Opinion Piece Questions Depictions Of Pregnant Teens On MTV Reality Shows

The MTV reality show "16 and Pregnant" and its spin-off, "Teen Mom," both "are designed to deter adolescents from becoming mothers -- a relevant issue as teen pregnancy rates are up for the first time in more than a decade," Double X managing editor Jessica Grose writes in a Slate opinion piece. Grose says that the shows "follow adolescent mothers as they struggle to raise their children" and "are produced in partnership with the National Campaign To Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy." She asks, "Can a television show really convince teens that they should wait to become mothers? And even if it can, is it worth the cost of offering up a handful of young women as public examples during perhaps the most vulnerable period of their lives?" According to Grose, there is evidence showing that shows like these impact teen sexual behavior. A recent Ohio State University study found that "college-age women who watched an episode of 'The O.C.' that depicted a pregnancy scare were more likely to try to use birth control than women who watched a show in a news format about the hardships of teen motherhood."

Grose continues, "But at what price does '16 and Pregnant' get this message across?" She writes that she worries what "repercussions" a pregnant minor would face "for putting her life out there and wonder[s] whether she could really understand the consequences." She adds, "While MTV aims to send a good message with earnest shows about teen motherhood, the message gets muddled when it is in the context of the networks other reality programming," notably the show "Jersey Shore," "which depicted consequence-free carousing."

Grose reports that the executive producer of "16 and Pregnant," Morgan J. Freeman, says the participants are financially compensated for their time but did not provide details. Freeman said, "I don't think there's anything of an exploitative nature in what we're doing," adding, "We do our best to show a very unvarnished and honest portrayal of their experience." Grose writes, "But maybe essential truth isn't in the best interest of these girls, for whom excising some of their most unpleasant moments could be the equivalent of a televised white lie" (Grose, Slate, 2/22).


Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.


© 2010 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.