Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
Teens and Reality Shows -- Pregnancy Issues
Do some Reality TV shows try to make it cool to get pregnant? What has been the effect that various Reality TV shows have had on teenage girls -- when it comes to issues like pregnancy and motherhood? Are these shows really providing good information to teen girls -- as regards their lives and their sexual activities -- or do the shows simply "sugarcoat" challenges that pregnant teens face (Sun, 2011). This paper delves into the issues surrounding Reality TV shows and teen pregnancy / motherhood.
The reality of TV shows on pregnancy for teens
It is possible the MTV shows like "Teen Mom" and "Teen Mom 2" and "16 and pregnant" are actually intended by the producers to warn teenage girls about the negative impacts of having babies while still in adolescence. And the shows may be having that very impact, according to a survey by the National Bureau of Economic Research. The study concluded that watching these reality TV shows has "…led to a 5.7% decrease in teen births," which apparently has accounted for "around one-third" of the decline in births by teenage girls since these TV shows were launched in 2009 (Gallant, 2014).
Reportedly, the rate of teen pregnancy has "stabilized at around 28 pregnancies per 100,000" girls (Gallant, p.1). The co-author for this study, Phillip B.Levine, an economist with Wellesley College in Massachusetts, said when an older teacher whose life seems pretty normal tells teen girls the bad things that can happen when they become pregnant, it might not leave a very strong impression. But seeing Reality TV shows with 16-year-old girls who actually are "…going through it and having their lives documented" could resonate much more powerfully," Levine asserts in the Gallant article. On the other...
1).
An article in Time magazine suggest that these Reality TV shows may be creating a "distorted view of teen sexual activity" (Sun, 2011). These shows present an image and convey a perception that "…tremendous numbers of teens are becoming pregnant or becoming parents," according to Leslie Kantor, with the Planned Parenthood group that develops educational initiatives for teens (Sun, p. 2). By showing the consequences of risky behavior (no condoms in use) might help some teens, Kantor remarked; but sending the message that "everybody is having unprotected sex" is the wrong message to convey, Kantor continued (Sun, p. 2).
In 2011, about 330,000 babies were born to teen mothers in the U.S., and even though that is a decline from 2010 (368,000 babies to teen mothers), that is a lot of new babies hoping for good parental stewardship from teenage girls (Kemp, 2013). Nancy Irwin, a psychologist, is quoted as saying that Reality TV shows glamorize teen pregnancy; and Melissa Henson (with the Parents Television Council) explains that because teen moms on these reality shows get "instant fame," other teens have "a slanted view of teen pregnancy" (Kemp, p. 1).
There are many pertinent questions raised about these shows, including a question raised in Entertainment Weekly: "What will the babies think when they're old enough to see their early lives, and…
Works Cited
Armstrong, J. (2010). Teen Mom. . Retrieved August 22, 2014, from http://www.ew.com.
Gallant, J. (2014). Shows on pregnant teens linked to drop in teen births, study says. Toronto Star. Retrieved August 22, 2014, from http://www.thestar.com.
Kemp, S. (2013). Realty TV's Impact on Teen Pregnancy. Livestrong.com. Retrieved August 22, 2014, from http://www.livestrong.com.
Sun, F. (2011). Baby Mamas. Time. Retrieved August 22, 2014, from http://www.time.com.
Of these elements, they found anxiety sensitivity to be directly linked to lower levels of educational advancement. Anxiety sensitivity mainly comprises symptoms of anxiety leading to fear due to a certain belief that anxiety has dangerous somatic, psychological, or social penalties. In one study scholars found that the basic forms of fears were the playing field for a broad spectrum of fear-stimuli and they found that these basic forms of
TV Series and the Society Ekin Ozan Lanfranco Acetti The social set up in most communities in the world is indeed eroded with lots of images and teachings especially from the media. Among the major influences the lives of individuals in the society are affected by television programs and series. Most of the TV series that are relied to the individuals of a family in a particular setting basically influence the decision
Certain ethnicities were seen to have relatively high levels of participation, while women from North Africa and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were much more likely to refrain from taking part in such prenatal diagnostics than were Dutch women. This study could go a long way towards bridging cultural divides when it comes to healthcare, though the authors do not delve deep enough into making recommendations in this regard. Harper,
Of course, Spears is still very young, and may face numerous future changes. However, at this time, she appears to have found some stability. Cognitive While Spears spent much of her early life in the public spotlight, it is actually difficult to assess her early cognitive development. This should come as no surprise when one looks at various theories of cognitive development. For example, Piaget discusses cognitive development, but all of
The key years during which experimentation occurs - between 13 and 16. Kobus discusses influences that launch an adolescent's smoking habit from several perspectives. First, the "social learning theory": relationships that are "more intimate" and that are developed "earlier in the youth's experiences" and thought to be more important; and youths are more likely to "imitate the smoking habits" (or non-smoking habits) of those with whom they have the closes
Media on the U.S. Society Some years ago, if someone asked us to name the sources of media present in our society, we would easily be able to do so. However, today media has extended and become much more widespread than it was before. With the process of globalization that has encompassed the entire world, came the concept of media and the need to stay in touch as the infrastructure