No, seriously.

New research shows that watching something dumb might actually make you dumber. According to The Body Odd, it’s called media priming; “the idea that the things we watch or listen to or read influence our emotions and our behavior, perhaps more than we realize.” 

In the experiment, volunteers were given different versions of a screenplay to read, followed by a multiple choice general knowledge test. The group that read the screenplay referring to the main character as a “stupidly acting soccer hooligan” performed worse on the test than the group that read the screenplay making no mention of the character’s intellectual abilities.

Basically, anything we see has an effect on our following actions because it’s at the top of our mind. Because our brain is predisposed in that direction, we’re more likely to act in that way. Therefore, watching the idiots on Jersey Shore might make you act like more of an idiot.

Personally, I always feel like hitting the gym after watching The Biggest Loser. But I also watch a lot of Castle and Bones, and not once have I had the serious urge to murder someone. 

Have you noticed this to be true? Do you get the urge to “GTL” after watching Jersey Shore?