Teenage Pregnancy in Entertainment: Good, Bad and Ugly

Over the last few years, teenage pregnancy has been portrayed more than ever before in the media. With shows such as MTV's Sixteen and Pregnant, The Secret Life of the American Teenager and the highly-publicized pregnancy of Bristol Palin and ex fiancé Levi Johnston, teen pregnancy is on our televisions and computer screens more than ever before. The Center of Disease Control reports that as many as one-third of young women get pregnant before age 20. So what role does the media play in undermining the long-term consequences of unplanned pregnancy at such a young age? Read on.

Underestimating the responsibility and long-term effects of teen parents seems to be a common trend-and mistake- the media makes. In shows such as Sixteen and Pregnant, the parents of the teenager are often supportive and pledge to help with the baby. While the teen often secures a part time job to help out, the responsibility often falls on the experience (and financial assistance) of the grandparents. In the case of Bristol Palin and Levi Johnson, Grandmother Sarah Palin has clearly taken on a supportive role, allowing Bristol and baby Tripp to stay at home. With Bristol wanting to take college classes, it is all too clear though independent and "making it" as a teen Mom, without Mom Sarah's assistance, keeping her baby may not have been an option. After all, a single 18-year-old Mom with a high school education may not be able to make ends meet for herself and baby.

Since these shows and real-life situations often portray a "happy ending" as teens lean on their parents to help raise their child, realistically, in today's economy, parental help is not always enough with an additional mouth to feed. The media seems to be portraying teen pregnancy as a non-crisis, insinuating that the grandparents will always be there to help raise the baby. Without the grandparents, keeping a baby may not be an option for a high school student. Shows such as Sixteen and Pregnant fail to show the situations where single teen parents may not succeed on their own. Believing grandparents will have the health and money to help in every case with their pregnant teen daughters is a dangerous assumption.

"Teen Pregnancy Rates in the USA"http://www.livestrong.com/article/12504-teen-pregnancy-rates-usa/