16 And Pregnant Research Paper

700 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Impact of media in society

Mallory Kautz
Samantha Richardson
February 25, 2015
3rd hour
“16 and Pregnant”
Does the nationwide television show, “16 and Pregnant,” promote teens to have a teen pregnancy? This is an important issue because early pregnancy can lead to many problems in that teen’s future. People have many different opinions about this issue, and some people believe that this reality T.V show has very little influence on teens today. The show “16 and Pregnant” promotes teens into having an early pregnancy. Data based on a variety of teens show overall opinions on this issue. Although, most opinions are that this show influences teens into an early pregnancy. The popular television show, “16 and Pregnant” has a large influence on teenagers, their largest …show more content…

Some people argue that the show “16 and Pregnant” does not promote teen pregnancy. These people believe that teen pregnancy is just fine because that’s maybe how they were brought up. They only visualize the positive parts of teen pregnancy, just like “16 and Pregnant” does. Although the cute, cuddly, loving baby sounds good and all, it comes with a price. Studies do show that teen pregnancies are sometimes a good thing. For some, being a poor teen mom leads them away from drugs. Miller-McCune points out “For girls from the poorest neighborhoods, becoming a mama during the teen years may actually help said teen girl choose a path that veers away from delinquency and drugs (www.dosomething.org).” So for some, teen pregnancy may be a good thing. Also, pregnancy can be hard for anyone. Miller-McCune also says, “…health wise, economic wise, and emotional wise, pregnancy and parenting can be tough for anyone (www.pregnancyandbaby.com).” These situations may show up in the T.V show “16 and Pregnant.” This brings viewers to think “I need this to stay on track.” or, “What can it hurt, it looks easy.” For some, the show “16 and Pregnant” is good to …show more content…

Time.com states multiple views on this show. Indiana University did a study on this television show and found “…lead viewers to think that teen mothers have an enviable quality of life (www.time.com).” Thus, time.com also believes that “16 and Pregnant,” promotes teen pregnancy, and they are a very popular website. The Media Research Center says “So what does MTV do? It shows how cool teen pregnancy is with a new reality series (www.time.com).” That’s just one other source that agrees this television show promotes teen pregnancy. There are many other people who believe the same thing. New York Times has an article on this issue too. These are some statistics about how “16 and Pregnant” promotes teen

Show More
Related

  • The Social Issue Of Teen Pregnancy

    1506 Words  | 4 Pages

    The media is one contributor to teen pregnancy. The star of Zoey 101, Jamie Lynn Spears, became pregnant when she was only 16. Parents were shocked to find out that the girl they once thought was a good role model for their young teens was actually not (Teen Pregnancy). Singers like Rihanna, and rappers like Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj sing about extreme sexual acts, and parents allow their teens to listen to the music. Some stars who have been known to dress and dance promiscuously have supported abstinence such as, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Jordan Sparks (Teen Pregnancy). The Jonas Brothers even took virginity pledges in their teens, but with these celebrities promiscuous ways it often contradicts their support (Teen

    Read More

  • The MTV Series 16 And Pregnant

    1987 Words  | 4 Pages

    The MTV series 16 And Pregnant and its follow up series titled Teen Mom is a documentary like series that first aired in 2009 on June 11 and since then has had many seasons and sequels to follow it. Each episode in the series focuses on several young girls for 5-7 moths while they have to deal with the struggle of teenage pregnancy and “life after labor”. The initial idea or the show was to promote teen pregnancy prevention but, with many of the girls behaving scandalously and recklessly during the series, the show has become one of the most controversial on MTV.

    Read More

  • MTV’s Influence on Teens

    888 Words  | 2 Pages

    #1 “Is 16 and pregnant really a bad influence?” What is the Media really doing. Web. 17 Mar. 2014

    Read More

  • Stereotypes, Stereotyping and Teen Pregnancy

    1465 Words  | 3 Pages

    Teen pregnancy, in my opinion, is awful. I feel that young women should not be having children at such a young age. I feel that these teenagers that are having babies are children themselves, and do not know how to take care of them as well as an older, more mature person might.

