Do Shows Like “16 and Pregnant” Promote Teenage Pregnancy?
Teenage pregnancy has become a popular topic of entertainment for American television. There are dozens of shows and movies that depict a young girl and her challenging lifestyle once a child is brought into the picture. The most common concern with these shows is simple: do shows like “16 and Pregnant” promote teenage pregnancy? The answer is also simple: no. Television shows and movies do not glorify young mothers. These shows portray teenage parenthood realistically.
“16 and Pregnant” is a reality television show on MTV that began airing in 2009. This show follows a girl, her family, and the baby’s father from the first few months of the pregnancy, through the birth, to the first months of the babies’ life. (Weiss) It’s easy to say that modern day shows like “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom” promote, encourage, and glorify teenage pregnancy. This is a popular opinion because it gives teenagers their own tv show, …show more content…
Since the main focus is now the child, its hard to make time to focus on school work and obtaining high grades. Many girls drop out of high school or take a much longer time to graduate. In fact, teen pregnancy is the single greatest cause of school withdrawals among teenage girls in the country. Twice as many girls leave school due to pregnancy than any other physical or medical conditions combined. (Epstein) Without a diploma, its hard for these young girls to have a stable career which prevents them from making the money needed to support their child. And due to the fact that they now have to pay for a child of their own, many young girls have to work more than one job to pay for necessities. “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom” show the negative consequences of unprotected sex, not the parts media usually
Teenage pregnancy has become a popular topic of entertainment for American television. There are dozens of shows and movies that depict a young girl and her challenging lifestyle once a child is brought into the picture. The most common concern with these shows is simple: do shows like “16 and Pregnant” promote teenage pregnancy? The answer is also simple: no. Television shows and movies do not glorify young mothers. These shows portray teenage parenthood realistically.
“16 and Pregnant” is a reality television show on MTV that began airing in 2009. This show follows a girl, her family, and the baby’s father from the first few months of the pregnancy, through the birth, to the first months of the babies’ life. (Weiss) It’s easy to say that modern day shows like “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom” promote, encourage, and glorify teenage pregnancy. This is a popular opinion because it gives teenagers their own tv show, …show more content…
Since the main focus is now the child, its hard to make time to focus on school work and obtaining high grades. Many girls drop out of high school or take a much longer time to graduate. In fact, teen pregnancy is the single greatest cause of school withdrawals among teenage girls in the country. Twice as many girls leave school due to pregnancy than any other physical or medical conditions combined. (Epstein) Without a diploma, its hard for these young girls to have a stable career which prevents them from making the money needed to support their child. And due to the fact that they now have to pay for a child of their own, many young girls have to work more than one job to pay for necessities. “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom” show the negative consequences of unprotected sex, not the parts media usually