Teen Mom and Effects on American Culture

Teen pregnancy is a subject easily made into a reality show as it makes viewers feel morally superior—we are made to believe that young mothers are “unstable, weak and selfish” (Friedman) and that these women’s struggles are just the ‘consequences’ of their promiscuous behaviour. Shows like 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom aim to engage an audience by showing them what poor choices (i.e. sexual activity) and the events that follow these choices look like. They also attempt to be an example for young, impressionable viewers, constantly reiterating that teen pregnancy is “100% preventable”. However, the morals behind these TV shows seem to be partisan, intentionally failing to mention every side of the story. The reason that these reality shows are able to thrive is because they agree with the misogynistic moral perspectives held by

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 86 percent of mothers who give birth out-of-wedlock are teenagers. MTV’s show “16 & Pregnant,” which has only been on air since June 2009, is already reflecting the rapid boom in teenage pregnancy across various cities in America. Since the early eighties MTV has been considered somewhat of a cultural phenomenon for American adolescents and its depiction of gender has a strong impact that continues to this day (Holtzman 2000). Created by Morgan J. Freeman (director of teen shows Dawson’s Creek and Laguna Beach), the show “16 & Pregnant” has been said to be guilty of exacerbating, normalizing and even glorifying teen pregnancy. Perhaps, it’s just reflecting a current social dilemma

Adam Lind may lose any rights he has with his daughters, Aubree and Paislee because he brought them around a registered sex offender. The undisputed evidence was shown on this week’s episode of Teen Mom 2, according to Radar Online, April 14, 2016.

Teen pregnancy is a growing epidemic in the United States. Teen girls are becoming pregnant at an alarming rate, with a lot of the pregnancies planned. With television shows broadcasting shows such as “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom”, it is giving teenage girls the idea that it is alright to have premarital sex and become pregnant. It is in a way condoning teen pregnancy.

Many teenagers of today are sexually irresponsible, leading to pregnancy. Often, these teenagers then use abortion as a form of birth control. MTV’s Teen Mom first appeared on the network in 2009. It almost immediately ignited a series of controversies between viewers all over the United States. This show allowed viewers to face the reality of the fact that many teenagers are unprepared due to the fact that they are not well informed by their schools on the topic of sex. When the first season of Teen Mom aired, the teen birth rate declined by nine percent, which was the biggest drop since 1964 (Maerz, 2012, p.1). This reality show gives individuals coverage of the lives of four teenage girls who are going through pregnancy, followed by life after the birth of their children. According to Maerz, 90 percent of teenage viewers have stated that the show makes pregnancy look “harder than I imagined” (2012, p.1). This shows that the reality show was

When it comes to the topic of teen pregnancy, some of us will readily agree that shows like “Teen Mom OG” and “16 and Pregnant” promotes teen pregnancy. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of do these types of shows promote or discourage teens across the country from becoming teen moms. Whereas some are convinced that “Teen Mom OG” and “16 and Pregnant” have reduced teen pregnancy rates, others maintain that the producers have made stars out of these teen moms, with financial compensation most teen moms would not receive. But the deeper problem was once “16 and Pregnant” was successful, they did a spin off show called “Teen Mom OG.”

Teen Mom II is the second incarnation of MTV's number one rated reality mini-series 16 and Pregnant. The show documents the lives of four teenage mothers as they struggle to cope with the every day challenges, financial and emotional, a woman faces while raising her first infant child. All while trying to navigate through the journey of adolescence.

A. What topic did the movie take an in depth look at? This movie takes a deep look at sex, specifically underage sex in the U.S. The movie portrays the adverse affects of sex on young people. James Houston states, "70 percent of American teens have had sex...”

