I am one those people addicted to reality tv, yes I admit it. Â However even though MTV’s Teen Mom and 16 & Pregnant sucked me into every episode, I seem to find my blood pressure raised and pissed off at the end of each one.
They just started the second season of 16 & Pregnant on MTV last night and it made me cringe all over. Â The little girl they featured was probably the most selfish little girl I have ever seen. Â I only hope since the show she has matured. Â However what I saw last night was a senior in high school who essentially took the title of mom while her mom was the one doing everything with the baby. Â I was glad when her mom stood up to her. Â Having a baby isn’t cool and something high school girls should think is.
Unfortunately with MTV’s 16 & Pregnant and their Teen Mom show I fear that is exactly what is happening. Â I think while the concept is to show the struggles that come with pregnancy and parenthood that some high school girls are going to see this show and think “Hey I want a baby and maybe I can be on MTV”. Â It’s so sad that there is even a second season to begin with, kids shouldn’t think parenthood is “cool” or easy.
While I love my kids and now that I am older I think it’s “cool” that is not what teenagers should be thinking! Â Teen pregnancy is not cool, easy, hip. Â Babies are not the new “must have” accessory. Â While last season I completely give props to Caitlynn for doing what was best for her child, I don’t think this show is doing what it may have started out intending to do. Â I think MTV wanted to educate but now I feel like ratings are so good they are going to continue to highlight these high school pregnancies and some poor girl is going to get pregnant in hopes of becoming “famous”.
I am even appalled at myself for continuing to watch and as I type out this blog post. Â I just can’t help but wonder if MTV is possibly doing more harm than good with this series. Â I would love to hear your thoughts too, please leave them in the comments below.
Do you think this is a subject that should be highlighted in the way MTV is doing it or is there a better way?
Is it making pregnancy for teens “cool”?
Do you think it really will help any teens see the hardships of teen pregnancy and parenting? Â Is this one of those issues that isn’t so black and white?
Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts with me on this.
*Check out Lori’s Post after you have read mine and read what thoughts sparked after she read my thoughts, love her post.*
Toni Patton
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I watched it last night and kept thinking, “Why am I watching this?,” mostly because I was getting so heated.
It was bad enough that they give ANYONE a reality TV show but this is not a subject to take lightly. I watched that girl and felt so bad for her. She is so naive. She is dating a guy who isn’t going to be a part of her or her child’s life yet she is left to raise a baby with the help (lots of help) from her mother.
I watched the episode with Dr. Drew and Caitlynn is wise beyond her years. She made a very hard decision but sees all the good that continues to come from it. She is still struggling without having her daughter. I think she is the most mature out of all those girls, maybe even more than her parents.
A baby isn’t an accessory and I hope (I really do) that girls don’t get pregnant to get on this show or future shows like this.
I am with you Allison. I think Caitlynn was very wise as you said beyond her years.
Wow, I tried to comment, but I went on so long I had to make it a blog post of my own. Sorry, lol. As a former single teenage mom, this is always a tough subject for me. Do I want my daughter following in my footsteps? No. But on the other hand…
.-= Lori @table_4_7´s last blog ..Whrrl Post: Ari’s first school dance =-.
I look forward to reading your post. 🙂
I have heard of this show, but never have seen it. I am with you on thinking that it’s going to make girls think about having a baby just for a chance to be on MTV. It’s going to backfire for sure.
I was a teen mom {20 days prior to my 17th b’day} and I have to say from experience that it is the hardest thing to do. I am not sure why on Earth any girl would want to have a baby prior to marriage, especially at that age!
I know accidents happen, however most of the time it’s not by accident. It’s a concept of not using anything at all for protection thinking, “it’s not going to happen to me”. However, it does happen and it’s the kids lives that are misfortunate not the teen moms. They are the ones that have made this decision, not the kids.
I wouldn’t change what happened to me in a million years. However I had a great support system, and I just hope that the girls that end up in this situation they have a great support system as well. {Of course all of this comment is without having seen this show at all, I guess I’ll have to catch an episode, huh?!}
.-= Joanna´s last blog ..Social Media Moms Conference in Disney =-.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. I agree with your points.
I was a teen mom at 15, 10 years ago, and let me tell you, there’s nothing glamorous about being a teen mom. I had the That Would Never Happen to Me syndrome and guess what, it did. I was 15 with a baby and his 17-year-old father got tired of being a dad after 9 months.
I do believe that this is something that needs to be addressed to teens today but I do believe that MTV is glamorizing the whole thing and going about it in the wrong way.
Don’t get me wrong, I was very young so my parents did help out a lot but I’m the one who got up with him every night and got him ready in the mornings and took him to the sitter and picked him up after school.
I hope no girl gets prenant on purpose because of this show but the way teens are today there will be some who do.
