Please enjoy the following video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb4u46f9fS8
What are your reactions to this Primetime Special?
Note how the first teen mom expresses how she is so upset about all the "life" she missed out on.
Becca Jo, Charda, Courtney, Hiroyo, Rebecca
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Teenage Pregnancy...Glamorous?
Teenage pregnancy has recently been the new “hot” topic of the mass media everywhere from movies to families of high governmental status and everything in between. It seems lately that the media is ‘glorifying’ and ‘normalizing’ teenage pregnancy by making it a widely accepted subject. The media makes teen pregnancy look easy, but what isn’t shown are the actual hardships and struggles of a child raising a child.
Another issue about teenage pregnancy in the media is that it rarely mentions the use of contraceptives or STD testing. “‘It's the missing three C's: there's little commitment, no mention of contraception and rarely do we see negative consequences,’ says Jane Brown, a journalism professor at the University of North Carolina who runs the Teen Media Project. ‘What's missing in the media's sexual script is what happens before and after’... They also seem to be glamorizing unprotected sex. Every girl on the television show Teen Mom, admitted that they were engaging in unprotected sex at the time they became pregnant. Shouldn’t we be showing teens how to appropriately use contraceptives and get tested regularly for STD’s? It is shown that television shows such as 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom have brought the issue of teenage pregnancy to the viewers’ attention, who are mostly teens themselves, that teen pregnancy can happen, but if the girls on television can do it and have their own television show, so can they.
One of the major controversial pregnant teenagers was Bristol Palin who was 17 when she found out she was pregnant. The daughter of Alaska’s governor, Sarah Palin, who spoke openly and highly about her abstinence-only sex education plan, took the U.S by surprise when she announced that she was pregnant. The same goes for Nickelodeon star Jamie Lynn Spears, the little sister of pop singer, Britney Spears, who found out she was pregnant at the age of 16. The second controversial issue surrounding pregnant teens is the “Pregnancy Pact”, which was a pact, made by 18 girls in Gloucester to get pregnant together. This was a major story on the news and in the media for weeks and was still mentioned months after. Lifetime even turned it into a hit movie. Please view the MSNBC for more information:
What are your thoughts on this report?
This new “hot baby fad” is striking our nation and it doesn’t seem to be dying down at anytime soon. It seems that many people in the United States have become more accepting of teen pregnancy, but it all depends on the different cultures. Different people in different cultures view teen pregnancy in different ways, and that’s okay, but is this “fad” going to last? How far will the media go to make a buck? Will teen pregnancy become a viscous cycle?
Sources:
Jayson, Sharon. Does ‘Juno’ Show Strength or Glorify Teen Pregnancy? USA Today 2008 May 27. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-03-09-juno-pregnancy-main_N.htm
Kilff, Sarah. Teenage Pregnancy, Hollywood Style. Newsweek Exclusive. 2008 Jul 23.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/148437
Lowen, Linda. Teen Pregnancy in Pop Culture—Media Images of Teen Pregnancy in pop Culture. http://womensissues.about.com/od/teenpregnancy/tp/TeenPregnancyPopCultureMedia.htm
Please enjoy the following video clips:
This video clip is an interview of a pregnant teen and her hardships.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/40211#?l=1377894848&t=1676207999
Becca Jo, Charda, Courtney, Hiroyo, Rebecca
Another issue about teenage pregnancy in the media is that it rarely mentions the use of contraceptives or STD testing. “‘It's the missing three C's: there's little commitment, no mention of contraception and rarely do we see negative consequences,’ says Jane Brown, a journalism professor at the University of North Carolina who runs the Teen Media Project. ‘What's missing in the media's sexual script is what happens before and after’... They also seem to be glamorizing unprotected sex. Every girl on the television show Teen Mom, admitted that they were engaging in unprotected sex at the time they became pregnant. Shouldn’t we be showing teens how to appropriately use contraceptives and get tested regularly for STD’s? It is shown that television shows such as 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom have brought the issue of teenage pregnancy to the viewers’ attention, who are mostly teens themselves, that teen pregnancy can happen, but if the girls on television can do it and have their own television show, so can they.
One of the major controversial pregnant teenagers was Bristol Palin who was 17 when she found out she was pregnant. The daughter of Alaska’s governor, Sarah Palin, who spoke openly and highly about her abstinence-only sex education plan, took the U.S by surprise when she announced that she was pregnant. The same goes for Nickelodeon star Jamie Lynn Spears, the little sister of pop singer, Britney Spears, who found out she was pregnant at the age of 16. The second controversial issue surrounding pregnant teens is the “Pregnancy Pact”, which was a pact, made by 18 girls in Gloucester to get pregnant together. This was a major story on the news and in the media for weeks and was still mentioned months after. Lifetime even turned it into a hit movie. Please view the MSNBC for more information:
What are your thoughts on this report?
