Is the media influencing teen pregnancies?

ps@yahoo · **Is the media influencing teen pregnancies? -** 07-01-2010, 12:24 AM

Do you think that the media influences some teens thinking and behavioral patterns?
With shows like "16 and pregnant" do you actually think this is could be causing more harm than good?
I mean yeah for some it might make them think "Maybe I shouldn't have sex".
If so that is great but what if it is doing the opposite? What if shows like this actually cause more harm than good being that there is so much media attention and teens start thinking its actually quite normal and that it happens all the time. Or even worse they think all they have to do is get pregnant and they might get to be on MTV and be famous! Maybe they might even look at these girls as role models? Hey I dint know I am not a teen but in some cases I personally think the media can do more harm than good...

lifelike247 · 07-04-2010, 12:24 AM

No, anyone who blames the media for teen pregnancy, needs to grow the hell up and face reality. Reality is that they chose to have sex, knowing the consequences, you can't use the media and shows as an excuse for having a baby...that's ridiculous.

Snow on Cedar · 07-07-2010, 12:24 AM

to samosa: she didn't say cause, she said influence. and i think the whole teen pregnancy thing started in the fifties when the baby boom happened and marriage rates were averaging at age 17.

Miss B · 07-10-2010, 12:24 AM

As a teen that knows other teens, yes.
But none of them think they ll be on MTV they just all agree its cool and normal.

Sheena · 07-13-2010, 12:24 AM

I think we need to stop blaming the media and start asking the parents..

I am sorry but media can only be blamed for so much. Parents are in control of teaching their daughters that they are beautiful beyond measure and that they never have to settle for less then they want.. And parents are in charge of being a constant positive influence to their sons and teaching them that sex is not a game or a right. I do believe that media can absolutely influence but the parents have the power and responsibility to influence more.

sorry

probably didn't answer your exact question

terra · 07-17-2010, 12:24 AM

I don't know about this, but I don't think TV/media has very much influence. TV is often cited as a source of violence, but this is totally b/s, only 60 years ago, when there was very little TV, Hitler was killing millions of Jews in death camps. A few years before that WWI was fought. A few centuries before there were crusades and inquisition. Violence is just part of human natures, don't blame it on the TV. The reason there are violent shows on the TV is because people naturally and instinctively like violence, and the reason there are many teen pregnancies in the USA is because of lack of sexual education. In Europe there are 3 or 4 pregnant teens out of 1000. Here the lowest figure is 53 out of 1000. Here we teach horny teenagers it's wrong to use a condom, there they have sexual education from the 5Th grade.

It's not the TV, it's the people who instead of accepting the FACT that teens have sex, they keep them in ignorance because their stupid god doesn't like sex...and than they wonder why there are so many teenage pregnancies and abortions.

piyush_player · 07-18-2010, 12:24 AM

i do believe that the media is influencing teens to have babies. its like the shows(16 and pregnant, the secret life of the American teenager and teen mom) and movie(pregnancy pack) is telling these teens that its o.k to get pregnant!
no, its not o.k! I'm tired of these shows and how popular they are getting. it makes me sick to see these teens getting pregnant and they're not even doing a good job taking care of their babies. its horrible.
I'm 22 and pregnant with my first. i have a great job that pays well and has great insurance but its not enough. the father left me but luckily i still have my family! its tough and seeing these shows on t.v make me angry.(BTW...i used protection)
listen up teens: IF YOU'RE HAVING SEX, USE PROTECTION!!!!! DONT GET CAUGHT UP ON THESE STUPID SHOWS!!!!!!

jaygee_kmb · 07-23-2010, 12:24 AM

To Nathan: um...who teaches Teens that condoms are bad? That's ridiculous to say. And I also started sex-Ed at grade 5 and I live in the USA.

To answer the question...the show was made more for an awareness and warning than anything but let's face it; if a teen wants to get pregnant and/or have sex there's no warning big enough that's that's going to stop hem...you know what I mean??

And who has the right to say they don't do a good job at being a mother? No one does. Sure some of them are party animals but they go up towards the end and I'd even go so far to say most of them do a damn good job under the circumstances.

I'll probably get thumbs downed but that's my two cents.