The social taboo spectacle that is teen pregnancy today has become more of a pop culture fad and social norm than a devastating life choice. This is best evidenced by the media's representation of teen pregnancy in film and television like "16 and Pregnant" and "Teen Mom." To quote an article written in The Cornell Daily Sun, "Perhaps for myself, and anyone else at Cornell guilty of feeding into the media's obsession with teen pregnancy, we just want a glimpse into a life path the majority of us never chose or would have wanted to choose. So in mid-February when those ten new episodes of 16 & Pregnant premiere on MTV, I will sit in rapture as I watch the stories of these girls who have decided to share with us, but at the same time I'll be thinking how happy I am that I was never one of them." As entertaining as these images might be, they represent the idea to young impressionable girls that if you do not have plans to go to college, then you should probably have a baby to teach you some responsibility. Though this may seem to be a glib remark, it is actually the tragic message behind most of these glamorized images of pregnancy. MTV's representation of teenage pregnancy is irresponsible and unrealistic - most important, it portrays the wrong message to young girls.
The problem with 16 and pregnant is that it features attractive, popular girls who have found themselves in the conundrum that is teenage pregnancy. The truly disturbing part is how MTV had managed to find six girls with supportive parents that aided them financially and emotionally with every step of their pregnancies. One girl even had her grandma bend over to tie her shoe. Not to mention five out of the six had supportive boyfriends, some of whom even had their own apartments. It almost makes one wonder if it is a requirement to have a supportive father figure for their baby in order to be featured on the show. All of them raved about how much they loved their babies and how the experience taught them responsibility, even though none of them had to deal with the full effects of pregnancy because their parents were one hundred percent behind them. Farrah Abrahams mother even bought her daughter a car.
The show also communicates that having a baby will strengthen your relationship, so if you find yourself a teenager with a failing relationship, a baby will fix all your troubles. The moment the first episode aired, Maci, the pregnant teen, and her boyfriend fought so much that at one point he tells her, "if we didn't have a baby we wouldn't be together," thereby solidifying the concept that babies save relationships. If your boyfriend is immature, as most on the show are, a baby will teach him the error in his ways and force him to mature to your standards. Almost all the girls took on the full responsibility of their pregnancies while the fathers of their babies felt it necessary to enjoy their teenage years.
Thankfully, it seems as though MTV realized how glamorized their depiction of teen pregnancy was and responded by releasing the second season of 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom. Teen Mom is by far a grittier and more realistic depiction of life as a teen mom. Teen Mom depicts more of a "gloves off" scenario, where most of the moms were single by the end of filming.
Read More
CARTER: U.Va. Health owes clarity to transplant patients
By Nathaniel Carter | 7 hours agoUnfortunately, this negative press is fully the fault of U.Va. Health — it failed to address significant stakeholder concerns when crafting its justification.
EDITORIAL: Upholding medical amnesty is a collective effort
By Editorial Board | 23 hours agoUniversity leadership, Greek life organizations and students themselves must recommit to the safety provided by an effective and knowledgeable use of medical amnesty.
KURTZWEIL: Dockworkers’ unions cannot avoid the threat of automation
By Paul Kurtzweil | 2 days agoInstead of continuing to demand decreased automation, the union should work with the legislature in the hopes of driving investment into the reorganization of the current workforce.
