There are many aspects of pop culture that have had
a bad rap, in my opinion MTV’s 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom are one of those
aspects. These two shows get a lot of heat for glorifying teen pregnancy. I
would have to agree, however there are some redeemable qualities about these
shows.
Teen Birthrates Up in 26 States, an article from USA Today said, “Sarah Brown, CEO of the National Campaign to Prevent
Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy…suggests that increases in high-profile unmarried
births in Hollywood, movies and even politics are a significant factor for
impressionable teens.” Unfortunately, this claim is hard to pin down, because
it seems like there is nothing but opinion to back it up. This article was
published in 2009, and according to Birth Rates for U.S. Teenagers Reach Historic Lows for all Ages and Ethnic Groups from the CDC published 2012, “The U.S. teen
birth rate declined 9 percent from 2009 to 2010, reaching a historic low at
34.3 births per 1,000 women aged 15–19; the rate dropped 44 percent from 1991
through 2010.” Brown made these claims based on scattered incidents in Hollywood
the same year that there was a dramatic decrease in teen pregnancy.
Perhaps this Teen Mom phenomenon is doing the exact
opposite of what Brown claims. They are getting the word out there about what
it is really like to take care of a baby, work, go to school, and be an adult
before they are ready to. Maybe that is what is causing the decrease.
I have watched these shows, and there is one story
in particular that really touches my heart. Caitlyn and Tyler chose to have
their baby adopted by some distant family members. Them being chosen by MTV for
Teen Mom was a good idea, because it defiantly shows a path that not many
people would think about in that situation. Their story, even though it’s crazy
and outlandish when it comes to their families shows. However even though there
is this positive message, and information given to people who watch this show
there is anger towards MTV, NewsBusters article 16 and Pregnant? No Big Deal said, “Studies showed watching MTV
created a more liberal attitude toward pre martial sex. Teenagers who watch MTV
receive messages about sex that are likely to sway their own behavior. So the
network is guilty of originally helping to foster the situation and now for
exacerbating it by normalizing and even glorifying teen pregnancy.” This is untrue.
That is not the aim of 16 and Pregnant or Teen Mom, the idea is to get teens and
their parents to start talking about the eventuality of sex. And that dialogue
and having the right information will what makes the teen pregnancy rates drop.An article called Is MTV Making Pregnancy Cool?
from Berkeley Political Review, “Teen pregnancy and abortion will continue to be hot button issues, but, above
all, it is important for the next generation to be informed of the consequences
of not practicing safe sex.”
There are people all over who will blame these shows
for teens getting pregnant. But that just doesn’t seem to be the case. Yes, I would
love to blame these shows because they are so sensationalized and trashy, but they
are not the great evil.
-zombiegirl