    Read More

  • The Decrease of Teen Pregnancy in America

    781 Words  | 2 Pages

    Studies show that within the last seven years there has been a dramatic drop in the number of teen pregnancies. Teen pregnancy is best known as, the act of getting pregnant between the ages of fifteen and nineteen. Teen pregnancy does not come with much of a history. In the past, (mostly in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s) it was common for girls to be married between the ages of fourteen and sixteen and give birth not long after. Some girls were having babies as young as thirteen and fourteen years old! During the times that young girls would bear children and be married so young, college and education was not an important factor. As a young girl you learned how to take care of your house, farm, laundry, crops, animals, husband, and children. The father was your main source of income. Obviously things in our time are very different. Over the years a growing importance for education and making a living on your own has become crucial to many women. It was no longer important to have children so soon, but to learn to be a strong, educated, and independent woman. Even now as time has gone by, the image of being a pregnant teenage girl has been glorified solely by media. It becomes less important to get an education so you can get a good job and be able to raise a child and give them a good life, and more important to get pregnant and get a chance to be worshiped nationally on t.v. for being pregnant and making all of your money through fame.

    Read More

  • 16 & Pregnant- MTV Show

    1583 Words  | 4 Pages

    16 & Pregnant is a TV show aired on MTV that as the name suggests, focuses on the lives of various teens who are pregnant whilst still in high school; each tells a different story. In these episodes, viewers are able to observe the struggles these teens face as a result of pregnancy during pubescent development. Controversy has been made as a result of the release of this show; this left viewers torn between whether 16 & Pregnant discourages teen pregnancy or shrouds it within curiosity. There is more than sufficient evidence to say that 16 & Pregnant, does in fact discourage teen pregnancy for various reasons. According to the New York Times report, the National Bureau of Economic Research compared Nielsen television ratings to birth records, and concluded that in areas where teens viewed MTV more after the debut of 16 & Pregnant, there was a rapid decline of teen pregnancy rates when compared to other areas that viewed it less frequently although some believe the show glamorizes the subject matter. Some also believe that it encourages the teens to disrespect their parents in every way possible; quite to the contrary, watching 16 & Pregnant is very beneficial to discouraging teen pregnancy and family problems by displaying the hardships these teens face, teaching the importance of completing high school and encouraging viewers to use various contraceptives methods or practice abstinence.

    Read More

  • Teen Pregnancy

    768 Words  | 2 Pages

    Teen mom and 16 and Pregnant are TV shows about pregnant teens that are struggling to raise their kid and going through different obstacles in order to graduate high school and become successful. Both of the shows relate to teen pregnancy because they’re both shows about pregnant teens. “Instead of really helping viewers understand the day to day responsibilities of attending to a new infant, MTV chooses to focus on the girls’ volatile relationships with the babies’ fathers or their body piercings and tattoo,” Parents Television Council Director, Melissa Henson wrote on CNN.

    Read More

  • What Is MTV Caused Teenage Pregnancy?

    800 Words  | 2 Pages

    Can the broadcasting of shows such as these, where the young audience is exposed to the media images of pregnant teenagers, have a positive effect on how teenagers view teen’ pregnancy and contraception? If shows like this can in fact influence behaviours in a positive way, then it would have a productive effect on how we as an audience see the impact that the media can

    Read More

  • Social Media Impact On Teen Pregnancy

    1011 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is interesting to notice that two popular medias come together to make an impact in a cause. Although, initially when these shows were aired, many believed they are only going to contribute to the problem. However, as the shows progressed, the curiosity among the teens increased to learn the outcome of the teen’s life in the stories. The teens started communicating with their friends through the social media on what they have seen in these shows. As the show progressed, it did not only show the reality of the social and economic hardships faced by teen moms after giving birth to a child at a very young age but also educated teens by making them realize the hardship that lie ahead of a pregnancy. The critical part of realization comes from the discussions with their social media friends and the discouragement they receive which helps in educating the teens of pregnancy. This is evident from a spike in the Twitter and Facebook activities among teen population following the day of the shows.