This new “hot baby fad” is striking our nation and it doesn’t seem to be dying down at anytime soon. It seems that many people in the United States have become more accepting of teen pregnancy, but it all depends on the different cultures. Different people in different cultures view teen pregnancy in different ways, and that’s okay, but is this “fad” going to last? How far will the media go to make a buck? Will teen pregnancy become a viscous cycle?
Sources:
Jayson, Sharon. Does ‘Juno’ Show Strength or Glorify Teen Pregnancy? USA Today 2008 May 27. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-03-09-juno-pregnancy-main_N.htm
Kilff, Sarah. Teenage Pregnancy, Hollywood Style. Newsweek Exclusive. 2008 Jul 23.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/148437
Lowen, Linda. Teen Pregnancy in Pop Culture—Media Images of Teen Pregnancy in pop Culture. http://womensissues.about.com/od/teenpregnancy/tp/TeenPregnancyPopCultureMedia.htm
Please enjoy the following video clips:
This video clip is an interview of a pregnant teen and her hardships.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/40211#?l=1377894848&t=1676207999
Becca Jo, Charda, Courtney, Hiroyo, Rebecca
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Teen Pregnancy Education
1.)Sex Education in school and at home: Sex education is an umbrella term which includes facts about sex and talking to children about the myths and dangers of early sex. Helping children to understand the statistics will support him or her in making educated decision about starting or postponing sexual activity. (http://www.education.com/topic/teen-sex-education/)
……Sex education isn't just an issue at home: it has become a hot-button controversy among politicians, pediatricians, and educators nationwide.
Biggest unanswered questions about sex, love, and relationships: (Here’s the top 10) (http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Fact_Sheet_What/)
• When is it okay to have sex? How do I know when I'm ready?
• How far is too far for me - or for someone my age?
• Does my partner really love me? How do you know when you're in love?
• How do I say "no" without making my boy/girlfriend feel bad and without feeling pressured?
• Why do so many girls get pregnant when there is plenty of birth control information available?
• Why do teens feel they have to have sex before marriage? Is it to feel cool?
• Where can I find out about birth control?
• How can I ask my parents about sex - or tell them I'm ready to have sex - without them having a heart attack?
• How many teen girls get pregnant every year?
• Why don't parents and other adults stress abstinence as a way to avoid pregnancy?
As both parents and teens know, addressing these questions is not always easy, but teens tell us they'd rather find out the facts about sex, pregnancy, and relationships from the adults in their lives than through myths and half-truths in the school yard.
Question to think about: Whether teens should get the details on sexual relationships, or whether abstinence is truly the best policy. Think perspective from parent, educator, politician, pediatrician’s point of view
2.)Education for teen pregnant girls: There are many options available to teens today: Adoption, Abortion, Transition Programs, and keeping the child are all options. (http://www.pregnantteenhelp.org/articles3.html)
Statistic facts:
1. Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school (only one-third receive a high school diploma)
2. Teen mothers: Only 1.5% have a college degree by age 30
3. Teen mothers are more likely to end up on welfare (nearly 80% of unmarried teen mothers end up on welfare).
4. The children of teenage mothers have lower birth weights, are more likely to perform poorly in school, and are at greater risk of abuse and neglect.
a) The sons of teen mothers are 13% more likely to end up in prison while teen daughter are 22% more likely to become teen mothers themselves.
Questions to think about: Why are options important for teen pregnant girls? Which option do you think is the BEST to prevent teen pregnancy?
……Sex education isn't just an issue at home: it has become a hot-button controversy among politicians, pediatricians, and educators nationwide.
Biggest unanswered questions about sex, love, and relationships: (Here’s the top 10) (http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Fact_Sheet_What/)
• When is it okay to have sex? How do I know when I'm ready?
• How far is too far for me - or for someone my age?
• Does my partner really love me? How do you know when you're in love?
• How do I say "no" without making my boy/girlfriend feel bad and without feeling pressured?
• Why do so many girls get pregnant when there is plenty of birth control information available?
• Why do teens feel they have to have sex before marriage? Is it to feel cool?
• Where can I find out about birth control?
• How can I ask my parents about sex - or tell them I'm ready to have sex - without them having a heart attack?
• How many teen girls get pregnant every year?
• Why don't parents and other adults stress abstinence as a way to avoid pregnancy?
As both parents and teens know, addressing these questions is not always easy, but teens tell us they'd rather find out the facts about sex, pregnancy, and relationships from the adults in their lives than through myths and half-truths in the school yard.
