The Hot Button Issue Isn't So Hot Button Anymore

It’s an undisputed fact that there are a million hot button issues in the world today. In the past, these topics were avoided or discussed in hushed voices. Things like teen pregnancy, drug and alcohol problems, and how children were raised, were not talked about in the open. If you brought them up people gave you disgusted looks. Showing them on television was unheard of and, simply, not done.

Now, that isn’t the case anymore. If a topic had a chance of being controversial, it was taken head on and brought out into the light. You can bet that it, if it’s an issue happening currently, it will show up on TV, one way or another. Today, thanks to shows like The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Celebrity Rehab, Teen Mom, and True Life, hot button issues are being brought into the main stream in full force. These never openly discussed topics are not being held back any longer. The Secret Life of the American Teenager, which is based on the life of Amy Juergens as she faces the struggles of becoming a mother her freshman year of high school, may be based on a fictional storyline designed to maximize drama and ratings. But, Teen Mom brings the real-life trials that face teen moms. The show, in classic MTV fashion, brings out the up and downs these young families face. These girls aren’t being talked about in hushed tones like they may have been in the past. Now, thanks to these shows, the issue is being heard loud and clear.

There are even programs based on every other hop button topic you could come up with. Celebrity Rehab follows drug and alcohol addicts as they progress through treatment programs. Previously, rehab was mentioned in a tone associated with disappointment and disrespect. It seemed to be viewed as the ultimate mess up. Now, with the help of the show, views have been changed and people who seek help are looked at in a more respectful light.

And, what hasn’t the show, True Life, covered. If it was something controversial that a teen had face, the cameras were there to tell the story. Every thing from drug problems, to family issues, to coming out, to being bullied has been fair game. Let’s face it, what was once a hot button issue is now main stream media. It may still be very controversial, but thanks to television, it’s now being talked about like never before. The lines of communication have been opened and there’s no shutting them down.