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Teen Mom (MTV)

common sense media says

Docu takes a hard, unglamorous look at teen motherhood.


parents & educators say
  • 57% say sexual content is an issue
  • 43% say there are positive messages

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this follow-up to 16 and Pregnant looks at the challenges associated with being a teenage parent, including contentious relationships with their child’s father, their parents, and other family members. As a result, there's tons of bickering and sometimes even physical altercations. Expect lots of strong language (words like “bitch” and “ass” are audible, while stronger words are bleeped) and conversations about birth control. Marriage and adoption are also discussed. It’s not age-appropriate for younger kids, but it could potentially serve as a starting point for parents to talk to teens about sex and its consequences.

Positive messages: The show offers an honest, non-glamorized look at the realities of being a teen parent. It highlights the hard work and multiple challenges involved in having a child at such a young age -- from conflict with partners and family members to the huge responsibility of having a baby to care for. The series' frank approach to its subject matter could help open teens' eyes to the consequences of sex.
Positive role models: Some of the featured teens are still extremely immature and continue to make poor choices, like having unprotected sex and dropping out of school. But all of them seem to love their babies -- even if they don't like their new life as a parent. Some of the teens' parents react in anger (not speaking to them, for example) due to the decisions they've made.
Violence: Frequent bickering, yelling, and screaming between the teen mothers and their partners and/or parents. Some of the mothers get physically violent (pushing, shoving, hitting) with their partners -- sometimes in front of their babies.
Sex: Frequent discussions about having sex and about birth control. One young mom is shown having a pelvic exam. Infidelity is discussed.
Language: Words like "jackass" and "bitch" are audible. Words like “s--t” and “f--k” are bleeped.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Occasional discussions of drinking or drug use, often on the part of teen fathers.

More on Teen Mom

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • Families can talk about the messages that the media sends about sex and sexual behavior. How do TV shows and movies tend to portray pregnant and/or sexually active teens? Are these portrayals realistic?

  • How has the media treated the young mothers on this show? Have you seen them featured in celebrity magazines and TV shows? What kind of message does this newfound fame send to teens about the consequences of pregnancy?

  • What pressures do teens face when it comes to when it comes to having sex? Aside from pregnancy, what are some of the other consequences that teens face when they choose to engage in sexual activity? How about when they choose not to?

  • What changes take place when a teen has a child? What do you think is the biggest challenge for a teenage mom?

What's the story?

What's the story?

TEEN MOM -- a sequel to MTV’s 16 and Pregnant -- looks at how four teen moms' daily lives have changed since their babies' arrival. Cameras follow each of the new mothers as they as they attempt to finish school, find a job, and maintain a social life while raising a young child. It also looks at the impact that their pregnancy has had on their friends, family members, and themselves. Though the show continues to document the challenges of the original "teen moms," a new crop of teenage mothers are being featured on TEEN MOM 2, which follows an identical format to the original.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Unlike 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom offers an unglamorous and often uncomfortable look into the lives of teen parents in order to underscore what life can really be like when you have a child at such a young age. It also highlights some of the inner struggles the young women face -- from negotiating their role as a mother and a “typical” teenager to coping with the loneliness and isolation they feel when they can no longer socialize as they did before they got pregnant.

It isn’t easy to watch these kids living with the consequences of the choices they made. It’s even harder to watch them act like teenagers when they should be making more adult choices for themselves and their children. But it's this very discomfort that will hopefully act as a red flag for kids who are thinking (or not thinking carefully enough) about following in their footsteps. As the show has gained in popularity, the teen moms have received lots of attention in the tabloids -- both positive and negative (one mother was accused of domestic violence against her child's father).

TV themes & details

TV Details
TV Rating: TV-PG
Network: MTV
Genre: Reality TV
Where to watch: MTV

This review was written by Melissa Camacho
 
 

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What parents & educators say

14
Based on 7 parent & educator reviews:
  • 57% say sexual content is an issue
  • 43% say there are positive messages
  • 43% say language is an issue
  • 29% say violence is an issue
  • 29% say there are positive role models

Most useful reviews by all members

talli10
teen, 17 years old
 
Great for Teens (Especially Girls!)
I love this show! It shows you what the consequences are of having sex & that while you may think it's "ok" to have sex because you're "in love", that "love" might not last. I love seeing the babies & seeing how the moms' lives have changed. Teen Mom really opens your eyes to how much you have to give up when you become a parent.

