new wave of young females who are turning to escorting (modern day prostitution) as a common way of life in order to acquire expensive vehicles, clothes, jewelry and meaningless lifestyles they see flaunted by the images they interpret as their role models: reality TV personalities.
Unfortunately, unless society as a whole begins to take a stand against supporting shows which send negative subliminal messages to young people of color as opposed to embracing such buffoonery and helping to support the boosting of a show’s ratings, and unless law enforcement entities begin to revamp their systems with a far-reaching mental health response instead of a punitive-based approach, the moral fiber of society as we once knew it will soon be a thing of forgotten generations.
Santura Pegram is a freelance writer and the director of Public & Intergovernmental Relations for STS Logistics LLC – Seaport Transportation Services LLC in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. A former protégé-aide to the political matriarch of the State of Florida – M. Athalie Range – Santura often writes on topics ranging from socially relevant issues to international business to politics.

About Post Author

Comments

From the Web

Skip to content
Verified by MonsterInsights