MTV pushed some buttons a few years ago when they started their epidemic TV show, “16 And Pregnant. The show followed the lives of 16- to 17-year-old girls who got pregnant at a young age and their struggles. Not long after the first season came “Teen Mom,” and then “Teen Mom 2,″ which follows eight of those 16-year-old girls in the years after having their child, portraying the struggles young single moms face. Now VH1 is getting into reality show business with pregnant teens, but with a twist. The show focuses on not only the pregnant teen, but also her pregnant mother.

“If this is your unique situation, VH1 and Ellen Rakieten Entertainment want to document your lives! This docu-series will follow the exciting and dramatic journey of a mother and daughter who are pregnant at the same time,” the casting notice reads. “We want to share the amazing, the challenging, the funny, and the complicated moments in both of your lives; from the pregnancy through childbirth and everything in between.”

So why is teen pregnancy becoming less about the debacle itself and becoming  more extreme? Why are networks wanting to shove these women in these situations in the national spotlight? Many people are not happy with the way teen pregnancy is being portrayed, and how these girls and the situations they face are being exploited for network ratings and public entertainment. Television expert Kelly Woo explains:

“If we see all the negative and the drama and trauma that they experience, perhaps it is more fuel for positive messages like abstinence and at the very least, birth control. Reality TV has gone too far with this theme, but everyone wants to watch it because it is out of the norm and usually has quite unfortunate consequences.  I have a 10-year-old daughter and would hate for her to see the idea of teen pregnancy romanticized. Further, for her to think she could get on TV or be famous for getting pregnant would be a tragedy. Young girls need positive role models, which include girls who are making choices that do not cause them to become pregnant teens and teen moms.”

There comes a point when the exploitation of these girls and publicizing their situations and the negative choices made is not worth it. Girls are getting pregnant on purpose because they see these other girls on TV and think its cool, they want to be famous. Networks need to realize that ratings and money made is not as important as the well being of these teens and in this case, their mothers. How far will the limits be pushed before networks realize this?

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