"Teen Mom"- Negative Consequences and Glorification

"Teen Mom" is a reality television show on MTV that follows the lives of teenage girls who get pregnant and deal with the consequences of this. Though the show does show some positive consequences of teenage pregnancy (moms generally love their babies and often do not regret having a baby), the show is meant to be a cautionary tale for teenage pregnancy. The show illustrates the difficulties teenage pregnancy can create in a young person's life. Oftentimes, episodes rely on the drama created by problems ranging from relationship strife between the pregnant girl and boyfriend, economic stresses of preparing for a child or raising a baby, or the complications girls face in education while pregnant and after birth. The show succeeds in showing the negative consequences of teenage pregnancy, but some say this show actually inspires teenagers to get pregnant in hopes of achieving the fame of the girls on the show.

http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/dangers-teen-mom-reality-shows-23133.html

This is a link to an article criticizing shows like Teen Mom because these shows glamorize the idea of teenage pregnancy despite the show's focus on negative consequences. The article also illuminates the show's tendency to normalize the situations these girls experience while pregnant and after and this affects young viewers' expectations about pregnancy at a young age.

But why does this matter? It matters because this article and research point to an increase in teenage pregnancy and applications to be on shows like "Teen Mom" and "16 and Pregnant." The fame subjects on these shows achieve overpowers the cautionary theme of these shows for young viewers and the amount of viewers of these shows has increased since its initial airing and the fandom of these shows has increased as well. It seems as though young people idolize the stars of the show instead of learn from their situations. The Effects of Sex in Television Drama Shows on Emerging Adults’ Sexual Attitudes and Moral Judgments  by Keren Eyal and Dale Kunkel illustrates the connection between media portrayals of negative consequences of sex and moral judgments. Their work finds that people who encounter negative consequences of sex in media tend to judge sexual actions more critically. However, the growing fan following of teenage pregnancy reality shows along with an increase in applications to be on these shows by teenage girls would be a counterexample to Eyal and Kunkel's work.
I think that Eyal and Kunkel's conclusions about exposure to consequences of sex and its effects on moral judgement are sound. However, media's tendency to glorify the stars of reality shows and the career success and popularity these reality stars achieve is more enticing to young viewers than any learning lesson.


Sources:

Eyal, K., & Kunkel, D. (2008). The effects of sex in television drama shows on emerging adults' sexual attitudes and moral judgments. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 52(2), 161-181.
Ireland, K. (2015, June 2). What Are the Dangers of Teen Mom Reality Shows? Retrieved October 17, 2015.