📱 Reality show contestants getting way too much hate on social media lately

Started watching one of the popular reality competition shows currently airing mostly out of casual curiosity, and what genuinely surprised me more than the actual show content itself was the sheer volume of direct, personal hate certain specific contestants receive online almost immediately after each episode airs, often over fairly minor moments taken completely out of the broader context they actually happened in. One particular contestant, edited in a way that made a single offhand comment look considerably worse than it apparently actually was according to people who watched the full unedited footage online afterward, has been receiving what looks like genuinely relentless personal criticism for weeks now, well beyond anything that seems proportionate to whatever actually happened on the actual show itself. I understand reality shows are edited deliberately to create drama and maintain viewer engagement, that is honestly the whole business model behind producing them in the first place, but there is something genuinely uncomfortable about watching real people absorb this level of direct personal hostility over content that was, by design, shaped specifically to provoke exactly this kind of reaction from viewers watching at home. A friend who works loosely in media production mentioned that contestants are apparently rarely given any real meaningful guidance beforehand about just how intense the online reaction can genuinely become once episodes actually start airing regularly, which makes the whole situation feel even more genuinely unfair to the actual people involved directly. I have started actively avoiding the comment sections entirely under episode discussion posts now, mostly because the specific tone there has gotten uncomfortable enough that it no longer feels like it is really about the actual show content anymore, more just people looking for someone specific to direct genuine anger toward each week. Has anyone else noticed this exact same pattern getting worse recently, and do you think production companies bear any real responsibility here, or is this simply an unavoidable and expected cost of choosing to appear on this kind of show voluntarily in the first place?

A contestant from an earlier season actually spoke about this publicly afterward, said the online reaction genuinely affected her mental health for months after filming wrapped, far longer than the actual show itself was even airing for people watching at home. Barely anyone seemed to actually follow up on that interview once it stopped being a convenient talking point online.

Production companies absolutely know exactly what they are doing with the edit, that is the entire business model at this point. Doesn't make the pile on against one specific person any less uncomfortable to actually watch happen in real time though, and I genuinely wonder how much of that specific responsibility ever actually gets acknowledged internally by anyone involved in making it.

Stopped watching the actual show a few months ago specifically because of this, not the content itself but the online reaction around it. Felt like I was contributing to something genuinely unkind just by staying subscribed and watching along with everyone else piling on, even if I personally never posted a single unkind comment myself directly about anyone on it.