When I was younger, why did TV shows claim that most people with poor social skills become rich in STEM fields in later life? That's not true from what I witnessed.

Butt-Factory · 2017-11-26T19:20:43+00:00

Why do TV shows tell me that a down on her luck waitress can afford a funky little apartment in New York City?

Why are you using pop culture as a metric for realistic expectations? It's fantasy

FalseBuddha · 2017-11-26T17:48:54+00:00

TV shows both are, and sell, fantasy. They are not documentaries meant to accurately reflect or interpret the real world.

DemonConsulting · 2017-11-26T18:14:36+00:00

TV shows are there for entertainment and to draw in as many viewers as possible for add revenue. One very popular way of doing that is having a self-insert (main) character who is a really bland underdog and makes it because that's great wish fulfillment for the chumps watching it, as well as for the authors writing it in the first place. If people wanted to see what real life is like, they could just step outside and live their own boring lives instead of watching TV and losing themselves in fantasies where the little guy wins in an epic conquest and gets the girl or the wallflower has multiple hot guys fawning over her.

The much bigger issue I see is that a lot of parents apparently didn't teach their kids about real life expectations but just let the TV raise them or told them they are so special, they could just magically be and get anything they want.

Atlas_B_Shruggin · 2017-11-26T17:07:16+00:00

like what shows?

[deleted] · 2017-11-26T17:14:02+00:00

Well, TV shows and movies are more interesting when an underdog gets success. Real life doesn't necessarily work that way unless you make an effort to change yourself. Which also happens in other TV/movies btw.

[deleted] · 2017-11-26T17:46:08+00:00

Because our society chose to lie about this fact, our society has started to decline.

"Started"? Networking has been a thing since forever

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blackedoutfast · 2017-11-26T18:22:53+00:00

because those themes and tropes are appealing to most audiences.

most people want to be significantly more successful and wealthier in the future than they are right now. most people think of themselves as a good person. most people prefer if they can blame their own failures and lack of success on external things that were beyond their control rather than their own flaws or lack of effort. most people want to live in a "just world" where good people are eventually the winners because they assume they would be the winners. the audience will more strongly identify with those characters and feel a connection to then and people feel this way on a deep, emotional, subconscious level so the effect is very strong.

if your movies and tv shows include themes and tropes that are very appealing to a large audience, then more people are likely to regularly watch your show, think and talk about your show, and this will function as very effective free marketing that will encourage even more people to watch it. when a lot of people watch your show, that means more people will see the advertisements.

if more people see the advertisements, that means the people who make the show will get more money. and everyone likes money.

ItsYough123 · 2017-11-26T20:35:58+00:00

As others have said, it's a classic zero to hero kind of thing. People want to watch the underdog and see them succeed. What I'd like to know is why is there so many people, particularly on these kinds of subs, that never realised TV is for entertainment and generally to make you feel good? When you saw Santa flying about in his sleigh do you use the same logic and are mad that that's fake as well? Or are you a normal person who realises a lot of TV is fantasy?

Yet another autistic (yes, that's the only thing I can think to call someone who can't tell when TV programmes are being entertaining rather than factual, they obviously have a few social issues) person who blames TV for their dumb view on life.

goatismycopilot · 2017-11-26T20:45:43+00:00

I think it is possible the younger generations watched too much TV. Plus, did nobody notice their surroundings in high school people with good social skills were popular. Social skills have always counted in life in hiring, in business, in community life. There was never a time they were not important. Never did I get the idea that nerdy STEM kids with bad clothes and bad social skills would become rich.

anon1moos · 2017-11-26T18:55:36+00:00

Engineers make good money, so does "technology". I know plenty of engineers with terrible social skills. Science and math pay absolute dirt, and it isn't just TV tropes that are pushing this false narrative either. Obama was out there selling the lie that we need more students in stem fields.

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