Reality TV: Responsible Messages on Teen Pregnancy in the US?

This report explores the impact of reality television shows, such as ’16 and Pregnant’ and ‘Teen Mom’, on teenage pregnancy rates and perceptions. Contrary to criticisms suggesting these shows glorify teenage pregnancy, this report argues that they project messages of responsibility by depic...Read More

Running head: REALITY TELEVISION SHOWS AND TEEN PREGNANCY
REALITY TELEVISION SHOWS AND TEEN PREGNANCY
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1REALITY TELEVISION SHOWS AND TEEN PREGNANCY
Executive Summary
The issue of teenage pregnancy is still a sensitive one in today’s world, considering the various
health complications associated with it. For this reason, recent trends in the broadcasting of
reality television shows such as ’16 and Pregnant’ and ‘Teen Mom’, has resulting in considerable
criticism, deeming these shows to be responsible for glorifying teenage pregnancy and ignoring
the health consequences associated with it. However, this report chooses to argue that reality
television shows dealing with teenage pregnancy project messages of responsibility, as evident in
the content of the shows, which project the daily hardships faced by such girls, hence serving as
a message for teenagers to engage in safe sexual practices. The screening of such shows have
also witness simultaneous declines in the rates of teenage pregnancy in the United States.

2REALITY TELEVISION SHOWS AND TEEN PREGNANCY
Table of Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................................3
Discussion: Main Findings..................................................................................................3
Conclusion...........................................................................................................................6
References............................................................................................................................7

3REALITY TELEVISION SHOWS AND TEEN PREGNANCY
Introduction
The social issue of teenage pregnancy is not new in today’s world of increased sexuality
and sexual liberty among youngsters. Teenage or adolescent pregnancy refers to the occurrence
of conception or pregnancy in females who are below the age of 20 years (Secura et al., 2014).
Amidst a backdrop of reductions in the rates of teenage pregnancy since 2015, there has been a
recent surge in the media transmission of adolescent pregnancy in the form of various reality
shows being cast all over the United States. The emergence of such teenage pregnancy reality
shows on television have increasingly led to debates concerning the message reflected through
such telecast on the sensitive issue of teenage pregnancy (Kearney & Levine, 2015).
The following paragraphs of the report aim to discuss whether television reality shows
display responsible messages about teenage pregnancy. This report argues that despite the
sensitive nature of the content displayed, such reality television shows display messages of
responsibility concerning the issue of teenage pregnancy.
Discussion: Main Findings
Despite the increased advances in science, technology and exposure to educational
material, the issue of teenage pregnancy continues to remain an issue of considerable social
taboo where young girls or ‘mothers’ were compelled to thrive beneath a veil of shame as a
consequence of their misdeed. Hence, the airing of reality television shows such as ’16 and
Pregnant’ and ‘Teen Mom’ in the United States resulted in a public outpour of criticism and
anger. Social critics deemed the telecasting of such shows, as exploitative, discriminatory and
harmful, since such broadcasts were viewed as glorifying and publicizing an emotional and

4REALITY TELEVISION SHOWS AND TEEN PREGNANCY
sensitive social issue. Such reality shows were accused to add fuel to the fire of an already
pressing problem among young girls (Molborn, 2017).
However, the results yielded surprising outcomes, completely the opposite of what was
expected. The reality television series ’16 and Pregnant’, displayed the lives of six teenage girls
who were pregnant, in the hope of disseminating the troubles associated with teenage pregnancy.
Within four years of its broadcasting, as observed by the Centers of Disease Prevention and
Control (CDC), the rates of teenage pregnancy have witnesses gradual decline since the year
1991, to about 44% throughout nine years. The rates of teenage pregnancy were recorded to be
an extremely low rate of 34.3 births per 1000 teenage girls within the years 2009 and 2010. In
the year 2015, the rates have witnessed an ultimate decline, recording 22.3 births per 1000 girls
within the age group of 15 to 19 years, as recorded by the CDC. Hence, considering the
simultaneous occurrence of such telecasts and the teenage pregnancy rate decline, it can be
speculated that teenage pregnancy reality shows are disseminating messages concerning the
importance of undertaking responsible actions for the purpose of pregnancy prevention during
adolescence (Martins et al., 2016).
Such reality television shows, project the life and hardships overcome my young girls
inflicted with pregnancy, which have the capability to influence teenage girls on the various
hurdles brought about by being pregnancy hence resulting in them compelled to undertake
responsible behavior for the purpose of prevention of the same. Further, upon every broadcast of
the show ‘16 and Pregnant’, MTV engages in the promotion of a website, ‘StayTeen.org’, which
deals with provision of information concerning birth control methods, sexually transmitted
diseases and abuses associated with dating (Martins & Jensen, 2014).