Question to think about: Whether teens should get the details on sexual relationships, or whether abstinence is truly the best policy. Think perspective from parent, educator, politician, pediatrician’s point of view
2.)Education for teen pregnant girls: There are many options available to teens today: Adoption, Abortion, Transition Programs, and keeping the child are all options. (http://www.pregnantteenhelp.org/articles3.html)
Statistic facts:
1. Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school (only one-third receive a high school diploma)
2. Teen mothers: Only 1.5% have a college degree by age 30
3. Teen mothers are more likely to end up on welfare (nearly 80% of unmarried teen mothers end up on welfare).
4. The children of teenage mothers have lower birth weights, are more likely to perform poorly in school, and are at greater risk of abuse and neglect.
a) The sons of teen mothers are 13% more likely to end up in prison while teen daughter are 22% more likely to become teen mothers themselves.
Questions to think about: Why are options important for teen pregnant girls? Which option do you think is the BEST to prevent teen pregnancy?
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Why are teen fathers overlooked?
Why is it that we hear so much about teen mothers and their babies and so little about the men who have fathered their children? One out of every fifteen men will father a child while they are a teenager. Even more then that will drop out of high school. Only 20% of teen fathers marry their child's mother.
http://www.modernmom.com/article-3591-teen-dad-pregnancy-facts/#jumpToArticle
There is not much research out there about teen fathers. On MTV's Teen Mom the focus of the show is about the mothers and their relationships with the people around them. All of the mother's have very different relationships with the father's of their child. Farrah seems to have no communication with her baby daddy. While Amber and Gary seem to be trying to work out their relationship with their child's best interest in mind. Gary wants to spend time with his daughter and support both the baby and Amber. Maci's boyfriend Ryan does not seem to care or pay any attention to his son. He seems to just want to live his life on his own and forget he ever had a child. Then their's Tyler, him and his girlfriend Caitlin gave their baby girl up for adoption. They both seem torn up over the situation. Tyler shows his maturity over everything. On mtv.com there is a letter Tyler wrote to his daughter Carly about how he needed to give her a better life. http://remotecontrol.mtv.com/2009/07/17/online-exclusive-read-tylers-entire-letter-to-his-baby-girl/
There is a wide range of teen fathers out there. From very involved and supportive to not around at all. Why do they get forgotten?
BeccaJo, Rebecca, Courtney, Charda, and Hiroyo
http://www.modernmom.com/article-3591-teen-dad-pregnancy-facts/#jumpToArticle
There is not much research out there about teen fathers. On MTV's Teen Mom the focus of the show is about the mothers and their relationships with the people around them. All of the mother's have very different relationships with the father's of their child. Farrah seems to have no communication with her baby daddy. While Amber and Gary seem to be trying to work out their relationship with their child's best interest in mind. Gary wants to spend time with his daughter and support both the baby and Amber. Maci's boyfriend Ryan does not seem to care or pay any attention to his son. He seems to just want to live his life on his own and forget he ever had a child. Then their's Tyler, him and his girlfriend Caitlin gave their baby girl up for adoption. They both seem torn up over the situation. Tyler shows his maturity over everything. On mtv.com there is a letter Tyler wrote to his daughter Carly about how he needed to give her a better life. http://remotecontrol.mtv.com/2009/07/17/online-exclusive-read-tylers-entire-letter-to-his-baby-girl/
There is a wide range of teen fathers out there. From very involved and supportive to not around at all. Why do they get forgotten?
BeccaJo, Rebecca, Courtney, Charda, and Hiroyo
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Risk Factors of Teenage Pregnancy
As discussed in our introduction teenage pregnancy is on the rise. It is an issue now talked about everywhere. One of the discussions on teenage pregnancy focus on what the factors that cause teenage pregnancy are. There is compelling data that suggest there are several strong factors that lead to an increased risk of getting pregnant as a teenager. These risks come from a teenager’s environment and background, as well as individual behavior of a teenager. It is important to note that this research does not say that every teenage girl with these risk factors will get pregnant. The research merely shows that these factors have lead to and increase in teen pregnancy rates. They are often broken down into two categories. Environmental, and Individual factors.
The most studied factor is that of geographic location. Researchers found a correlation between the neighborhoods that teenagers live in and their risk in getting pregnant. It was found in a study by the American Medical Association that” Teens who live in neighborhoods that have high levels of poverty, low levels of education, and high residential turnover are at a higher risk for teen pregnancy”(AMA,7). A similar study found that family factors also contribute to the rising rate of teen pregnancy. These include the income level of the family, as well as the family structure. Teens that were born to teenage parents are also more likely to become teenage parents themselves.
There are also factors that are individual girls, but are harder to study. There has been research that suggests that low self-esteem correlates to having sex earlier and getting pregnant at a younger age. This is harder to study then where you live as a risk factor. Another individual factor is school performance. Students that do poorer in school tend not to be future orientated. This can lead to an increased risk for becoming pregnant as a teenager.
