Watching ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ Makes You A Terrible Person, Study Shows

I’ve literally watched every single season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, not because I particularly like them — in fact, I think they’re everything that’s wrong with society — but because sometimes you just want to veg out in front of the TV with some mindless, meaningless drivel. Is that so wrong? Well, apparently so.

  1. It makes you a terrible person. According to a new study performed by the London School of Economics and Political Science, shows like KUWTK and others that glorify fame, money, and materialism make you less sympathetic to those less fortunate, thereby making you a terrible person. Yikes!
  2. Even a minute of the show can screw you over. The research discovered that as little as 60 seconds of exposure to these shows was enough to do damage to people’s “anti-welfare beliefs.” Lead study author Rudolfo Leyva believes this is because Keeping Up with the Kardashians draws out our more selfish side, playing on humans’ natural materialistic natures.
  3. We do seem less sympathetic lately… “If there is more emphasis on materialism as a way to be happy, this makes us more inclined to be selfish and anti-social, and therefore unsympathetic to people less fortunate,” Leyva explained. “This study can contribute to explanations for why the UK public’s support for welfare to aid the impoverished and unemployed has been decreasing.” The study may have been based in Britain, but the same can be said for Americans too.
  4. It’s not just KUWTK that’s at fault. While the Kardashian and Jenner clans are one of the most popular examples of extravagant flaunting of wealth and materialism, they’re not the only one. Even following Instagram influencers whose feeds are full of free trips and #sponcon is enough to change our attitudes for the worse.
  5. The less you partake in media like this, the better off you’ll be. While in some ways, there’s no getting around seeing stuff like this, it’s probably better for our mental health and our abilities to be kind and compassionate to others if the media we consume was focused on the values we want to reflect.
  6. Then again, it is just a show. I don’t particularly consider myself a selfish or apathetic person, but then I’m also aware that I’m watching something mindless when I pop on the new ep of KUWTK rather than something aspirational. I wouldn’t want their lives for the world, and maybe that’s the key. If you can separate the two in your head, you’ll be just fine. Sit back and enjoy!
Bolde has been a source of dating and relationship advice for single women around the world since 2014. We combine scientific data, experiential wisdom, and personal anecdotes to provide help and encouragement to those frustrated by the journey to find love. Follow us on Instagram @bolde_media or on Facebook @BoldeMedia
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