comment: >
  
  “Not producing moral good and on the verge of producing moral harm.”
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  Well, anecdotally speaking, I've never met another human being who thinks that reality dating shows are genuine. Can genuine love come out of it? Sure. But it's entertainment. Of course they're trying to create drama for the audience. I know that they can actively interfere, but they can take care of pretty much everything they want to in editing. But, again, I'm not sure I buy that people are watching these shows and thinking that it's a realistic portrayal of love, especially when most of these shows go out of their way to find entertaining contestants. And that doesn't mean that the love can't be genuine. Part of the fun is figuring out whether or not you believe it. >
  
  I think there are many people who know it’s a “show” but also believe the drama and such that happens. It’s a weird duality. Anecdotally I have a friend like that who speaks about the drama in a show as if it’s a true reflection and it’s honestly scary. The same person who will share scripted pranks on social media and react as if it were real. >
  
  Just because a show is unrealistic does not mean it is ‘problematic’, it is simply for entertainment.
  Do you also think that romance films are unethical and problematic? >
  
  I think the big difference between romance films and reality dating shows is that reality dating shows are trying to convince people that what is happening on screen is real life. Romance films aren’t doing that—they’re fictional. They may say that they are representing real life, but that’s still a step removed from what’s happening on reality dating shows. >
  
  I see what you’re saying, however the viewers of reality TV shows know that it is for entertainment and is  unrealistic, therefore I don’t understand where you think harm is done? >
  
  I guess I just disagree on how much people know it’s unrealistic. I think these sorts of things can creep into our psyche, even if, on the surface, we know that it may be unrealistic. >
  
  Do you agree that we should have views backed by evidence? >
  
  Obviously, it's better to have views backed by evidence than not. But I think it's even more of a mistake to refrain from taking a position until evidence can back it up
  We don't live in a world where we can test every hypothesis we have. Science costs money and time, and furthermore, some things are fundamentally hard to test (how exactly would you go about designing a well-controlled study or experiment measuring the effects of watching "the bachelorette" on ability to have realistic expectations of a relationship?) >
  
  
  But I think it's even more of a mistake to refrain from taking a position until evidence can back it up
  
  It's actually inconsequential to have or not have an opinion on most things. We just live in a time when it's fashionable to have an opinion on anything and everything. >
  
  Can you define problematic?