 

melb19
adult
 
Rewarding Bad Behaviors.
From the shores of New Jersey to the California coasts where the Kardashians reside, the message these shows are distributing to the youth of this country is that not only are their behaviors acceptable but that they can be rewarded with an income that will make them prosperous. More specifically there is one reality show that has especially gotten under my skin, Teen Mom. For those who are unfamiliar with any of the series, Teen Mom is a spin-off of the documentary reality show 16 and Pregnant. The series follows the former 16 and Pregnant stars in their first year of motherhood, documenting their struggles and successes. The show seems to be having a reverse effect on prevent teenage pregnancies in America. Earlier this year a news story from Memphis, Tennessee left me speechless. It was reported that 90 teenage girls were either currently pregnant or have had a baby in this recent school year. However this news story was just the beginning of my shock and disbelief. I discovered through some research on the internet that teen moms of the MTV series were being paid, $65,000 a season. Most of these girls on the show haven’t even graduated high school and they are earning around the same amount of money as a college professor! MTV’s main demographic is from 12-24. The young females that are watching these programs are indirectly told that being a teen parent is becoming more accepted in today’s society. It’s bothersome to me that Americans find entertainment in watching these teen parent’s daily lives, which have the possibility of being completely fabricated! We should be inspiring the citizens of our country to want to emulate the individuals who have made sacrifices to do something of assistance to others, not to strive to become America’s Next Train wreck.

twilightlover45
kid, 12 years old
 
I LOVE THIS SHOW!

emilyemilyshan
teen, 14 years old
 
teen mom - actually teaches soemthing
it shows the actuality and hardships of unprotected sex and teen motherhood, and relationships very good show

LayneE
adult
 
Consider this one first.
I really like Teen Mom. It's a real look at the problem of having sex too young and getting pregnant. Here's the deal though: while this may work as birth control, you have Amber beating the crap out of her on again/off again boyfriend, Farrah acting like a brat towards her mother (who, by the way, messed up her daughter's face in a fight), Maci making rash decisions that affect her child's emotional well being, and Caitlyn getting yelled at by her drug addict mother. You need to consider the fact that there is also a lot of shots of the couples in bed together. How does your family feel about that? Would it be better to scare your children away from having babies, or protect them from seeing unwed couples asleep in a bed? It's a toss up.

PersinmGlitch
kid, 13 years old
 
Good,But isnt 16 & Pregnet enough?
Honestly,I think it is good because it tells young 16 year olds how hard it is to be a mother,the only problem i have is that we dont need to have an entire series based around four teenaged mothers.Isnt 16 & Pregnet enough?

MANN55
teen, 15 years old
 
e.g. Perfect for older kids,11 AND OLDER
THIS SHOW IS THE BOMB

 
this is a perfect example of people with different opionions...
ok so i know how some people can have their opionion on this show but, its the real world! no one is perfect and parents are hard on their teens because of they know this situation happened by sex and they dont want them to do it again. this show definantly has bad role models and very good ones. overall my opionion is that this is very age appropriate. i seen an 11 year old girl at my obgyn who was pregnant and im not sure if she watched this show or not but i know they show the very hard times and the joys at the same time. i love it!

a2girl
teen, 13 years old
 
Horrible Show

Airconditioning
teen, 15 years old
 
Great for first learning the birds and bees
I really enjoyed this because It sends a good messege by showing the hard ships of being unprotected and not careful and how unglamourous that life is all because of one mistake. I do not have any concerns.

RunAlottJasonH
kid, 12 years old
 
IO+
on

MOVIE13
teen, 14 years old
 
just like 16 and pregant
instead of just one teen mo story they show four! the more the better!

kayoh9
teen, 16 years old
 
This show is definitely on :D
I believe that this is an appropriate show for ages six and up because it shows them the bad consequences of having a child at a young age. You shouldn't be thinking about sex at this age because you have plenty of time to conceive a child later. The only thing that you should have to worry about is your schoolwork and you having fun while you can.

bieber_fever55
teen, 18 years old
 
Great Message For Teens :]
Everyone loves a little bit of drama... and Teen Mom not only explores the negativities of teen pregnancy but also has drama. Sometimes I will admit, Amber gets violent with her boyfriend, or Maci will cuss out her ex. There is a lot of talk about sex, but I think it is a great show to exhibit the disadvantages of teen pregnancy. It isn't like other shows that paint this happy picture of having a baby while being a teenager at the same time. I love this show, and it is great for teens.

