Pros And Cons Of Teen Pregnancy

Imagine juggling the stress of graduating high school and the stress of embracing parenthood at the same time. “In 2009, six pregnant teens allowed MTV to film their pregnancies in the hopes that youngsters watching the resultant show--16 and Pregnant-- would learn from their mistakes and wait to start families” (Dockterman 1). This is the reality for many teens today. According to the March of Dimes, about three in ten teenage girls become pregnant before the age of twenty. (Slocum 1). MTV hosts many different tv shows like Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant. In broadcasting the lifestyles of young teenage mothers, these shows also allow others to see the struggles that the young teen mothers face preparing for and caring for a baby. While many

Though opposers of these shows believe that tv glamorizes teen pregnancy, the show is far from that (Newswire 1). I recently viewed an episode of Leah and Jeremy on Teen Mom 2, and I still remember the scene where Leah had to take her baby girl named Addie to meet her dad so he could have time with his daughter. They had broken up when Leah found out that she was pregnant. Preparing for a baby was stressful for them both and Jeremy was afraid he would not be able to help support her and balance their relationship at the same time. It was difficult for Addie to understand why her mother was always upset. Leah faced many issues and arguments with her parents and even financial issues because her boyfriend Jeremy left her after the baby 's arrival and would not help pay to support their child. Jeremy was not willing to help work out the situation where Addie could have normal parents who lived together and were married. “Eight out of ten fathers do not marry the mother of their first child” (Slocum 3). This episode expressed how difficult it is to raise a child at a young

“With 11,000 babies born daily in the U.S., raising a child costs an average of nearly $11,000 in the first year; $220,000 and more for the first eighteen years” (PR Newswire 1). Without job qualifications, such as a high school diploma, college degree, or skill training, these young parents are unable to obtain jobs to support their babies. Many of these young teen mothers turn to government assistance and other forms of welfare. The shows also emphasize how costly a baby 's needs can be. Having a baby can be fun, but many people fail to realize all of the financial responsibilities that come with a tiny and valuable life.There is lots of preparation involved to have and raise children. However, decorating the baby’s room is second only to stocking up on supplies when preparing for a newborn. (Newswire 2) “Nine out of ten moms in today’s economy look to buy new furniture from stores where they can see, touch, and feel each piece of furniture to make sure it is suitable for the newborn” (Newswire 2). These reality shows are great examples of expressing how the young teen fathers are as unprepared as the teen mothers when it comes to supporting each other including the baby with the supplies and necessities that are needed for the baby 's health. They display the teen parents decorating the baby