Teenage pregnancy is a reality that needs to be addressed, especially when that reality is 750,000 teenagers getting pregnant each year.
But does the media address teen pregnancy in the right way?
In 2009, MTV released a reality show, “16 and Pregnant.” This is a documentary series that focuses on teenage pregnancy. A few of the show’s “stars,” Farrah, Maci, Amber, and Catelynn, are now seen on the spin-off, MTV’s “Teen Moms,” which follows their lives into motherhood.
The girls featured on “Teen Moms” didn’t intend to promote teen pregnancy when they signed up for the show, but rather to document the hardships of raising a child at a young age.
However, they are still in the spotlight for babies who have babies. And this spotlight has turned them into reality celebrities.
Teenage pregnancy is not a favorable fate except for Farrah, Maci, Amber, and Catelynn. Their pregnancies seem to be glorified all over national television.
Teenage pregnancy is not a money maker except for Farrah, Maci, Amber, and Catelynn. They receive paychecks from MTV and magazines to showcase the consequences of pre-marital sex.
Teenage pregnancy is not a celebrity lifestyle. But it is for Farrah, Maci, Amber, and Catelynn. They are featured on popular magazine covers with their stories filling the pages.
Whether or not teen girls believe in waiting until marriage to have sex, they need to understand the seriousness of teenage pregnancy. It doesn’t lead to a reality show, a paycheck, or a story in People magazine. It leads to morning sickness, childbirth, diaper changes, breast-feeding, spit up, sleeplessness, bills, pre-school tuition, and the list goes on – all before the age of twenty.
You’re a mom forever. But you’re only a kid once. Now, that is the reality.
