How Mass Media Encourage Teenage Pregnancy
MTV started airing shows about teen pregnancies in 2009. While this would embarrass most conservative parents, it’s just another publicity stunt that MTV uses to create a reality show. What parents warn about, now is portrayed positively. These shows encourage teens to become pregnant. They make it appear easy and they give the impression that it’s not difficult.
Some people say the show is effective in discouraging teen pregnancy. MTV’s audience may think that the show does a great job at educating them and teenagers. MTV’s attempt to discourage teenage pregnancy was done in a flashy and bold way. They did not give information to their audience on safe sex or how to remain safe. This is a reality TV show that teaches teens to get pregnant if they wish to appear on television or be famous. These shows have more girls, which is a constant, so it’s obvious to us that teenagers are still getting pregnant.
The reality is that being a pregnant teen is much harder. This show doesn’t depict the struggles a girl may face, such as her boyfriend leaving or her parents forcing her to leave the house. Although some parents were excited about the new baby, teen pregnancy is still not acceptable. The show gives these girls “15 seconds of fame” and makes teen pregnancy seem glamorous. It makes pregnancy seem carefree. These shows do not reflect the real life of a teenage mom, and they lead viewers to believe otherwise.
The message of avoiding teen pregnancy gets lost in the endless cycle of domestic violence, verbal assault, and unnecessary drama between teen mothers, their families, and the media. In real life a teen mom would be so overwhelmed that she wouldn’t have the time to go out or make friends. In shows such as this, the parents of girls watch over their children when they are not available. The show is a mess, with the violence taking over. The girls in “Sixteen and Pregnant,” I saw, were there for only one reason: attention. The girl was dumped by her boyfriend and had to raise a baby all alone. Her boyfriend did not have any consequences. The message of the show is lost in all the drama. It was created to help teens avoid becoming pregnant.
It is clear that shows such as “Teen Mom,” and Sixteen and Pregnant, encourage teenage pregnancy. The shows don’t show what it is like to be a teen mom, they lose the message of avoiding teen pregnancies, and teen pregnant is viewed as a way to get famous. MTV should have shows that discourage teen pregnancies more than they encourage them.
