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Reality shows have revolutionised the world of television since their emergence, allowing viewers to gain access to the intimacy of unknown people and satisfy their curiosity about the lives of others.
While they initially reflected the public's reality, they have now gone further by offering the possibility of directly intervening in certain aspects of their participants' lives.
This television phenomenon has spread to many countries in a way that was unthinkable at the beginning, from African nations to European and American countries.
The formats have diversified enormously, touching on subjects such as love, business and the arts.
However, some programmes seem to have crossed certain ethical boundaries such as invasion of privacy or mere human exploitation for entertainment purposes.
Moreover, it is worrying that viewers are now able to influence such serious issues as the election of politicians or heads of state.
This raises questions about the real motivations and intentions behind such formats, as well as the consequences and responsibilities of allowing mass audiences to directly influence other people's real lives through television.