Has MTV gone too far?

Has MTV gone too far?

Hannah Lee

               MTV, or Music Television, was once known for its top forty music and popular music videos. This hit TV station has been around for over 30 years, showing countless music videos, award shows, and artist interviews.  I remember racing home from school just in time to make TRL. However that is not the case anymore, MTV has done a complete 180 and has taken a new direction. If you turn on the channel now you will see mostly reality TV shows, or comedy sitcoms. You can watch anything from struggling pregnant teenagers, people pretending to be someone they’re not on the Internet, or a show about two girls faking to be lesbians. Weird, I know. If you watch MTV you’re bound to think to yourself “what am I watching” at least a few times. Yet, this pop culture sensation is still thriving after 3 decades and does not seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

               One of MTV’s biggest hits has come from a show highlighting a different pregnant 16 year old each week. The show starts off while the girl is still pregnant, and follows them and their family until about a month after the birth of their child.  You see everything, the good, the bad, and the ugly. You watch this show basically cringing the whole time watching what these girls are going though at such a young age. With how much attention 16 and Pregnant received MTV decided to go even further, with the spinoff show of Teen Mom.  This show highlighted 4 of the most memorable girls from the show following their lives even further. You see more of their crazy lives trying to deal with their newborns, their boy problems, and dealing with their family. Each girl comes from a different background and different family life, but all show the same thing: how detrimental their situation is.  Some criticize these shows for giving these girls the spotlight for such a taboo subject and on the other hand some think this is a great way to show young girls how drastic your life will change if getting pregnant. The 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom saga has grown tremendous popularity in the past few years, but is this reality show hurting or helping the teen pregnancy rate and awareness of this issue?

               If you were to ask me, Teen Mom is truly entertaining to watch and has become a guilty pleasure of mine.  As much hate as the show receives, there have been some positives to this MTV hit.  To me, the show does not glorify anything. It shows the hard truth of having a child at such a young age.  Almost every single mother on the show is not with the father of her child and constantly in a fight with them attempting to co-parent. Your heart breaks as these young girls are left to parent alone, but just shows the hard facts. You will painfully watch these crying babies waking up every hour of the night, and I don’t know about you but that sounds less than desirable. The show also highlights the issues such as: financial struggles, how hard it is to stay in school, and trying to balance a normal teenage life with a child. Just about every girl says the same thing, of course they wouldn’t trade their child for anything, but if they could re-do it all, they would wait until they were ready.  In the US, teen pregnancy rates have been consistently dropping, especially in areas where MTV is watched more often. Not only that, but MTV is constantly reminding viewers the sad statistics of teen mothers. For instance, 1 in 7 teen moms will drop out of high school, and less than 2% of these girls will receive a college education.  80% of these girls will also depend on welfare at some point in their life. It is also projected that the children of these moms will also have trouble financially, and in school. These facts should definitely not be enticing to anyone. 

               Like anything else, 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom has also stirred up some negative attention. The girls of the show obviously received attention from being on MTV, and some even fame. A few of the girls went off to write books, promote products, and be paid to attend events. Of course, these things might appeal to teenagers, but at the end of the day these moms still have kids to go home to and are responsible for. Some believe this show will have a “copy cat” effect, having girls try to get pregnant to be on the show. It is rumored that one of the girls on the show, her friend, ironically became pregnant shortly after filming. Some believe this was a fame stunt, but clearly it did not work.

               All in all, after watching an episode of 16 and Pregnant or Teen Mom, no one should walk away thinking that is a model life.  Yes, girls are eating up this fame, but it can only last for so long. I believe one episode is enough to convince someone to wait to have kids.  As I said before, this show does not try to glorify teen pregnancy, and if anything shows the complete opposite. The statistics show that teen pregnancy rates are going down, and I think it is safe to say 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom have had a huge impact on this. These shows have also opened up the conversation about this topic and have greatly raised awareness and ways to prevent it. The pros of this show clearly out weigh the cons for it being on the air. If you haven’t already I suggest you catch an episode of 16 and Pregnant or Teen Mom, but watch out you may get hooked.  

Works Cited

"Does 16 and Pregnant Prevent or Promote Teen Pregnancy?" Time. Time, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.

"Finishing School as a Mom." - Teen Pregnancy Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.

"MTV Teen Mom: For Glamour or Truth? | Medical Institute for Sexual Health." Medical Institute for Sexual Health RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.

"Twelve Crucial Moments in the Evolution of MTV." Nerve. N.p., 01 Aug. 2011. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.