Two popular television shows on MTV deal with teen pregnancy — Teen Moms and 16 and Pregnant. A recent Los Angeles Times article takes a look at the show and the fact that some of its stars are now tabloid fodder — especially the ones who have gotten in trouble with the law. The show does present the struggles that these young parents face. The story cites a survey commissioned and published by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy that found 93 percent of youth surveyed at various Boys and Girls Clubs of America said they agreed that they learned teen parenthood was “harder than [they] imagined” after watching an episode of “16 and Pregnant.” That message, says Amy Kramer, director of the campaign, is the show’s important takeaway, the article states.
What do you think about the show? Should these young men and women become instant tabloid celebrities?