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However, ‘Media Research Center’, an organization concerned with evaluating the
viewer appropriateness of various television shows, conducted a review of ’16 and Pregnant’,
and was of the view that reality shows dealing with teenage pregnancy were doing little but
glorifying such a sensitive issue, since the girls who were starring in the series encountered
celebrity stardom within a short span of time upon broadcast. The review considered that such
shows were disseminating messages of teenage pregnancy as a way by which teenage girls could
garner attention and fame while still studying in high schools (Flynn et al., 2015).
However, MTV considered these criticisms and engaged in releasing a sequel to the
above show, that is ‘Teen Mom’, which now emphasized more on the serious issues of
childbearing after the celebratory phase of pregnancy was over. A regular show of the series
focused on the financial constraints faced by such young mothers, the conflicts with their
partners who had probably abandoned them after conception, conflicts with their parents, peers
as well as the troubles encountered during educational degree completion and other recreational
social activities, due to the disturbance of normal life as a resultant of teenage pregnancy
(Trudeau, 2016). Hence, the hardships of reality reflected in such shows, influence teenage girls
to undertake precautions while engaging in sexual relationships, further resulting in the gradual
drop in the rates of teenage pregnancy. Hence, the projection of the lives of young girls inflicted
with pregnancy, in the form of reality television shows, result in the projection of messages of
responsibility to the public population engaged in their viewing (Aubrey, Behm-Morawitz &
Kim, 2014).

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Conclusion
Hence, to conclude, despite the increased rates of criticism associated with the
projections of such shows, it can be concluded that reality television series engaging in the
projection of teenage pregnancy and the experiences associated with it, result in the
dissemination of messages reflecting responsibility concerning the issue. The telecasting of
shows such as ‘Teen Mom’ and ’16 and Pregnant’, reflect the lives and struggles of the female
adolescents who have undergone pregnancy, hence, serving as an influence for teenage girls who
are viewing, to engage in precautionary steps of birth control, resulting in reductions in the rates
of teenage pregnancy in the United States. Despite the criticism associated with such shows,
deeming them to glorify and publicize teenage pregnancy, MTV, the key channel concerned with
the broadcasts further responded to the criticism, by releasing ‘Teen Mom’ – a show highlighting
the stark realities as consequences of such acts. Hence, it can be concluding that considering the
recorded decline in the rate of teenage pregnancy in the United States following the telecasting
of such shows, as well as the realities and hardships projected by the same, it can be concluded
that reality television shows project responsible messages on teenage pregnancy amongst those
who are engaged in their viewing.

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References
Aubrey, J. S., Behm-Morawitz, E., & Kim, K. (2014). Understanding the effects of MTV's 16
and pregnant on adolescent girls' beliefs, attitudes, and behavioral intentions toward teen
pregnancy. Journal of health communication, 19(10), 1145-1160.
Flynn, M. A., Morin, D., Park, S. Y., & Stana, A. (2015). “Let's Get This Party Started!”: An
Analysis of Health Risk Behavior on MTV Reality Television Shows. Journal of health
communication, 20(12), 1382-1390.
Kearney, M. S., & Levine, P. B. (2015). Media influences on social outcomes: The impact of
MTV's 16 and pregnant on teen childbearing. American Economic Review, 105(12),
3597-3632.
Martins, N., Malacane, M., Lewis, N., & Kraus, A. (2016). A Content Analysis of Teen
Parenthood in “Teen Mom” Reality Programming. Health communication, 31(12), 1548-
1556.
Mollborn, S. (2017). Teenage mothers today: what we know and how it matters. Child
development perspectives, 11(1), 63-69.
Secura, G. M., Madden, T., McNicholas, C., Mullersman, J., Buckel, C. M., Zhao, Q., & Peipert,
J. F. (2014). Provision of no-cost, long-acting contraception and teenage pregnancy. New
England Journal of Medicine, 371(14), 1316-1323.
Trudeau, J. (2016). The role of new media on teen sexual behaviors and fertility outcomes—the
case of 16 and Pregnant. Southern Economic Journal, 82(3), 975-1003.