First came the MTV reality show, 16 and Pregnant, a series of one-hour stories featuring a different teen girl and the challenges unplanned pregnancy brought into her life. It was popular with its young viewers, but the spinoff featuring the continuing dramas of four of those girls, Teen Mom, has exploded into a ratings and popular culture phenomenon. All four young women – Amber, Farrah, Maci, and Catelynn – are appearing almost weekly on the covers of celebrity magazines, such as People and Us Weekly. Those of us who work with youth wonder if this media attention will serve to glamorize teen pregnancy and blunt the tough reality of teen parenting. A new survey indicates this is not the case.
A public opinion poll of 1,008 young people ages 12-19 commissioned this summer by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy found the following:
- Most teens (79% of girls and 67% of boys) say that when a TV show or character they like deals with teen pregnancy, it makes them think more about their own risk of getting pregnant or causing a pregnancy and how to avoid it.
- Among those teens who have watched MTV’s 16 and Pregnant, 82% think the show helps teens better understand the challenges of teen pregnancy and parenthood.
- Just 15% who’ve seen the show believe it glamorizes teen pregnancy.
- Three-quarters of teens (76%) say that what they see in the media about sex, love, and relationships can be a good way to start conversations with adults.
- About half (48%) say they sometimes or often have conversations about these topics with their parents because of something they’ve seen in the media.
We encourage adults to watch programs such as these with their teens, as it provides an opportunity for a “teachable moment,” an opening for a discussion about choices made by the teens on the screen and a chance for the adult to share her/his beliefs and values.
In addition, anyone who watches Teen Mom will see the “stars” lamenting lost teen years and facing a number of obstacles to success in family and romantic relationships, education, and careers. Amber is a high school dropout who failed at her first attempt to obtain a GED; Farrah and Amber work at low paying restaurant or retail jobs; Maci has dropped in and out of college and continues custody fights with the baby’s father; and Farrah, who is financially strapped, had a physical encounter with her mother during one heated exchange. Catelynn, who put her baby up for adoption, is the only teen still with her partner. She and her now fiancé Tyler weren’t able to graduate from high school with their class due to absences around the pregnancy, but are determined to graduate this winter and follow their newfound career aspirations. It’s hard to imagine that young viewers would want to emulate the lives of any of these young people.
While MTV does continue its “trashy” programming, such as Jersey Shore and graphic videos, the network deserves praise for not only 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom but also for its excellent website www.itsyoursexlife.com and the PSAs about preventing pregnancy and reporting intimate violence that appear in each episode. These programs show a life far removed from Juno, and the teen viewers are better served for it.
Health Quarters 