Let’s face it, teen pregnancy is something that has been happening forever. Arguably, in the more recent years it has become more common and acceptable in society. Teen pregnancy is a hot topic in our communities, social circles, and most notably in our media. Some say it has become publicized and romanticized through shows such as Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant. It’s true that these programs have brought a lot of new attention to the teen pregnancy topic, but I don’t necessarily agree with most people in saying that teen pregnancy is romanticized through these shows.
Now some people might disagree with me and say that they make a lot of money and are famous because of their role in these popular tv programs. I would agree with those arguments. Yes, they do make quite a bit of money off of these shows, and yes they are among the headlines of magazines and other media frequently. However, if you have ever seen these shows you will observe deadbeat dads, custody battles, financial struggles (in earlier seasons of course), and a lot of broken dreams and goals once desired by these teen parents. These shows show the not so pretty side of being a teen parent. You see, more than anything, conflicts caused by the teen pregnancies. Mothers of the teen basically shutting them out of their lives, teens with no money and no where to go, children of those teens caught in the middle of custody battles between their druggy mother and their ill tempered grandmother. The children are the victims in most of these cases, and no amount of money or publicity can make up for the damage done to the children by these inconsiderate teens.
No, I’m not bashing teen parents or looking down on them in any way, shape, or form. I am however, stating my opinion that not only through these shows are the teens reputations changed completely, for the worst in most cases, but their children are caught in the middle of issues they shouldn’t be exposed to. These tv shows do not romanticize teen pregnancy, if anything they should scare you sh**less into not wanting to be a teen parent. No one wants to be faced with these responsibilities that come along with it.
Written Reflections 