I wouldn’t give my son up for anything but 10 years later I have still not had any other kids as I had always planned because my boyfriend of 9 years doesn’t want anymore. If I had known I was only going to have one child I would have had him the right way, when I was in a relationship with someone I loved who would be there with me through the entire pregnancy and share our lives together.
Yes that is my point, these issues need to be addressed absolutely but to have a series that continues on and on and makes these girls famous or infamous is what bothers me the most.. And others are going to want that I can just feel it
I watched one episode and that’s all I can handle. MTV needs to pull this show.
Hugs and Mocha,
Stesha
.-= Stesha´s last blog ..25 Years Later… =-.
I think one documentary to show teen pregnancy is what should have been done but I agree this continues series is going about it the wrong way.
Any show that promotes kids having kids is wrong. A 16 year old is a kid no matter what anyone says. To promote them and reward them with a show is totally wrong. Almost all shows on VH1 and MTV promote lifestyles that make me cringe. Teens and younger watch these and then think well others do this so maybe I am not doing wrong. Unfortunately in todays world, that is what sells.
You know Brian I am noticing that, the shows on these channels are really promoting lifestyles that aren’t good examples. And you are right unfortunately it is what sells.
As a girl who got pregnant at 16 I made my 12 and 13 year old boys watch the entire season one (with me and their dad)..Not because I want them to think I regret my decision to have them (they know I don’t) but to show them all the ways teenage pregnancy, sexual relationships to soon, etc affect everyone not just you and your GF or BF. It affects your relationship with your friends, your education, your future and your relationship with your parents.
I applaud MTV for showing a quasi realistic rendition so that we as parents can use it as a tool to educate our kids. It is actually the only show on MTV my kids are allowed to watch.
*I haven’t seen the episode from season 2 yet*
.-= Melissa, Multitasking Mama´s last blog ..To be honest… =-.
I agree that the first season could be used as a tool Melissa 🙂 I would have totally used it with mine if they are older but I think continuing it season after season even if showing the struggles is also glamourizing it. Thanks so much for shaing your opinion 🙂
I think maybe this season should have been shown from those babies biological father’s point of view. Guys who would be honest and say that they hated this happening and that it’s no fun to be with the girl or trying to work and go to school to pay support. Guys that are honest and say they won’t marry the girl or help her because it’s her problem. Because really isn’t that the true reality in most of these teen pregnancies. Have the parents of the girls give their honest opinion of all the stuff they are having to do on a full time basis that they don’t think should be their responsibility either. The girls had their say last season, let their 15 minutes of fame, be seen as what it is really, 15 minutes of shame. I actually knew girls growing up in high school who purposely said they were going to trick a guy into getting them pregnant, and they went through with it. They thought the guy would marry them and get them out of their parents home. Well, only one of the three ended up getting married and then he left her in about 1 year. The other two didn’t end up getting married. One ended up having to live with her Dad, because her mom left because she was tired of her daughter’s behavior. She still lives with her Dad several years later, and she just has a part time job at Walmart. She gets some government assistance for her little boy.
The other girl had a baby that had multiple birth defects. She ended up living on Welfare after her family finally had enough too and told her to make it on her own. Her baby ended up dying from one of the birth defects that affected its’ heart when it was almost two years old.
I think teen pregnancy is a serious thing and not something that should be used just to make good ratings or to get 15 minutes of fame on TV. The ones who’ll suffer the most from this is the children born to families that break apart and not come together after a situation like this.
I think that MTV is encouraging a sleeeeeewwwwwwwww of bad behaviors and making them out to be the cool thing to do. Do yourself a favor, and tell yourself away and anyone you care about away from tv channels like those. Evil people.
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I totallllyy agree with you. I have a 7 month month old & I was one of those teens. After watching these movies & shows, I got sucked into thinking it was easy. ITS NOT. I hate when girls talk about how they & their boyfriend want a baby at this young.
But that it what the media is making these girls think. The media does it for good intention I know, however there is bad results. I say we should put a stop to it.
If the media wants to show the struggles, show the REAL hardships of being a teen mom! Like staying in school, and pleasing your family, and being a loving mom all at the same time! It’s difficult!
i agree completely. i’m fourteen and i understand how the teenage minds work. believe me a couple of teens will get pregnant to get on this show.mtv has to be careful who they have on the show.
I think teen pregnancy is a subject that needs to be discussed, but the way MTV is doing it doesn’t promote a healthy discussion– it simply glamorizes teen pregnancy which is not good for anyone. Children are a huge responsibility and it takes a mature person to be a good parent. My mom was a teen mom and has told me how hard it was for her to raise my older brother. The message shouldn’t be that it’s fun and easy to have a baby too young, but an objective examination of the difficult choices women of all ages have to make. A baby is not a fashion accessory! MTV needs to drop its programming or change it to reflect a healthier discussion of teen pregnancy.