The Influence of Teen Mom
Kattie Lindsay
Stevens-Henager College
Abstract
In this paper I will be discussing the hit reality series Teen Mom from MTV. I will talk about the influence I think it has and still continues to have on American culture, and whether or not this is a good or bad thing. I will also be discussing some statistics on teen pregnancy in America, and what I think needs to happen in order to make a change and lower those statistics.
Teen Mom is a reality show spin-off from MTV’s 16 and Pregnant. The show follows the journeys of four teen mothers as they try to juggle raising their child, working full time jobs, going to school, money, relationships with friends and family, dating, and the relationships with their child’s father. The insight into teen parenting that Teen Mom provides its audience is not only inspirational and educational, but it is deeply influential on American culture. In my heart I truly believe this show is one of the most influential shows on television today, and my intention in writing this paper is to prove why I believe that.
Teen Mom premiered on MTV December 8, 2009 with over 2.1 million viewers and was the networks highest rated premiere during 2009. Teen Mom continues to be MTV’s highest rated show on the air to-date. The show just wrapped up its second season, and has already been picked up for a third season set to air next spring.
Unlike some “reality” shows, Teen Mom is actually reality. There is no script or preconceived storyline. It is purely based on the real lives of four teen mothers. Some might argue that this show glamorizes teen pregnancy and teen parenting, but I would have to disagree with that. I think that Teen Mom greatly portrays the hardships these young girls face in their everyday lives. For instance—during the second season—MTV showed raw footage of a disagreement between one of the four teen moms, Amber and her fiancé Gary, things got very heated and it ended in a very disturbing physical domestic violence altercation. Woman-on-man domestic violence is something rarely talked about in society, let alone shown on television. Personally I thought that scene in itself was very influential. It showed something that unfortunately happens every day, but hardly ever gets talked about. I applaud MTV for having the courage to put that scene on the air instead of easily editing it out for the comfort of its viewers. Sure it was pretty hard to watch; but it also brought a very serious issue to the table for all of America to see, contemplate, and discuss openly.
Teen Mom also shows another option one teen mom chose for her child, which is adoption. Catelynn and her boyfriend Tyler—who were both juniors in high school when she got pregnant—decided to give their baby girl up for an open-adoption. Throughout the show you see them battle with their decision to give their child away, as well as the bitterness from both of their parents about the adoption. I think this side of teen parenting is as important to show as the teen moms who have kept their children. By showing Catelynn and Tyler’s story it gives insight into another option that is out there for a pregnant teen facing parenthood. MTV shows the real side of adoption and the struggles that follow after the papers are signed and the child is handed over, which I think is a very positive influence on society.
A lot of people may have thought that Catelynn and Tyler didn’t care about their child and gave her away to continue living life as normal teenagers, which couldn’t be further from the truth. You can clearly see the pain in both of their eyes when their adoption councilor brings them the monthly photos of their daughter, but even through the pain they both explain that it was the right decision for their child because they wanted her to have a good life and a stable home. Through adoption they were able to give that kind of life to their daughter which is something they felt they themselves could not provide. And though it wasn’t an easy choice for them, it was the right choice for their child. Many people don’t get to see that end result of teen pregnancy, and I think it is important that MTV shows it so that other pregnant teens can look into adoption as a possibility and realize that there are options out there for them.
At the end of every season of Teen Mom there is a follow-up show hosted by Dr. Drew Pinksy who is “One of the most listened to doctors in America, Dr. Drew is the host of the nationally syndicated radio show ‘Loveline’ where he has been taking calls from listeners since 1984. Many people do not know that Dr. Drew is a practicing physician who is board certified in internal and addiction medicine, sill runs a private practice, is on staff at Huntington Memorial Hospital and is Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Keck USC School of Medicine.” (Swihart, 2010). During these follow-up shows, Dr. Drew brings to light the constant challenges these teen parents face daily. He also explains statistics about teen pregnancy to inform the public about the facts. Dr. Drew also talks about how to talk to your teen about the issue, and also how to prevent teen pregnancy. I feel that he is a great asset to Teen Mom because so many people are familiar with Dr. Drew and completely respect him and his opinion. And because of that, I think his input on the show is the most influential part of it.
I think that other teens watching the show probably get a lot out of seeing the struggles these teen parents face and the challenges they have to go through each day. It certainly gets them thinking, and talking. Dr. Drew conducted a survey online for Teen Mom viewers about what they have taken away from the show. More than eighty percent say they understand and avoid teen pregnancy, seventy-eight percent say they have started conversations about teen pregnancy and how to avoid it, and almost sixty percent say they have talked to their parents about teen pregnancy and discussed precautions on how to avoid teen pregnancy. To me this is astounding because it is a fact that the U.S. has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the industrialized world. I feel the results of that survey prove my theory that Teen Mom is very influential in American culture. This show is educating millions of Americans about the real risk of teen pregnancy, and showing it is not as fun or as easy as some teens may think it is.
I already knew the struggles of what being a young parent was like because my sister became a mother shortly after her 17th birthday. I saw what a teen parent goes through first hand, but my sister was one of the few lucky teen moms out there because her daughter’s father is a great guy and stuck around and provided for his new family. She was also able to stay in school by attending an alternative high school that is just for teen mothers where she could take her daughter with her every day. She worked very hard all through her junior and senior years of high school and graduated on time with her class in 2002. I am happy to say that my sister and her children’s father are still happily married. They have been together for almost 11 years, and they have three beautiful daughters.
So when I became a mother at the age of 20—and I need to add that although I love my son with all my heart and I do not regret having him in any way, shape, or form—I think I had envisioned my experience to end up like hers. But it did not turn out that way, and now I am a single mother raising my son all on my own. I know if Teen Mom was on the air before I ever got pregnant I would have realized that not all situations end up the way my sisters did. But still with that said, I am not trying to down play my sisters struggles and difficulties being a teen mom because her life has been far from easy and perfect.
My hopes are that Teen Mom will open more teenagers and parents eyes to the struggles and consequences of having sex at a young age and the very real possibility of teen pregnancy and parenting. I think if more people watched this show and talked about it with their peers and children, many teen pregnancies could be prevented. I strongly believe the only way to change is through knowledge and education, and I think that is exactly what MTV is bringing to America by airing Teen Mom. With the help of Dr. Drew and the follow-up shows at the season’s end, the facts come out and the education is improved.
In conclusion it is my personal opinion Teen Mom is one of the most influential shows on television within the last decade. I can only hope this show continues to influence teens and educate them about the risks and consequences of teen pregnancy, and hopefully little by little the teen pregnancy rate in America will go down and teens will start being more responsible about their decisions.
References
Swihart, Sara. (2010) Mini Biography. Internet Movie Database/IMDb. Retrieved on October 20,
2010 from: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005314/bio
