The Choice

     Have you ever wondered if shows and movies do change the way we think and act today?  Well shows like Teen Mom and 16 & Pregnant, according to researchers, are being held responsible for the rise in teen pregnancy rates across the globe.  Teen pregnancy rates have hit an all time high a few years back, and now the government is taking precautions as to what these shows can do to affect teenage thoughts.
     In my opinion, it all boils down to one choice to put you at the risk to get pregnant or to play it safe.  If teens saw how hard their fellow teens work being moms, then maybe it would give them a shock of how things could end up for them if they make the wrong choice.  Based on what I’ve personally watched on these shows I’ve seen nothing that has traumatized me, it's basically just another teenage reality show.  In case you didn't already know these shows are about female high-school students who have had a baby, and how they become mothers at such an early age. 
     It's unbelievable how so many teenagers can go out and get pregnant just so they can get the attention of the media from these shows.  To me this is a very true fact, but in an article I read the spokesperson for the National Campaign says "Entertainment media is one of the nation's favorite punching bags, but we have to acknowledge that when we're talking about teen pregnancies media can be and often is a force for good" (Bentley). 
     Also, some people claim to agree that 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom glamorize teen pregnancy as if it's the right choice and should be the life for everyone.  Which the truth is it isn't the right choice, and parenting should be put off until marriage.  I agree that teen pregnancy is glamorized in these shows; to me all it shows is look at me and my baby.  According to the article I read things are believed to be different, he says, "Some critics say these shows glamorize teen pregnancy," he continued, "but our survey data shows that's not the case -- that not only do they not glamorize it, but teens who have seen it suggest it makes the realities of teen parenthood more real to them" (Bentley).  To me the life of these teenage mothers is somewhat glamorized for their lives to be filmed week by week. 
    So, is teen pregnancy the right or wrong choice?  Should these shows be on television for entertainment, or watched carefully for the good of teenager's thoughts and minds?  In my brain these shows should be monitored carefully, but should not be canceled if they are reducing teen pregnancy rates. 

Works Citied Page

Bentley, Jean. "Could 16 & Pregnant Help Prevent Teen Pregnancy?."

            TV Squad. TV Squad, 23 December 2010. Web. 16 Feb 2011.