With movies like Juno and shows like The Secret Life of the American Teen and Baldwin Hills, it seems to me that Teenage Pregnancy is the new in thing to do. I know that sometimes things happen and young girls must bear the burden of their choices, but when we have television shows that, in my opinion, make it seem as if everyone is getting pregnant then I have a problem. My problem is not with the media for taking the time to address this situation, my issue is with a society that finds this to be okay.
Just recently I was having a conversation with one of my best friends and she lamented to me that; "If she received one more baby shower notice in her mini feed (facebook) she will lose her mind." I had to agree with her, why is it that so many young girls are not protecting themselves and having children at such a young age? Why does it seem that a young pregnant girl is normal in high school and now even middle school? Why are we not teaching these girls that if they want to have sex, then it is okay to carry condoms or demand that your partner use them? There are so many more questions when it comes to teens getting pregnant that just can't be answered, but if we can just get one person to realize their potential and think before they act then maybe we can curb this "trend"
But back to the media's part in the trend. I openly applaud the movie Juno for showing an alternative to dealing with teen pregnancy. I openly support open adoption for teens having kids, because I feel that to have a child at a young age is setting both the parent and the child up for failure. Honestly, how can you expect to inspire the life a child when you have never experienced the world yourself? However, I also feel that the media is very conservative when it comes to showing all the alternatives to life while pregnant. I am pro Choice, and I believe that all women have the right to choose what they want to do with their life and their unborn child. With that being said, when the media portrays teenage pregnancy as just another bump in the road (i.e The Secret Life of the American Teen) I feel that that is a danger to all young people watching these shows. Being pregnant is a very emotional time for any person, but couple that with teenage angst, absent father, and the judgment of family and friends there is no wonder that most teens are at higher risk for stress related problems in child birth. In my opinion of the realities of teenage pregnancy came from the Real World on MTV. Before the Real World became a caricature of what young adults are like (trust we are not all alcoholic, over-sexed, bigots), season 2 featured Tami Roman who dealt with having an abortion and letting the whole world know her decision. The range of emotions that she showed throughout her ordeal and they way in which her housemates expressed their opinions without judging Tami really showed how most people deal with pregnancy. I believe that the more reality that we show to teens about what pregnancy is about, and the more we educate them on contraception and birth control the more informed their decisions will be.
I just want to let it be known that this post in no way seeks to condemn any person who is a teen mother or father, this post, like this blog, is a place where I can share my thoughts and feelings on a particular topic. If you feel offended in any way, I sincerely apologize.Real Talk
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