Want to find love AND win money in the process? Since 2019, Love Island has provided the opportunity for non-celebrities to appear on the reality show, stay in a villa at a tropical destination, and compete/look for love as well as a cash prize. Contestants participate in challenges to build and strengthen connections. However, while the show draws solid ratings (Hailu, 2024), it surpasses several ethical boundaries. While shows like Love Island can be very enjoyable for viewers, they often damage the mental and emotional health of the show’s cast due to disregarded ethics and therefore should be subject to ethical analysis.
Several criticisms have been made of reality TV since its inception. A particularly significant and repetitive one is the exploitation of those appearing on reality TV shows. Wyatt (2012) defines exploitative neglect as consisting of “denying the needs of those with whom one is interacting” (p. 163). This occurs frequently as producers treat many of those who appear on reality shows as simply a means to an end (Christians et al., 2024). When reality TV producers fail to recognize the well-being of participants, they strip them of their value.
Ethical Reasoning
Ethical analysis for media creators and producers involves considering the best course of action for those who are part of their production and for those who will potentially consume their media text. Engaging in ethical reasoning both as consumers and creators of media content is more important than ever (Hopper, 2020). Fortunately, there is a model for ethical reasoning, titled the “Potter Box”, to guide individuals through four steps of ethical analysis. When analyzing the ethical implications of any media text, the Potter Box urges us to first consider the facts of the media text under analysis and engage in a description of what is currently being depicted in that text. Next, values, or expectations about what is important or most desirable in life, are present and/or neglected in the content of that given text are examined. Professional, moral, logical, aesthetic, and sociocultural values should be considered. Further, Potter includes a step in which individuals are asked to examine a media text for adherence and/or violation of theoretical principles, or ethical guidelines, based on virtue, duty, love, utility, and rights and for considering all potential loyalties one owes (Christians et al., 2024).
Love Island
Love Island is a dating competition show that originally began in the United Kingdom and then was exported to the United States in 2019. The show currently has six seasons and continues to generate solid ratings. In its most recent season, it was consistently rated the most-watched streaming original series (Hailu, 2024). Singles selected to compete on the show are required to live in a villa on a tropical island together while trying to find “love” with another one of their fellow “islanders”. The goal is for each couple to stay together until the end of the show to avoid being eliminated and to win a cash prize. Contestants can be eliminated either by breaking up and not finding a new partner or not winning enough public popularity votes. As some islanders are eliminated, new ones join the villa and become potential new love interests for those contestants who remain but are single. Despite the show’s entertainment factor, it violates various ethical standards at the expense of the contestants.
Values
The reality TV genre has not done a good job of treating those who appear on them as if they matter, as if they hold individual value. According to Christians et al. (2017) “values reflect assumptions about social life and human nature. To value something means to consider it desirable” (p. 3). For the creators and producers of Love Island, contestants are only valued for the entertainment they provide to viewers who are attracted to over-the-top drama. In terms of care for the contestants, Love Island fails to uphold this value. Contestants are often put into situations that emotionally exploit them. Furthermore, contestants face stereotyping and are often forced to hide their true personality. Instead of being treated fairly, they are controlled and emotionally manipulated to create good content. Often the individuals on camera are forgotten, and producers focus on getting the most dramatic and entertaining shots possible, while sacrificing accurate portrayals.
The lack of care is also evident in the aftermath of the show as sadly, many former contestants have spoken about experiencing depression and anxiety post show (Molitor, 2022). In some extreme cases, suicides have been linked to past contestants, raising serious concerns about the show’s responsibility toward mental health (Yossman, 2021). The show often exploits contestants using their personal lives and relationships for entertainment while offering little support. Although producers profit significantly, contestants frequently face harsh criticism and invasive media attention, often without adequate preparation for life post-show.
Love Island also disregards the ethical value of autonomy, which allows individuals to be in control of their actions and behavior. Contestants are relatively restricted in terms of what they can and cannot do. Their phones are confiscated, they are woken up at 5 a.m. every day, have a set bedtime, get one break a day for only 15 minutes, and are not allowed to talk when eating, among other restrictions. Overall, in terms of ethical values, Love Island does uphold mostly aesthetic ethical values such as impact, conflict, and entertainment but it is at the expense of honesty, care, and autonomy.
Principles
In applying ethical principles based on love, producers need to consider Noddings’ Persons as Ends. Their decisions should focus on helping and caring for others based on their specific needs to build meaningful relationships. The focus should be on empathy, mutual respect, and maintaining caring relationships. Producers on the show should genuinely care for and respect each contestant and the relationships the contestants are working to build with others on the show regardless of entertainment factor. Love Island producers fail to do this as they encourage many of the relationships to be strategic rather than based on genuine care or connection. The producer’s influence can also make contestants feel exploited when they are forced into emotionally difficult situations for entertainment purposes. When couples are chosen, there is an emphasis on physical appearance and initial attraction, which can lead to individuals being overlooked and not being seen as valuable. Love Island does have moments where Noddings’ principle of treating people as ends is upheld, especially in the genuine friendships and emotional connections that the contestants manage to form and hold despite producer interference. However, the competitive and performative nature of the show and producer influence often encourages treating relationships only as a means to an end.
Loyalties
Love Island, while being an entertaining and appealing addition to the long history of reality TV competition shows, also adds to the many examples of reality TV shows that exploit the individuals appearing on them. The strict rules for contestants and controlling tactics enacted by show producers all to draw in ratings are exploitative and harmful to the mental health of the contestants. This all demonstrates a clear lack of care regarding the contestants. Instead of being treated fairly, they are controlled and emotionally manipulated to create dramatic content for the show. Tactics from producers of Love Island, such as controlling participant behavior, trying to get participants to talk to specific people, and exploiting emotions and personalities to garner specific reactions and emotions, are unethical and neglect the loyalty owed to contestants. Therefore, reality TV producers have an obligation to treat individuals who appear on their shows much more humanely and ethically. Although drawing solid ratings, the loyalty owed to the audience is also neglected as harmful messages about the treatment of others are showcased and accepted. However, if the audience recognized and spoke out about the ethical implications of shows like Love Island and the exploitative nature of reality TV it could spark significant change. Reality TV does not have to be done away with completely. It just needs to be done more ethically.
References
Christians, C. G., Fackler, M., Kreshel, P. J., Brown, W. J., Feng, Y., Overton, H. K., & Richardson, K. B. (Eds.). (2024). Media ethics: Cases and moral reasoning. Routledge.
Hailu, S. (2024, July 15). Luminate streaming ratings: Love Island USA dominates with 919 million minutes watched July 5–11. Variety. https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/love-island-usa-luminate-streaming-ratings-1236072771/
Hopper, K. M. (Ed.). (2020). Ethical problems in mass media. Cognella.
Molitor, R. (2022, August 1). Love Island: The psychological challenges contestants – and viewers – could face after the show is over. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/love-island-the-psychological-challenges-contestants-and-viewers-could-face-after-the-show-is-over-187948
Wyatt, W. N. (2012). Exploitation: When reality TV becomes degradation TV. In W. N. Wyatt & K. Bunton (Eds.), The ethics of reality TV: A philosophical examination (pp. 159–174). Bloomsbury Publishing.
Yossman, M. (2021, July 19). Trolls, money worries and dashed dreams: Why life after Love Island isn’t always a beach. Variety. https://variety.com/2021/tv/global/love-island-suicide-social-media-money-1235008475/
