A flag is raised, and the tug of war begins. The participants, standing on two opposing raised platforms, are drenched in sweat, their brows furrowed. 

Suddenly, one of the contestants stumbles and falls. His team, dressed in identical green tracksuits, try to cling on in desperation. But one by one, they tumble like dominoes to a certain death. They are out of the game.

For now, this scene is entirely fictional. But soon, viewers could be watching on in real life. This week, Netflix bosses announced plans to recruit 456 The reality series will feature the same number of players as the fictional show. The competitors must speak English and be at least 21. participants for a reality series based on Squid Game, the hugely popular South Korean TV show.

Just as in the original series, recruits will take part in a series of adapted children's games to compete for a huge cash prize. There is only one key difference: losers will not be shot, stabbed or dropped from deadly heights. 

It sounds fantastical, bizarre, perhaps even horrifying. Yet some experts insist that reality shows like Squid Game: The Challenge can teach us valuable lessons about the world we live in. 

For sociologist Danielle Lindemann, reality TV is more than just an opportunity to gawk at strangers in extreme situations. Instead, she believes that the shows hold a mirror up to viewers through which they can learn about themselves.

"Reality TV is real life dialled up to 11," Lindemann argues. "But it's oftentimes by looking at these exaggerated caricatures and tracing their outlines that we come to a greater understanding of ourselves."

The protagonists of Squid Game, the dystopianRelating to an imagined society where there is great suffering or injustice.  inspiration for Netflix's new reality offering, are burdened by debt, bureaucracy and unscrupulous bosses. 

Its creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, was himself in financial difficulties when he started writing the show. Watching Japanese manga inspired him to create an allegoryA story or poem that has a hidden moral or political meaning.  about modern capitalist society and the competition it encourages between people. 

For many of the show's viewers, living in a world where rents are rising, inequality is increasing and climate change is accelerating, the show's vision of society as a frantic rat raceA term that emerged in the 20th Century to satirise the pursuit of personal ambitions, especially within the workplace, through needlessly competitive and ultimately pointless activities. is grimly relatable. 

And it is not just the possibility of a real-life Squid Game that is captivating audiences. 

The hugely famous KardashianKeeping Up with the Kardashians ran for 20 seasons between 2007 and 2021.  clan are hardly the most average family in the world. But as one writer points out, the traits they present on their show - glamour and materialism - are all traits valued in modern American society. And even though their vast wealth may not be relatable to most viewers, their constant arguing certainly is. 

Of course, not everyone agrees with Lindemann. Some insist that reality TV is nothing more than harmless escapism, with scripted scenes and fake "reality".

But others say we should not dismiss reality TV so quickly. It is the genre that propelled the Kardashians to international fame and Donald TrumpAn American television personality who became US president from 2016 to 2020. to the US presidency. And it may just have taught us something about ourselves along the way.

Yes: Reality TV may be exaggerated, but ultimately it exposes the hopes, desires, aspirations and fears of its viewers. The traits we look for in reality stars are the traits we value in real life.

No: Shows like Squid Game: The Challenge are about frivolous fun and escapism. There is no serious message for viewers. And anyway, most "reality" scenes are not real at all - they are scripted.

Or... Reality shows reflect society, but they have the power to change it too. Queer Eye promotes LGBTQ+ inclusion. And Rose Ayling-EllisThe actress became the first deaf winner of Strictly Come Dancing in 2021.'s Strictly win was a game changer for many in the deaf community.