You’ll likely remember the stink that was raised when CBS’ Kid Nation hit the waves. Accusations of child neglect though couldn’t stop it from being one of the most riveting television shows I’ve ever seen. At the end of the day it was a great sociological experiment.

Can 40 kids survive for 40 days without parental supervision and furthermore keep an old deserted desert town afloat? Could they create a functional society? With a bit of guidance from more mature kids and the town council, coupled with prodding from the storyline setup by CBS, I would argue that the experiment was indeed successful.

There was a lot of tension at times. Crying too. Less than a handful of kids ultimately packed up and went home before the shows end but the majority braved the conditions and came out appreciative of the experience. The honesty of these kids ranging from 8 to 16 combined with an appropriate amount of common sense truly made the show feel at par in terms of sophistication than any other reality show that I’ve had the displeasure of viewing.

At the end of the day, it’s not everyone’s idea of an hour well spent. That said, those like myself with a curiosity about human behaviour will very well enjoy the psychology on display.

But the best scene came from the finale, when the crew torched the kids’ job board. There were four teams, each divided by class which dictated their weekly pay and job duties in the town. The rules went out the window. The kids went absolutely nuts and looted the general store, hauling buckets of candy and goods back to their bunks. It was a shining example that left with a pack mentality and to our own devices that sometimes the world can turn itself on its head. After following the rules for 30 something odd days and then falling to temptation was certainly a low point but certainly very insightful. I can certainly only hope that chaos doesn’t reign in on a larger societal scale.

Props CBS.

Filed under: Television, Funny

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