BieberFreakinFever
teen, 14 years old
 
good and bad stuff
Teen Mom is a great look into the reality look into the world of teen pregnancy and parenthood. The show does have good messages about how much it can mess up not only your lfe but the people around you if you become pregnant at a very young age. However all the teen moms are extremly imature and continue to yell and swear and make poor choices like dropping out of school. Also Amber in this show is extremly violent she is constantly swearing at her boyfriend Gary and most of the time ressorts to visciouse, abusive, physical violence. I like this show, but it isn't for everyone especially guys. I recomend this to girls ages 14 and up.

lovin_him_alwaysxz
teen, 17 years old
 
all teens should watdh this show. including 13 year olds
i think the show is great. it shows you everyday life that these teens have being a mom. i would love to be on the show to show how my life is with my own child

OGORMAN
teen, 16 years old
 
There is a ton of drama in every episode. That's probably why it's so addicting! My mom would flip if she knew that I had watched it, but then again my mom flips at anything that isn't G or PG rated. Which is why I take my dad to movies instead of her, but anyways, yeah so... Teen Moms. It's a pretty good show, but like I said lots of drama so don' t watch if your not mature enough to handle adult situations.

kaytopian
teen, 14 years old
 
GREAT SHOW ALL IN ALL
It is a very educational show. It shows tweens and young teen the concequences of sex before marriage and unprotected sex. the lanuage can be bleeped and its very rare that there are curse words. now or the bad stuff: some of the teen moms are irresponsible by leaving their babies with their paretns while they go out to clubs and drink and party. some of the moms and their partners get into arguments. in one episode a mom loses her temper and starting slapping and pushing her fiance. there is frequent talk about birth control and "using protection" all in all its a good and educational show that offers some entertainment.

 
Rant
It follows four girls as they deal with life after delivering their children. No one expected them to be good role models. Obviously, since they were pregnant at 16. But when you put a show like this on TV, and teenage girls are watching it, role models are what these girls are going to become. Farrah is a selfish, stuck up, brat without a clue. She had it the "hardest" of them all because she is raising Sophia alone. Yeah, right, her parents dote on Sophia. Yes her mother is a little overbearing, but Farrah, during the first season of the show, didn't seem to understand that getting pregnant and raising the child has consequences, and there are sacrifices to make. She really needs to appreciate her family more. I think if she did, and if she respected their boundaries...and acted responsibly, the conflict with her mother in the season 2 premiere could have been avoided. Amber is a good Mom, for the most part. Her flaw is that she continues to put up with Gary. He is no good for her, or for her child. They need to separate both for their own good, and for their daughter. She says she needs to do what's best for Leah, but being in that situation, I'm not sure she sees what is best. It isn't healthy to be around their arguing. They are both very stubborn people, who never let the other get a word in, that's not changing if it hasn't yet. That relationship aside, she is a good mom who loves her daughter. Macy is probably the most realistic and most mature of all the girls. She knows what she has to do, and does it. Like Farrah, she's going through it alone, Ryan clearly is no help. Her parents are very supportive too, and it seems that she has a good relationship with them. She's in school with some sort of ambition, she has a job, and she saw that her relationship with Ryan wasn't good for any of them. She's very mature. I can't judge Caitlyn on her motherhood. She did a very brave thing in putting her child up for adoption. What she's going through now is what I assume is normal teenage experiences, obviously with the added emotional strain of not having her child. I can't stand her grammar, and the strange phrases she says like "Love on her." but that doesn't say much about her as a person. I don't think that her relationship or her life really has a place on the show. We know that she went through something really hard, and she still is facing a challenge with her home life, but it really doesn't relate to the other girls' lives. Thank GOD that they didn't start the second season of this show with the girls from the second season of 16 and pregnant. That sends a terrible message "If you get pregnant, you can be 16 and pregnant, AND teen mom!" It's better to watch these girls go through a few years of raising their kids, rather than a bunch of girls going through the first year...

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