media and pregnancy

We touched upon in class the media's role in pregnancy and it made me think about the large number of shows that are about pregnancy.  More so I thought about shows like "16 and Pregnant" and "Teen Mom".  Shows like this glamorize teenage pregnancy.  But these shows was the media's attempt to prevent teen pregnancy with shows like “Teen Mom” and “16 and Pregnant” developed by MTV.  "With the high incidence of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, it's more important than ever to reach young people where they are and with messages that resonate," said Tina Hoff, Vice President and Director, Entertainment Media Partnerships. "Through our longstanding partnership with MTV, we reach tens of millions of viewers every day with programming and other content to help them make responsible and safer decisions about their sexual health."  MTV will reach out to thousands of individuals and organizations across the country that work in education, health, and sex education to promote the show and its resources. The media can be blamed with maximizing sex and exposing it to youth but MTV is now able to reach youth with an important sex education message.  These new shows display the consequences of teen pregnancy and the girls in the show actually talk about how they wish they had used protection or had waited.  But the possibility that these shows are glamorizing teen pregnancy is another possibility contributing to teen pregnancy increase.  The girls on this show have become famous and are often displayed in the tabloids.  These girls have become reality show celebrities and it is because they are teen parents.  The movie “Juno” starring Ellen Paige made being prenant seem nonchalant and no big deal, thus adding to the new obsession in teen pregnancy the media is popularizing.  “As a result, teens are left to filter the movies and media on their own. In an interview with NPR [National Public Radio], Jane Brown from the Teen Media Project said, "It is unusual that we would be glamorizing pregnant celebrities, and we don't even know who the fathers are...." But that's where we are now. Instead of the full picture, all we see is the cute baby and a celebrity mom whose body snaps back to normal in a few weeks”

Work Cited

"Abstinence Education Is to Blame for Rising Teen Birth Rates" by Contraceptive Technology    Update. Teen Pregnancy and Parenting. Lisa Krueger, Ed. Current Controversies Series. Greenhaven Press, 2011. Contraceptive Technology Update, "Teen Birth Rate Rises, Reversing 14-Year Decline—What Is Behind the Numbers?" April 1, 2009.

"MTV Reaches Out to Teens to Prevent Teen Pregnancy" by Women's Health Weekly. Teen Pregnancy and Parenting. Lisa Krueger, Ed. Current Controversies Series. Greenhaven Press, 2011. Women's Health Weekly, "MTV Chronicles the Challenges of Teen Pregnancy in 16 & Pregnant premiering on Thursday, June 11th at 10pm ET/PT," June 4, 2009.

"Popular Media Glamorize Teen Pregnancy" by Brian Housman. Teen Pregnancy and Parenting. Lisa Krueger, Ed. Current Controversies Series. Greenhaven Press, 2011. Brian Housman, "Teen Pregnancy Not All Happy Smiles," Awake to Life, 2008.