Will You Accept This Rose? A 👀 Into Reality Dating Shows

Help! I Can't Stop Watching Them And I Finally Figured Out Why.

GIF courtesy of Wix

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Love - whether it’s self-love, romantic, friendly, etc., most of us are trying to find it one way or another.

Personally, I’m trying to find some romantic love (shoutout Tinder and Hinge), and I’ve noticed over the years through my television watching habits, that I’m a really big fan of reality dating shows. The Bachelor/Bachelorette series and spinoffs, Are You The One?, Love Island, Married at First Sight and most recently Love is Blind just to name a few.

These series have always been able to grab my attention, and trust me, while *I know* that these are mindless shows, I can never seem to take my eyes away from the dumpster fire that they are. I watch through all of the cringe confessions, awkward dates and producer contrived drama. Every new season of one of these shows, I always ask myself why I keep watching. What is so special about two people finding love on a national platform that I must dedicate hours of my week to watching?

After a minute or two or reflecting, I think I found my answer.

While I don’t really long for any of the relationships born from these shows, I think a reason why I keep watching them is the bond that it creates between my friends and I. From hanging out every Monday for The Bachelor/ette to creating a new group chat on multiple social platforms dedicated to it and sending memes and theories, I’ve realized that we’ve become closer because of it. It became something that I would look forward to each and every week.

So I want to thank all of these series and shows and all of the drama and cringe that accompanies it for allowing that for me.

My friends and I at a wedding.

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Do you watch any reality dating shows? Let me know which ones on Instagram @saras_stage!

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