Rebecca, Becca, Courtney, Charda, and Hiroyo
Thought provoking questions:
1) What can be done to curb the link between these factors and the rates of teen pregnancy?
2) Has there been enough research about teen pregnancies that fall outside of these risk factors?
3) Who do we make aware of the factors? Teen? Parents? Girls? Boys?
4) How do we educate people on the risk factors?
Sources
Chang, Philip . "National Innitiative on Teen Pregnancy ." American Medical Association Journal . (2003): 6-30. Print.
The most studied factor is that of geographic location. Researchers found a correlation between the neighborhoods that teenagers live in and their risk in getting pregnant. It was found in a study by the American Medical Association that” Teens who live in neighborhoods that have high levels of poverty, low levels of education, and high residential turnover are at a higher risk for teen pregnancy”(AMA,7). A similar study found that family factors also contribute to the rising rate of teen pregnancy. These include the income level of the family, as well as the family structure. Teens that were born to teenage parents are also more likely to become teenage parents themselves.
There are also factors that are individual girls, but are harder to study. There has been research that suggests that low self-esteem correlates to having sex earlier and getting pregnant at a younger age. This is harder to study then where you live as a risk factor. Another individual factor is school performance. Students that do poorer in school tend not to be future orientated. This can lead to an increased risk for becoming pregnant as a teenager.
Rebecca, Becca, Courtney, Charda, and Hiroyo
Thought provoking questions:
1) What can be done to curb the link between these factors and the rates of teen pregnancy?
2) Has there been enough research about teen pregnancies that fall outside of these risk factors?
3) Who do we make aware of the factors? Teen? Parents? Girls? Boys?
4) How do we educate people on the risk factors?
Sources
Chang, Philip . "National Innitiative on Teen Pregnancy ." American Medical Association Journal . (2003): 6-30. Print.
Hello Teen Pregnancy!
After ten years of the declining rates of teen pregnancy, the rates have been increasing since 2006 and continue to rise (http://www.wkrn.com/Global/story.asp?S=11881305). Experts say that many factors may lead to the rising rate of teenage pregnancy, some of which include: media, lack of adequate education, family background, and geographic location. The high rate of teenage pregnancy in the United States can also be because of several other factors that include, the development of sexual maturity earlier than emotional maturity, and the proper education regarding sexual relationships among teenagers, STI’s, and pregnancy preventative techniques (http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/adolescent-pregnancy). Compared to other industrialized countries, the United States has the highest rates of teenage pregnancy. In 2002, there were over 750,000 teen pregnancies in the United States including 215,000 teen abortions (www.4parents.gov); eight in ten of these pregnancies were unintended and 81% of these teens were unmarried (www.livestrong.com). Without contraception, a teenager has a ninety percent chance of getting pregnant within one year of continuing sexual activity. Teenagers who grow up in poverty, drop out of school, begin dating at an early age, have few friends and no social support system and have no future goals for oneself, begin use of drugs and and/or alcohol at an early age, have a mother who was a teenage mother, or live in a community where early parenthood is accepted are more likely to become teenage parents (http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/adolescent-pregnancy).
In recent years, teenage pregnancy has been thrust into the spotlight and is no longer seen as a taboo subject. Teenagers often receive misinterpreted or misleading messages from the media. With television shows, such as 16 and Pregnant and The Secret Life of the American Teenager, young celebrities, such as Jamie Spears, and other predominant people in the media, such as Bristol Palin, the creation of a teenage pregnancy “fad” has swept our nation.
Thought Provoking Questions:
1. What are your current thoughts on teen pregnancy?
2. Do you think the media has a positive or negative effect on society and its views on teen pregnancy?
3. In your opinion, why do you think the teen pregnancy rates continue to rise?
4. Do you think that there are adequate services that help teenage parents?
5. Do you have any personal experience (you or a friend/ acquaintance) with teenage pregnancy? What are your thoughts about it?
In recent years, teenage pregnancy has been thrust into the spotlight and is no longer seen as a taboo subject. Teenagers often receive misinterpreted or misleading messages from the media. With television shows, such as 16 and Pregnant and The Secret Life of the American Teenager, young celebrities, such as Jamie Spears, and other predominant people in the media, such as Bristol Palin, the creation of a teenage pregnancy “fad” has swept our nation.
Thought Provoking Questions:
1. What are your current thoughts on teen pregnancy?
2. Do you think the media has a positive or negative effect on society and its views on teen pregnancy?
3. In your opinion, why do you think the teen pregnancy rates continue to rise?
4. Do you think that there are adequate services that help teenage parents?
5. Do you have any personal experience (you or a friend/ acquaintance) with teenage pregnancy? What are your thoughts about it?
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