No doubt, today's teenagers are technologically savvy.

They can upload a picture from their cell phones to Facebook in the time you can say, "Can you hear me now?" Like true spin doctors, they can spit out all the pop culture buzzwords: Damage control, epic fail, and teachable moment all are part of their sophisticated-beyond-their-years lexicon.

And the seemingly mundane minutiae of what they are doing and who they are doing it with aren't really real until the world knows about it. Facebook, YouTube, Twitter. Take your pick.

Experts say this behavior is a direct result of watching reality TV. After all, the generation known as the Millennials never consciously existed without it: Today's 21-year-old was just 3 when MTV's "The Real World" debuted in 1992.

"Their expectations are much different than those from previous generations," said David Morrison, CEO of King of Prussia, Pa.-based Twentysomething. "So many kids today believe they have an inalienable right to be famous. Kids used to say, 'I want to be a designer, or an athlete or a writer.' Now they just say they want to be famous."

Aiming for fame has its upside. Those born after about 1985 are much more confident, willing to take more risks and more comfortable in the limelight than those born in previous generations, Morrison said. With role models bent on shocking their audience, these kids don't have a problem challenging tradition.

But the reality television infiltration has seemingly more negatives, Morrison said. Foremost, this impressionable age group has witnessed countless acts of bad behavior get rewarded.

Nobody was ruder than "The Apprentice" Season 1 mean girl Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth. She, like most reality stars, used her debut to secure appearances on additional shows, including NBC's "Fear Factor." She also was interviewed by Oprah. The message: It pays to go on reality TV, no matter your behavior.

Even though TV shows of previous generations portrayed people leading desirable lifestyles (What Generation Xer didn't want to be a part of the Brady or Huxtable clan?), they were clearly billed as fantasy. When kids today watch millionaire friends Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie bop through New York in limos wearing the latest sparkly stilettos, they consider that lifestyle attainable.

And, according to Tina Wells, owner of Vorhees, N.J.-based Buzz Marketing Group, teens believe eating at the chicest restaurants, talking on the latest cell phone, driving a Hummer — even just drinking Starbucks coffee — is their birthright.

"I think (reality TV) is affecting teens in the way they don't understand the difference between the good things it takes to be a celebrity and the bad," Wells said. "The danger in that is they don't have an issue compromising their morals for the purpose of celebrity and everything that celebrity brings. In their minds, the end justifies the means."

But not all teens say they are susceptible to the reality hype.

Take Dani Elle Fitzgerald, 17. Sure, the senior at Friends Select School dreamed of a fantastical Sweet 16 like those she saw on MTV. But she knew the likelihood was nil.

"I saw how cool those parties were," said Fitzgerald, who eventually settled on inviting 30 of her friends to a local hall. "And yes, I get a little jealous of the people on the show, but I know it's not me."

Ironically, while many teens admire the lifestyle of celebrities, they don't seem to respect them. And that has everything to do with how celebrityhood has gone from a chosen few with a repertoire of talent to, well, anybody who can pick a fight on TV.

But this makes fame seem all the more within reach.

After all, besides having money, what can celebrities do that teens can't?

"Teens see themselves in the same mediums as celebrities," Morrison said. "They Tweet with them and they see images of themselves on YouTube. How are their lives much different?"