As a 20-something millennial, for me to say that reality TV is a big part of my life is, unfortunately, an understatement. Our generation has basically grown up alongside the reality TV boom. I have some seriously vivid memories from the middle school days when I raced home after soccer practice just to watch LC on The Hills. So it should really be no surprise that this guilty pleasure of mine has translated into a full-fledged addiction in my adult years. One does not simply enjoy reality television — one becomes completely enamored and stupefied with it to the point where you can’t go to bed at night until you’ve watched the latest episode of The Bachelor or whatever other show it is you’re obsessed with.
If you’re a true junkie like me, you don’t discriminate when it comes to show selection either. You’ll watch everything from Toddlers & Tiaras on TLC to Property Brothers on HGTV. (I have my mother to thank for the latter.) All the drama is so seemingly real yet so fake that it’s almost impossible not to get sucked in. You can tune in to something in the middle of an episode, or even in the middle of a season, and so easily become emotionally invested. Reality TV has not only become a staple of American entertainment but also to the lives of girls across college campuses everywhere. Who better to chronicle this addiction to television than the queens of reality TV themselves, The Real Housewives? Here’s what the ladies would say about what it’s really like to be addicted to reality TV.
Priorities? You’ve got none!
Who the hell has time to do homework or even go to gym when there’s a Real Housewives marathon on? Goodbye statistics homework, and hello Brandi Glanville!
The outdoors is a no-go.
Leaving the comfort of your bed is just not something that needs to be done when you’ve got reality TV to catch up on. Who cares about things like exercise and fresh air when you can live vicariously through the Kardashian clan’s beautiful vacation in Bora Bora?
Your social life = Nonexistent
You just spent the whole day watching billionaires yachting across the Mediterranean and throwing the biggest, most outlandishly lavish celebrity parties. Somehow walking to Midtown and waiting 30 minutes in line for Fat Daddy’s doesn’t really compare…
You have unrealistic expectations.
As if the drama wasn’t enough, these people we so desperately love to watch are also either ridiculously wealthy or just ridiculously lucky. Trust me when I say that living in LA or NYC is no joke, yet everyone on these shows lives in outrageous mansions and penthouses while seemingly never working. Please sign me up for that post-grad life!
You and the show are one.
You’re so emotionally invested in the show that words can’t even describe it. Aside from the fact that you never want to miss an episode, you also never give up the opportunity to gab about it with your friends, and you’ve probably even made new friends via bonding over said favorite show. You’re a loyal fan. You feel like you actually know these people, and most importantly you always have strong opinions on who your favorites are (#TeamNickV).
Remember ladies, while all television is without a doubt fun to watch, reality TV really is in a league of its own. Whether you believe it’s all fake or stand firm in that it is indeed reality, any collegiette can admit to taking part in this guilty pleasure. Let this article be a serious warning to those just starting to get hooked on the myriad of shows out there. But for those like myself who have seemingly been addicted since birth, I realize that all hope is lost. To quote a fabulous former star of the Real Housewives of Orange County, Gretchen Rossi: “Happiness is never having to apologize for being me.”