In the three cultures discussed above, while there are different variations of strictness, the partners were able to choose who they desired to court and in turn marry. This is not the case for Grecian courtships where “virtually all marriages are arranged” (Campbell, 1964, p. 124). The idea of marrying for love, while not a foreign concept in the culture, is often rejected and condemned. Often the only question asked during the courtship is “’will you marry this boy or girl?’” (p. 124). This being said, ““It is almost impossible for a girl to refuse the bridegroom of her family's choice if they insist upon it, although it is believed that a good father or brother ought not to force her into a marriage against her will” (p. 124).

American culture has always baffled me even though I grew up here. I never understood why somebody wants to lay around all day watching other guys play sports on TV or pore all their time and money into materialistic things like cars but not put the same kind of effort for their own bodies. Now add in nutritionally uneducated dual working parents who would rather what little time they have watching the sports channel or Dancing with the Stars then getting educated about their diet, our children are doomed.

The end of the World War II marked the beginning of a new era, not only for America but for the entire world. In the United States, the end of the war was celebrated and hope for the future began. America’s future looked bright even though there still was uncertainty with the threat of the Soviet Union. A distinctive youth culture emerged during the postwar era. Also the suburbs were considered a popular place to live. It was a socially conservative time. Gender roles for men and women were clearly defined. This era’s emphasis was guided upon social conformity and family.

During the teenage years, there are raging hormones, social acceptance conflicts, developing feelings for the opposite sex, the list can go on for days! The older population tends to have opinions about MTV’s hit show, 16 and pregnant. Some critics say it promotes unprotected sex and has girls thinking it is acceptable to be pregnant young. 16 and pregnant has its flaws, but overall it shows the important message that pregnancy is hard, no matter the age but especially so young. These mothers suffer from depression, social unacceptance, and often times bullying. The t.v show proves how difficult it is to have a child so young, and overall tends to discourage it.

Teen Mom II is the second incarnation of MTV's number one rated reality series 16 and Pregnant. The show documents the lives of four teenage mothers as they struggle to cope with the burden of childrearing in a financially demanding society while trying to navigate through the journey of adolescence. Once catering to a music oriented teenage consumer, MTV has reinvented itself as a teen reality television powerhouse, with many of its reality shows, including Teen Mom II, consistently dominating in the ratings. Although advertisers eagerly race to gain the attention of the much sought after 18-49 demographic, critics question the stereotypes that may be reinforced through the television program and the negative sociological effects, the

Young girls at that age are considered vulnerable and many seek psychological help to overcome the traumatic event. Children born to teen mothers can develop blindness, deafness, mental, respiratory and cerebral problems. Also the low birth weight puts the child at greater risk of dying as infants. Other social problem that pregnant teenagers face is economy. Most teenage girls struggle to finish school and earn a degree. Pregnant teenage girls live in poverty due to the lack of financial and educational stability. For instance, a study found that “low-income teens received such instruction 44% of the time, compared with 62% of higher-income teens. That disparity is particularly troubling, supporters say, because low-income and black and Hispanic teens are more prone to teen pregnancy than teens in general”. In most cases low income families are always struggling to provide to the family and adding teenage girls just makes the situation even worst. The lack of experience, financial and educational stability can limit the options of the child to succeed in life. The author of Teen Pregnancy: Does learning about birth control in school help prevent teen pregnancy? suggest that “teen pregnancy is often cited as a factor that perpetuates the cycle of poverty, since teen mothers are likely to be poor in the first place, and their children are likely to grow up to be poor. As a

“Do you teenagers ever put your phone down?” If you are a teenager in today’s society, I can almost guarantee you cannot count on one hand how many times an adult has asked you this question. Due to the fact that I am a highschool student involved in many extracurricular activities keeping my brain busy, I often catch myself forgetting to stop and realize all the “normal” daily expectations my generation has taken for granted. To say I was stunned would be an understatement, as I reflected on how times have transformed in the short amount of time from my sister's teenage years compared to mine. To evaluate an even more drastic change, the thirty four years between my mother, my aunt, and I was breathtaking. Almost acted as a culture shock. Expectations including home life, transportation, and technology have drastically evolved in an oddly short amount of time.