Is YouTube Blurring the Lines of Reality TV?

I think everyone today knows how huge YouTube is. YouTube allows anyone with a video camera or cell phone to show themselves to possibly millions of people. In doing so they are essentially creating their own "reality" show that is often more real then what we see on TV. Although videos on YouTube lack the obvious polish and grand scale that your favorite TV show does, anyone can vlog (basically your standard reality TV confessionals) and gain millions of views.

Everyday people are uploading themselves simply talking to a camera or filming their own lives as they live day to day. Several have even become famous or gained recording contracts from YouTube, sound familiar? Reality TV and YouTube are blending together in a way nobody really imagined. You can go on American Idol and stick it out for four months for a possible win, or you can record yourself singing one day, post it to YouTube, gain millions of views and get a call from Sony that they want to strike a deal. Or you can go on Survivor, suffer for 39 days and maybe get a million bucks. Or you can sit in your living room and film yourself talking about your day and gain a million views and maybe some ad-sharing revenue for basically doing nothing.

YouTube and Reality TV are both here to stay, but how long will it be until YouTube overtakes your favorite reality show with its more "reality" and less for the "small screen". It's just something to think about and I'd love to hear your opinions on YouTube meets Reality TV. Leave us a comment and please discuss!