I loved the previous seasons and it had a really storyline, and good cliffhangers. But now I feel like the season going on right now is holding on for dear life to stay on the air. I don't think there is a sentence without the word sex in it. It's just a horrible story line now and bad acting.
The Secret Life of the American Teenager
(Rated TV-14, Drama, Starring Molly Ringwald, Shailene Woodley, Megan Park, Where to watch: ABC Family, DVD, Online)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Heartfelt drama tackles teen sex, pregnancy, parenthood.
Themes in this show include: dating/crushes, family relationships, friendship, peer pressure
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 13–15
What to watch out for
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Role models:
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of The Secret Life of the American Teenager was written by Melissa Camacho
Parents need to know that this drama from the creator of 7th Heaven centers on the consequences of a teenage girl's unexpected pregnancy. It addresses the various ways that teens think about and cope with sex (including abstinence and promiscuity), pregnancy, and ultimately parenthood, all from a relatively upper-middle class point of view. Although the themes can be controversial, the heartfelt way the topics are introduced provides a good foundation for discussing them with teens and even older tweens. Expect some mild language (words like "laid" are used to describe sex) and specific references to Christianity and the bible.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about the pressures teens face when it comes to having sex. Is it easy to "just say no"?
- Aside from pregnancy, what are some of the other consequences that teens face when they choose to engage in sexual activity? What are some of the consequences they face when they choose not to?
- What messages does the media send about sex and sexual behavior? How do TV shows and movies tend to portray pregnant and/or sexually active teens? Are these portrayals realistic?
Have you seen it? Review It!
More on The Secret Life of the American Teenager
What’s the Story?
THE SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER explores the choices that today's teens are making about sex and touches on some of the very real consequences of their decisions. The series centers on teenage Amy (Shailene Woodley), who gets pregnant after losing her virginity at summer band camp to Ricky (Daren Kagasoff), a promiscuous teen with a troubled past. As Amy struggles to cope with her situation, she embarks on a relationship with good-guy Ben (Kenny Bauman). Meanwhile, other characters -- like good-girl cheerleader Grace (Megan Park) and worldly Adrian (Francis Raisa) -- face various challenges connected to their own sex-related views and behavior. Ultimately, Amy's pregnancy impacts everyone in ways they never saw coming.
Is It Any Good?
Secret Life introduces various points of view about teenage sexual behavior and its consequences by showing how different (albeit still fairly stereotypical) teens develop their own thoughts and feelings about sex, relationships, and growing up. It also looks at how the choices they make impact not just them but everyone around them. The fact that this family drama introduces its various (and often controversial) storylines from an upper-middle class perspective means that viewers don't get much of the real-world grittiness you might expect when dealing with these issues. While that's not exactly realistic, it does mean that the show's themes are presented in a relatively wholesome, heartfelt context that's both entertaining and non-threatening.
That said, despite good performances by notable actors like Molly Ringwald and John Schneider, the show's dialogue often seems somewhat over-manufactured. There are also some moments that feel a little didactic, especially when parents and mentors offer contrived thoughts and advice about teens and premarital sex. But Secret Life does a good job of highlighting the pressure that many of today's teens experience while living in a society that seems to glorify sexual behavior. It also provides a foundation that parents can use to start and/or continue conversations with teens about sex, pregnancy, and parenthood. Although the subject matter isn't age-appropriate for young kids, parents may want to watch with older tweens who are preparing to enter junior or senior high school and talk to them about some of these issues.
Our Members Say
See all 106 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 13 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
This show needs to be over
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I rate this title on for age 14 and give it
Watch this show with your teens
I watch this show with my daughter, who is a sophomore in HS. While some of the dialogue is weak, and I don't like the way the counselors (they're on the third one now) and some of the Christians are portayed on the show, it provokes some interesting conversations with my daughter. I remember being her age, all those years ago, and most of what we talked about and thought about was sex. Not much has changed in a lot of ways. I did think the last show about masturbation was over the top, and so did my daughter. But if parents think this show is giving kids ideas that they wouldn't have otherwise, wake up. Kids my daughter knows were having sex, including oral sex, in 8th grade; by their sophomore year many have had multiple partners, and are also drinking and smoking weed. And these are the "good" kids from middle-class intact families. I think this show pretty realistically portrays how teens act and talk, and it's a good conversation starter. We talk about what kids she knows are like which characters, what does she think of the choice a character made, etc.
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I rate this title on for age 17 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- Negative role models
terrible for young teens
I'm nineteen and I completely fear for those who are in jr. high and even up to tenth grade who watch this and think that this is an acceptable way to behave and think. All it talks about is how every person wants to have sex always and how its completely normal for young teens to be having sex. Did they not learn from the one who had a baby that they are not ready for this? I first thought this would be positive and teach kids why not to engage in such activity but have instead been outraged.
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I rate this title on for age 16 and give it
- My highlights are:
perfect for kids in High school!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love it...
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I rate this title on for age 15 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
- My highlights are:
more like Juno mixed with degrassi
well it's about a teenage girl who gets pregant, what else drama could there be? okay so there is much more into the show i just don't want to give away any spoilers :P but when i watched it, i got into it and kept wanting to watch another episode
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Ratings at a Glance
| 69% | of parents say the sexual behavior isn't age appropriate |
| 50% | of parents don't feel there are good role models |
| 38% | of parents don't think the messages are positive |
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