ROLE MODEL?
I signed up for public writing in order to get the credits necessary for me to graduate in August. I have to admit that I was enrolled in this course before I really understood what the requirements consisted of. These credits will enable me to graduate in August with a degree in psychology (this class is outside my comfort zone). Initially, I was scared to death when I found out that I would have to tweet, blog, and communicate via numerous outlets online, but after realizing that I had a lot to learn about this unknown territory, I became intrigued and excited about the challenge (this will be difficult for me).
The topic I chose to blog about this semester had to be something important enough to me that I didn’t mind posting my opinions for all eyes to see. My idea came to me after browsing a US Weekly magazine while standing in line at the grocery store; I was horrified to see the young girls from MTV’s reality program “Teen Mom”. Their faces and personal relationship struggles are plastered on the covers of these magazines as if they are movie stars. When I think about teen pregnancy, the word “entertainment” does not come to mind. The show Teen Mom formally called 16 and Pregnant is a popular reality program aired on MTV. The show was originally intended to show the life changes and hardships these young girls encounter after having a child. In 2008 MTV News reported a story about a Massachusetts High school that gained public attention after a few of the female students started a “pregnancy pack” and made it their #1 priority to get pregnant at the same time, which happened to be before they graduated from high school.
In 2008, if MTV’s goal was to educate young people about the seriousness of teen pregnancy than I have to say that MTV has changed gears and over the past three years has made an empire out of promoting and some would argue encouraging teen pregnancy.
I believe that the future generation of American woman should be a strong and driven, educated, and self-sufficient. I hope my blog can emphasize the importance of these issues. And I would like to clarify that my issue is not teen pregnancy it’s about fame and glorification being achieved this way. We live in a society that is obsessed with celebrity culture and need to endorse behavior that can benefit our future rather than promoting this behavior that according to CNN’s Melissa Henson, leaves families trapped in a cycle of poverty. To see entire article, visit my blog and follow the link that I have provided (this is all so new to me…providing links and sharing information this way). Shamoon points out that public writing can give direction to a public that already exists. I brought up the television show “Teen Mom” in different conversations and it is abundantly clear that others are also concerned about how this program can potentially influence it’s young impressionable viewers. It would like to make a positive change in what adolescence consider glamorous. "A recent survey of schoolchildren found that many teens today would rather be famous than smart; they'd rather be a celebrity assistant than the president of Harvard. Would it really have been so difficult for MTV to anticipate the possibility -- if not the probability -- that some star struck teenager might see those magazine covers and perceive getting pregnant and earning a spot on the show as her ticket to fame and fortune?" ( Henson, 2011).
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-05-04/opinion/henson.teen.mom.show
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