Teenage Pregnancy

Fatoumata Camara

English 101-080

Mr. Abrams

December 6, 2011

Truth and Consequences

Over the years, it has been observed how the rate of teen pregnancy is decreasing worldwide, but, despite the decline, the teen birth rate in the United States remains as much as nine times higher as in other developed countries (Kann 414). Indeed, about 820,000 teens become pregnant each year; that means 34 percent of teenagers have at least one pregnancy before they turn 20 (414). Teenage pregnancy usually occurs because of the entertainment industries influence and lack of guidance from parents. In order to find a solution to this problem, it is vital to analyze why teen pregnancy is so high in the United States. The incredible reality is that teen pregnancy is a consequence of a host of social ills to which teens are exposed.

Sex is everywhere. From a younger age to teenage years, teens spend more time watching TV than anything else, which led to the conclusion that the entertainment industry has a strong impact on teens behaviors. In fact, teens report that their main source of information about sex comes from what they see and hear in the media, such as music, video games, internet and reality shows (great schools). An illustration is the TV show 16 and Pregnant, which is a reality series, begins with following the teen moms-to-be through the process of being pregnant. The show glamorizes the lives of young mothers not only by making them feel like celebrities but also by paying them a large amount of money for every episode made. 16 and Pregnant is not sending the right message to teens because it is pushing some teens to become pregnant purposely just to be on the show. Their thought process could be that getting pregnant is going to help them become famous and earn money from it. Asiona Smith, age 17, high school senior, worries about the impact of the show. She states, "Say I have a little sister who's 7. She's going to think, 'She had sex, she got pregnant; it's OK, because she's famous. She's on the cover of magazines.' No, it's not OK. Why are people celebrating them?" (Thompson 1D).

Also, some teens lack attention and affection from their parents. As a result, an opportunity to appear on TV for the whole world to see, may seem like a great idea to them because they are given a lot of attention from the public, which they may not had before.

The outcomes of being pregnant at 16 are numerous. It takes a lot of responsibility and maturity to raise a child, typically when one is still a child. Once pregnant, the teen usually ends up dropping out of school, and her hopes and aspirations for a better future change because she now has to take care of someone other than herself. On the family point of view, the pregnancy will prove to be extremely challenging for the teen, the father-to-be and the parents. Sometimes, the father-to-be may not want to offer support to his girlfriend