This summer has seen many successful media releases with movies such as “Obsession,” “The Odyssey” and musical albums including “Petal” by Ariana Grande and “Do That Again” by Malcolm Todd. The response to these new releases have been mostly positive, but amidst these changes in the popular culture landscape, one thing has remained constant: “Love Island.”

“Love Island” is a reality TV show that airs every summer to nearly 7.9 million viewers. Despite its popularity, “Love Island,” like many of its other reality TV show counterparts, has always received mixed feedback from various audiences. While many view “Love Island” as an entertaining escape from reality, the show’s inherent nature, along with its strong ties with Generation Z internet culture, make it a subject of disdain for others.

A conversation that reminded me of the general critique for reality TV was when I was speaking to my intern cohort. With the FIFA World Cup in full swing, the games consumed most of our lunch conversations. Despite having not been following along, I attempted to contribute to the conversation, playfully adding: “Did you see the game last night?” Almost immediately, one of my co-interns pointed out that I hadn’t seen the game, even questioning, “What? Would you rather talk about ‘Love Island’?” I was reminded of how “Love Island,” and reality TV as a whole, can be viewed in a negative light as well. These shows are viewed negatively because they can come across as shallow or staged, and many of the instances portrayed in these types of shows are often overexaggerated and may not seem genuine or relatable to our lives. But, I still believe that the hatred for reality TV may be unwarranted.

For one, reality TV may provide interesting commentary. Although the scenarios presented to the contestants in these shows are staged, the subsequent conversations and actions among them are fairly unfiltered. Because of this, viewers are allowed a glimpse into social phenomena, such as power dynamics and hierarchies. For instance, I find it interesting how people group together in high-stress situations and how power dynamics are established, crossing boundaries of socio-political background and gender.

When I look back at my lunch conversation, I felt undertones of sexism, as women are 3% more likely to watch dating reality TV than men. This phenomenon occurs everywhere, from the workplace to higher education, and this attitude toward “Love Island” is one such example.

The superficial nature of reality TV also makes it susceptible to scrutiny. People may look down upon reality TV because it’s “silly” or inconsequential. However, it is undoubtedly entertaining. In an age of false intellectualism, it’s easy to forget that we can consume media as an escape. “Love Island” may be unsophisticated, but it is fun, and senseless hatred towards a piece of media because of its apparent lack of depth is unfair. Depth isn’t always conveyed to us, rather, it is up to the viewer to perceive it.

With that being said, consuming a piece of media will most likely seem trivial regardless of what it is; you will most likely turn off your TV not having changed the world in any way. I think back to my conversation with my co-interns and how they ascribe greater value to the World Cup over “Love Island.” But to a certain extent, watching sports is similar to watching reality TV: both are scripted and partially staged. Shouting at a TV to people who cannot hear you is frivolous, regardless of if you’re watching “Love Island” or the World Cup.