16 and Growing. Teen Student.

Let me start by getting the cliche teen pregnancy television show references out of the way. Teen Mom is a clear example of how the media manipulates the lives of naive individuals to make a profit, disregarding the detrimental effects these programs seem to have on the youth they brainwash. 16 and pregnant is yet another example of how quickly our generation will sell themselves to the corporate pimps of our world only to be used and abused, all for the thirst of fame. Now MTV has made  several statements along the lines of "These shows have only been implemented to spotlight the hardships of teen mothers." My answer to that is "Get out of here!" The grossing profits that these shows earn seem to only profit the men in suits up at headquarters. The show is clearly scripted, compelling the starring characters to hype up their lives to acquire more screen time. The shows earnings are not being distributed evenly, which becomes seemingly obvious once a viewer notices that these poor children are still struggling to pay  bills and other expenses after more than four seasons of the show. In my opinion, these shows are designed with the sole purpose of entertainment. I believe that's absolutely pitiful and unacceptable. By one signature these young women have become ostracized, and transformed into the court jests of society. To be fair though, we must look at the facts. The number of pregnant teens in the United States are significantly higher than other countries including underdeveloped nations. ONE THIRD OF ALL GIRLS IN THE UNITED STATES GET PREGNANT BEFORE TWENTY (teenpregnancy.com) *gasp  However, it would be biased to not inform you that there has been a substantial decline in these numbers, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (Babies aren't diseases so I'm not sure why this organization did the study, but hey facts are facts.) This may be due to the ignominy associated with having a child out of wedlock at such an early age. The inevitable economic stress, that having a baby provides, may also be a factor.Granted, abortion rates are also inclining, but on a minute level. Although these shows are absolutely ridiculous, this research leads me to believe that teens are watching and learning from these broken families. More and more teens are waiting to have sex, and those who are making the choice to engage in intercourse  are being more careful. Kids are actually pursuing their dreams and then starting families.  By no means am I insinuating that reality tv is a substitute for sexual education. However, they can be a useful conversational starter in American households. Peer pressure, lack of self, declines in self esteem, and inferiority complexes are among the few things plaguing the minds of teenagers and causing them to make rash decisions. It's about time parents and children alike stop ignoring the giant elephants in the room and start speaking up about these societal demons. Many of you maybe saying to yourself, "What's your point? Do you agree with these shows or don't you?" My response is that I don't support the unfair representation of young women, especially in a context where other children can misconstrue the critical issues. The lack of reality in these programs may lead some individuals to make inaccurate deductions about life as a teen mom.   If even one girl turns off the tv and thinks to themselves "If I was to get pregnant, I'd be alright. I might even be able to get a television show just like Maci or maybe my boyfriend will realize he loves me that much more and marry me.", something is wrong. However, I must admit that we've come a long way from the 17th century, a time where we would kill a women for giving birth without a husband. Plus, on a lighter note, I'd much rather watch 16 and Pregnant than 16 and Homeless.