Claribel Vidal

5/15/10
MED384
MTV’s Contribution to the rise of the Teen Pregnancy Rate

“The pregnancy rate for teenagers fell 40% between 1990 and 2005, however, in 2005

725,000 teens ages 15-19 became pregnant” (March of Dimes 1). The media is contributing to

the rising teen pregnancy rate in the United States, with its excessive portrayal of causal and

risky sexual behavior, and lack of images of healthy sexual relationships and realistic

consequences. In the United States “teen birth and abortion rates are three times higher” than any

other industrialized country (Berne 1). At the same time, the media continues to profit from the

glamorization of teen sex and pregnancy, with its production and coverage of teen pregnancy in

teen magazines, reality shows, fictional dramas on television, movies, and tabloids.

The pictures below are an example of how the media is turning teen pregnancy and

pregnant teens into a commodity. Surprisingly, the teens that are getting pregnant today are not

the ones you normally think of when you think about teen moms (Tapia 8). Today they often are

middle class White teens:

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 The media’s inaccurate representation of sexual relationships and their consequences

plays a major factor in the recent rise of teen pregnancy. The problem with sexual content in the

media is that it is not proportionally supported with the real life experiences and outcomes of

sexual relationships (Chandra 1048). The media tends to sell sex through an unrealistic lens,

where contraceptives are only mentioned after a pregnancy has occurred. In a research study

published by the Routledge: Taylor and Francis Group, the researchers found that:

“Sexual scripts in the media, often laden with cultural values and norms, convey how individuals
‘should’ act in sexual situations. If sexually healthy behavior is not modeled in the media used
by teens, it is less likely that young people will adopt sexually healthy behavior themselves”
(Hust 5).

The media definitely creates trends and reinforces cultural norms, and while many

consumers of media know that what they see is not reality, they still consume a lot of that media.

The reason why the media is a contributing factor of the rise in teen pregnancy is because the

media normalizes cultural values and behaviors by desensitizing the meanings and definitions of

certain attitudes and ideas. In this case the media has aided in desensitizing the relationships and

outcomes of sexual intercourse, especially among adolescents.

An example of how the media portrays risky sexual encounters without any consequences

is MTV’s recent show Jersey Shore. The reality show follows eight Italian Americans who move

in together for an entire summer in the Jersey Shore. The show itself is extremely controversial,

but I will only focus on the detrimental and

unhealthy sexual relationships shown in the

series. Throughout the show two cast

members’, The Situation and Pauly D, spent

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their time at the Shore searching for different girls to hook upwith every night. Sadly, the men

never talk about using condoms as a method to protect themselves from STDs or unplanned

pregnancies. In the first season of the show, different girls come in and out of their house; also

their mission at the end of a night out is to bring a different girl home with them. The lifestyle

represented in the show is sadly unrealistic to young men and women, not only because life is

not just about having sex with new people, but also because sexual intercourse is regarded as a

recreational activity that is normal to participate in with any stranger. This is certainly not a

positive message, but it is a message that is romanticized in this show and in many other shows

and movies in the media.

The conflict with irresponsible sexual content in the media is that adolescents are

receiving an array of mixed messages in their life. The media is not solely responsible for the rise

in teen pregnancy; sex education and parents also play a large role. The problem is that the media

feeds the youth one message, while education and parents tell them another. The media sells sex,

and education and parents sell abstinence. These mixed messages conflict because teens often do

not listen to what their parents or educators tell them to do. They seek out acceptable behavior by

observing their peers and digesting the media, and the behaviors the media demonstrates as

normal (Johnston 56-57). No teen wants to resemble their parents or educators; they look at the

media to inform them about social trends and what is cool today. I am not arguing that the media

should begin to preach to children; rather I am arguing that the media should provide different

experiences and ideas for teens to choose from. For the media to portray social trends and normal

behavior in a one-sided way is problematic, because then teens are not given other options to

choose from. They are not given other shows to watch and other role models to look up to.

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 Another way the media is supporting teen pregnancy is through the glamorization of teen

sex and pregnancy by the creation of reality shows, tabloid coverage and movies (Park 2). The

issue with the current coverage of teen pregnancy in the media is that for the most part it does

not accurately demonstrate the hardships and life consequences of teen pregnancy. To support

my claim, I want to make reference to another of MTV’s shows 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom.

These two shows, which have been very successful and are each on their second season, are

problematic in their portrayal of the reality of teen pregnancy because they over dramatize minor

issues and focus heavily on the character flaws of the teen girls. Instead of focusing on the

sacrifices the teens must make and the ways in which teen pregnancy has affected their life, the

show dedicates only the last ten minutes of each episode to address these questions. The rest of

the 50 minutes is devoted to how the teen moms have a baby, and still manage to have a social

life: going out to eat with friends, going away for the weekend, and partying. These are the major

sacrifices the teens endure as young mothers. In the following picture Jenelle a costar from 16

and Pregnant is arguing with her mother because at 36 weeks she wants to go out and party.

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 There are many more examples of how the media has glamorized teen pregnancy;

however I have chosen to critique MTV and their conglomerates. I will briefly state a few

examples in the media: two recent movies Juno,Knocked Up, and the mini-series that airs on

ABC Family, The Secret Life of the American teenager (Jayson 1).

Defenders of the media can argue that the media has always sold sex and that the current

rise of teen pregnancy is the fault of society and parents (Ord 2). Though sex education and

parents are important factors in preventing unwanted pregnancy, however we cannot disregard

the impact and influence that the media has on young children today. If we can all agree that the

media sets social trends and normalizes behaviors and societal attitudes, why can’t we

comprehend that the media is glorifying the recent phenomenon of teen pregnancy. Years ago

the media was not as prevalent and influential in the formation of culture as it is today. Also the

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prevalence of sexualized media and the specific marketing to adolescents has lead to sexual risky

behaviors, which has contributed to the rise of teen pregnancy rates.

