Last Monday (16/1), the 23rd edition of the Big Brother Brasil (BBB) reality premiered promising entertainment with intense dispute between the participants. Confined and watched by cameras 24 hours a day, the competitors are deprived of any contact with the outside world and exposed to trials and controversial dynamics.
Thematic and closed, the program’s environment lacks opportunities for escape, which encourages conflicts and discomfort among participants. “In normal life, it’s easy to escape from problematic situations, where there is an authority to turn to in case of conflict — be it the building manager, the company’s HR or the school board. But not on the BBB. You need to solve everything in the race”, says psychology coordinator Luiz Gonzaga Leite, from Hospital Santa Paula, in São Paulo.
The psychologist sees some factors that stimulate stress for competitors:
- Leadership tests and other prize activities act as a reminder that it’s a competition, and keep the rivalry and stress levels high;
- There is no escape from an aversive environment. “Then, banal things, like an unmade bed or dirty dishes, turn into comical fights”, says Gonzaga;
- Positioning dynamics. The Game of Discord, for example, requires that the person takes a position on the personality of the other, which can lead to disagreements between them;
- Alliance search. As social animals, the people inside will go to great lengths to forge the best alliances, which fuels general stress.
Gonzaga warns of the risks of confinement triggering depression. “Competing for a cash prize, coupled with stressors and the pressure of being watched, can cause depression,” she notes.
Serotonin is an important hormone in combating anxiety, depression and stress and can be released with the practice of physical activity. However, apart from the gym, the house offers few opportunities for sports.
In situations of stress, anxiety and depression, Gonzaga assesses that people tend to alleviate feelings in two ways: binge eating or loss of appetite. “Either they eat more and consequently end up getting fat, or they eat little food and fall into malnutrition”, he says.
decoration and behavior
The environment in which people are inserted can influence the behavior and mood of the individual. For example, the white room, explains the psychologist, has lights that disrupt the circadian cycle, preventing the competitor from sleeping.
In the BBB’s white room, three players dressed in special white clothing are confined and share a bathroom without a shower. In the center of the room there is a red button, whoever presses it goes straight to the elimination vote, known as the wall.
The method of confining people in environments filled with white light is not exactly the brainchild of the entertainment industry: the US, Venezuelan and Iranian Armed Forces use the trick on prisoners to extract confessions.
Gonzaga expresses concern regarding the possibility of a competitor being trapped in the light room alone. “Knowing the difference between day and night is essential for the brain to regulate the production of hormones, such as melatonin. Without it, you don’t sleep. Without rest, you walk into absolute stress, which can cause insanity,” he says.
Post BBB
According to Gonzaga, the lack of privacy within the house has more impact on the competitor when leaving the house. “In the postgame, the participants have to deal with what they said in the house. Inside, you can even go into the corner and tell someone a secret, something you would never talk regarding in public”, he analyzes.
He adds that following the show, it will be as if you said it on primetime TV — which you actually did. One of the main consequences is the so-called cancellation on social networks.
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