    Read More

  • Problems that Teenage Mothers Face

    1605 Words  | 4 Pages

     Babies are born more likely to be born premature and/or suffer low birth weight. There are a lot of problems involved with children having children. There is a higher risk of low birth rate, premature labor, and stillbirth. The problem is teenage girls are not done growing and fully maturing, there for, when they become pregnant it induces problems not only on the baby but the mother as well. *A general rule: The younger the mother, the greater risk of complications for both the mother and child. Often pregnant teenage mothers deny the fact that they are indeed pregnant, therefor ignoring the proper care that she needs for the growing baby inside of her. There are no easy answers; that’s one thing that everyone agrees on when it comes to the problem of teen pregnancy. The Center of Disease Control and prevention affirmed on June 26 what other agencies, such as the National Center for Health Statistics, have been saying over the course of this year: “The teen pregnancy rate is dropping. The number of teenage girls across the country who became pregnant fell 12 percent between 1991 and 1996. This drops affects girls, of different races and socioeconomic backgrounds, in all states. But the problem remains; The U.S. teen pregnancy rate is the highest of any industrialized countries. Babies born in the U.S. to teenager mothers are at risk for long-term problems in many major areas of life, including school failure, poverty, and physical or mental illness. The teenage mothers themselves are also at risk for these problems.

    Read More

  • Teenage Pregnancy Essay

    852 Words  | 2 Pages

    Teen pregnancies often carry additional health risks to the baby and the mother. Basically, they lack timely and suitable prenatal care hence posses a higher risk for pregnancy related complications such as the high blood pressure. The mother also risks the life of the baby due to the premature birth. The teen mother experiences a tremendous dilemma after realizing that some physical changes are substantiating her pregnancy. Mostly such teen’s lacks the courage to explain what they are going through to her parent. Generally, many perform their duties routinely as they l...

    Read More

  • Persuasive Speech Outline On Teenage Pregnancy

    1378 Words  | 3 Pages

    Attention Getter: Nowadays, no one is astonished by the presence of pregnant or parenting teenagers. In fact we have a fascination with pregnant adolescents which is evident in the creation of “16 and Pregnant,” a MTV series that follows the real-life stories of American youth who have engaged in sexual activity and who have realized that reproduction system works because they are or will be parents to a cute baby boy or girl. We watch this series in anticipation of the child’s birth and to witness how the teen parents cope.

    Read More

  • Media Influence of Teenage Pregnancy

    1460 Words  | 3 Pages

    While it is true that statistical trends have declined over time within teen pregnancy, but glamorization of the subject has increased. According to the OAH, “roughly 40% of females in the U.S. will become pregnant before their 20th birthdays.”(OAH) “Half of these pregnant teens give birth each year, while around 45% receive abortions. Around 85% of these pregnancies are unplanned and 7.2% do not receive medical care.”(OAH) Teen pregnancy has become a trend in the United States. The widely viewed MTV franchises, 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom, showcase the lives of pregnant teenagers during the end of their pregnancies and their days of motherhood. While the show advocates for the use of contraception and abstinence, there is still much speculation as to whether or not this is helping or harming society. The NBER Bulletin on Aging and Health reports that

    Read More

  • Teen Pregnancy: A Problem for Society

    1188 Words  | 3 Pages

    The problem with teenage pregnancy is it requires intervention from society. This debate is from the perspective of teens, and absent from the medical, ethical, and political views on teen pregnancy. According to Jewell, Tacchi, & Donovan, (2000), teen pregnancy is not a problem for teens themselves but more of a problem for society. The large numbers of unintended pregnancies are among unmarried teens.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Teenage Pregnancy

    721 Words  | 2 Pages

    As time goes on, teen pregnancy is becoming more and more common throughout the world. So many people frown upon this whole idea. Such people act as if the teenage parents’ world is going to come to an end. Although these kids’ life is going to be making a big turn, there are many of them who are mature enough to take on the responsibilities of a baby.

    Read More

More about 16 And Pregnant Research Paper

Open Document