The argument that the media is aiding teen pregnancy through the production of reality

shows and movies that attempt to demonstrate the true struggle of teen moms; is problematic for

numerous reasons. The first being that the shows, which the media industry has created are not

successful at helping illuminate the reality of teen motherhood. Instead, these shows and movies

as stated before glorify teen pregnancy and in the case of the MTV shows the teen moms are

stars of their own shows and have received a lot of attention for their time on television. What

kind of message is MTV really sending? Finally, even if MTV created 16 and Pregnant and

Teen Mom to uncover the truth behind the teen pregnancy epidemic they have not been very

successful in sending this message. It is also difficult to take MTV serious in this claim when

they produce shows with contradicting messages like: Jersey Shore, Real World Challenge:

Fresh Meat, and The Hills.

Overall I strongly believe that although the media cannot take the full blame for the rise

in teen pregnancy, it has nonetheless been a contributing factor. We cannot forget that a decade

ago some of the sexual content that is displayed today in the media would not have been

acceptable. It is no coincidence that while sexual content in the media increases and becomes

more explicit; teens are exploring sex at earlier ages. By the ages of 15 to 19 an average

adolescent has been exposed to STD’s and unwanted pregnancy. Today, more researchers are

making the same connection between the media and the high teen pregnancy and STD rates in

America. We cannot disregard how influential the media is and in order to combat the negative

sexual messages in the media parents and the educational system must teach adolescents the

tools they will realistically need today. We can no longer allow the media to teach and raise our

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children. In a research study conducted in 2008 by the American Academy of Pediatrics journal,

the experimenters found two compelling facts about the sexual content in the media: “Mention of

the risks or responsibilities of sex (…) occurs in only 10% to 15% of programs containing

sexual content” (Chandra 1048). The second result of the study found that the sexual content on

TV can indeed increase the risk of unwanted pregnancy by leading to early sexual

experimentation with the false perception that there is little risk to sex without protection. These

disturbing results should encourage parents and the education system to want to do more for our

children.

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 Bibliography
Berne, Linda A., and Barbara K. Huberman. "Lessons Learned: European Approaches to Adolescent Sexual
Behavior and Responsibility." Journal of Sex Education & Therapy 25.2/3 (2000): 189-199. Academic
Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 1 Apr. 2010.

Chandra, Anita, et al. "Does Watching Sex on Television Predict Teen Pregnancy? Findings From a National
Longitudinal Survey of Youth." Pediatrics 122.5 (2008): 1047-1054. Academic Search Complete.
EBSCO. Web. 1 Apr. 2010.

The Merchants of Cool. Dir. Rachel Dretzin and Barak Goodman. PBS. Frontline. Web. 25 April.
2010. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/>.

Hust, Stacey J. T., Jane D. Brown, and Kelly Ladin L'Engle. "Boys Will Be Boys and Girls Better Be
Prepared: An Analysis of the Rare Sexual Health Messages in Young Adolescents' Media." Mass
Communication & Society 11.1 (2008): 3-23. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 1 Apr. 2010.

Jayson, Sharon. "Does 'Juno' Show Strength or Glorify Teen Pregnancy?" USA TODAY. Gannet CO,
INC., 27 May 2008. Web. 30 Apr. 2010. <http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-03-09-
juno-pregnancy-main_N.htm>.

Johnston Polacek, Georgia N. L., et al. "Media and Sex: Perspectives from Hispanic Teens." American
Journal of Sexuality Education 1.4 (2006): 51-69. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 1 Apr.
2010.

Ord, Holly. "Is The Media Promoting Teen Pregnancy?" Menstrual Poetry. 27 June 2008. Web. 30
Apr. 2010. <http://menstrualpoetry.com/media-promoting-teen-pregnancy>.

Park, Alice. "Sex on TV Increases Teen Pregnancy, Says Report." Time. CNN, 03 Nov. 2008. Web.
30 Apr. 2010. <http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1855842,00.html>.

"Quick Reference: Fact Sheets; Teenage Pregnancy." March of Dimes. November 2008. Web. 30
Apr. 2010. <http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1159.asp>.

Tapia, Ruby C. "IMPREGNATING IMAGES." Feminist Media Studies 5.1 (2005): 7-22. Academic Search
Complete. EBSCO. Web. 1 Apr. 2010.

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 Photo Credits Page
1. Bristol Palin on Fox, picture found at: http://skepticalob.blogspot.com/2009/05/bristol-
palin-promotes-teen-pregnancy.html

2. Jamie Lynn Spears in OK magazine picture found at: http://www.dailystab.com/jamie-

lynn-spears-ok-magazine-cover-and-interview/

3. 16 and Pregnant cast members, picture found at: 

http://www.tvfodder.com/archives/2009/09/mtv_spins_off_1.shtml

4. The Situation and Pauly D from Jersey Shore in the Jacuzzi with girls they picked up at a
club. Picture found at: http://www.mtv.com/photos/jersey-shore-episode-4-
flipbook/1628518/4476826/photo.jhtml

5. Jenelle from 16 and Pregnant. Picture found at: http://www.dipity.com/timeline/16-And-

Pregnant/list

6. Shailene Woodley from The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Picture found at:
http://www.totallyher.com/the-secret-life-of-the-american-teenager-season-2-shailene-
woodley-interview/

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