by A Morris

Created on: April 07, 2008

Soap operas are a source of entertainment, information, life perspective and emotion. These dramas represent human beings at their finest and worst. Some soaps deal with real life issues, whilst others employ ludicrous storylines for humour. The stories rely on such concepts as adultery, family crises, illness, death and romance. Human beings will always have the desire to understand one another better. Some people may find social interaction difficult, but they may become involved with television characters to glimpse human nature. Others may just have a favourite character that they relate to.

Whilst we have all laughed at the ridiculous storylines some soaps have offered in the past, they often also cover serious issues, such as abuse, bullying, medical conditions etc. At the end of these episodes there will usually be a telephone number or help-line that you can call if you want to know more about an issue that was raised in the show. People do take advantage of these help-lines, and they can be extremely beneficial. For some it may be a more approachable method of researching a condition than visiting a doctor.

For the most part, people watch soaps because they are a form of escapism. If your own life is lacking a bit of spice, you might watch the soaps because of a romantic storyline. Some people find soaps mindless, in which case they may watch episodes purely to release their over-worked minds. Others genuinely enjoy following the storylines, whatever they may be. It can be a nice relief from reality to be distracted from your own problems.

On occasion a soap opera may contain a tragedy, such as an accident, attack or natural disaster. Sad though it may be, some people tune in just to watch the action. I have to confess to being guilty of this myself! Viewer ratings generally increase when a drama contains an explosive storyline. We are all curious, and some have an inexplicable fascination for gore. This is human nature, in the same way drivers "rubber-neck" when a road accident occurs. Soaps often deal with ethical issues, such as abortion and euthanasia. To some degree these story lines can help to educate the viewer on a subconscious level.

Soaps may or may not be your thing, but for the most part they are a reflection of society and the human mind. We may see a storyline we can empathize with, or may have experienced ourselves. We watch soaps because they distract, excite, appall, amaze, sadden and cheer. We may incorporate the actions of a character into our own lives, if it helps us to deal with a given situation. Overall, we have a curious nature and a desire to be entertained. Many feel the soaps achieve just that.

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