TV show ‘Teen Mom’ teaches teens


By Collyn Anderson
Staff Writer
The Hillside Chronicle
Hillside High School

 

Editor’s Note: This story appeared originally in The Hillside Chronicle, the school newspaper of Hillside High School, which is led by journalism teacher Elizabeth DeOrnellas. The Durham VOICE is proud to serve as a mentoring partner to The Hillside Chronicle.

Columnist Collyn Anderson of Hillside

The TV show Teen Mom is opening up teens’ eyes to the harsh reality of teenage pregnancy.

Teenage pregnancy causes many teens to drop out of high school, which means no education, which means no job. In today’s world, without a job you have nothing.  It is even harder today for college graduates to make it and survive.

Imagine not having an education and trying to get a job.

Watching the show Teen Mom makes those consequences a reality.

I know it does for me.

With all the information out there about contraception and preventing unwanted pregnancy, it is crazy how this still happens.

A lot of teens feel like having a baby is cute. I think they forget about all the responsibility that goes along with it. Watching shows like this, we get to see just how hard it really is.

These moms have to make a lot of sacrifices and hard choices. The show let’s us see how you no longer have a life. All of your friends get to go hang out while you’re at the crib with a baby.

What’s even sadder is how it seems sometimes a teen father might show no interest and then the girl is left with the hard choices.

I recall watching one episode with Maci and Bentley, her son. To watch them struggle like they do is sad.

Maci is always trying to find money to pay for certain things for her child. The father of Bentley is always busy with work so that caused the break up between the two, which made Maci a single mother at 18. The father is always late with child support, which makes things even harder.

The other thing shows like this help us see is how quickly you have to grow up when you have a baby.

You are now responsible for another person. You have to feed this person, give them clothes and sometimes provide a place to stay if you aren’t living with your parents.

It is hard enough for a teen’s parent to do this. Imagine if you are a teen.  Can you imagine what kind of life you would be able to give a child?

These are just a few reasons why I think the show Teen Mom, and shows like it, are important.  The more we know the better.

One thought on “TV show ‘Teen Mom’ teaches teens

  1. This is so true you have all the facts right and yopu know what you are talking about. I have to do a persuasive essay to tell why Teen Mom should not be banned from television. Your website really helped me. Thanks. 🙂

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