It is no secret that American teenagers walk around with a false sense of entitlement. There is no more grotesque and appalling example of this than teenage mothers and the sense of pride and accomplishment that they feel by having a baby. I recognize that mistakes happen and there are exceptions, but the fact that teenage pregnancy is once again on the rise can not be chalked up to multiple mistakes. When you are sixteen and find yourself pregnant this is not an accomplishment, just because you are physically able to have a child doesn’t mean you should or that you can handle the responsibility.
As previously discussed social networking sites are extremely popular and have become a way for one to keep people informed and up-to-date with aspects of their life. The picture I chose is actually a MySpace graphic. I think it is a prime example of how teenage pregnancy has not only become widely viewed as socially acceptable, but that it is has now become glamorized and something to be proudly displayed. As a teenager you are not fully matured and grown yourself ; I believe that teenagers are not emotionally, financially, or mentally ready to take on all the responsibilities that accompanies a child. Although the child may be very loved and cared for, in actuality it places a huge burden on everyone around them. It becomes necessary for friends and family to step in and take on much of the responsibilities, which isn’t always fair to them.
Although I don’t agree, I do recognize how a young mother could argue that they are not glamorizing pregnancy but that this it is a part of them, that it isn’t going away and that they shouldn’t have to hide it. I don’t think that the image itself goes too far, however, I do think that that it is a prime example of some young mother’s mentality.
Hey John!
ReplyDeleteI agree the last thing you wrote, teenage motherhood is never a good thing but when it happens, if they have the courage to grow up and live up to their mistake I say kudos. Everybody makes stupid mistakes and nobody should be forced to hide in the shadows because of it.
In defense of the statement made on the image you posted, in many cultures worldwide girls become mothers as soon as they are ready to reproduce and they become great mothers. However these are completely different cultures to the ours. I am sure that a girl who made the "mistake" of having intercourse too early based on Western standards could provide all the love and care necessary to raise a productive member of our society. However, they may be doing it by themselves or at the burden of many close relatives and friends. As long as we have the capability to reproduce teenage pregnancy is bound to happen, however if the media keeps glamorizing instead of promoting safe sex it's going to keep rising. I actually read somewhere this weekedn that teenage pregnancy has gone up since the campaign for abstinance began in the media and schools. The problem with this is not that they are telling kids to wait, it's that they are not telling them how to protect themselves if tehy are having sex and the emphasis it puts on the fact that condoms are not 100% effective, leaving curious kids unprotected and pregnant.
ReplyDeleteThese are all valid points, culturally our society does vary drastically from others. For instance, in some cultures cannabalism is socially acceptable. I don't deny that a young girl can grow into the role of motherhood, but it is a fact that no young girl is capable of responsibly parenting a child on their own at such a young age. For instance they can't even live on their own, under the age of 18 they can't own property or sign a lease or work full time. But anyways, the point I was trying to make is that pregnancy is being glamorized by things like myspace graphics, t.v. shows and the general lax attitude of our society.
ReplyDeleteI agree for the most part with what you are saying. Teenage pregnancy is becoming a real controversial issue now a days, and it does seem to be glamorized. I mean they have all these television shows now about teenage moms and their life, and some make it look easy and fun and all. A bunch of my high school friends actually have kids now, it just seemed that after one got pregnant, the rest followed because they wanted the same experience. I have a 4 year old sister, and just taking care of her from time to time can be exhausting. Teenage moms should not be taking on the responsibility of having a kid so young because it will only hold them back. Some won't be able to get a good education, which they need in order to get a good paying job to support their family. I am not saying that all teenagers who end up pregnant should be getting abortions, but they should truly be more careful and use better protection. There are already a huge amount of homeless children, we don't need young teenagers living off their parents to be having kids too.
ReplyDeleteHey John,
ReplyDeleteyou are right. Teenage pregnancy has become glamorized and is something that is proudly displayed now. I can't tell you how many girls got pregnant in my high school. It was like everyone was having babies and it was the cool thing to do.
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