Student Perceptions of the Glamorization of Teen Pregnancy in the Media

Abstract

While the incidence rate of teen pregnancy in the United States has been declining over the past forty years, teenage pregnancy and child bearing is still a social concern. Teenage pregnancy has many consequences for both the parents and the child such as lower educational attainment and greater financial hardship. Children born to teenage parents are less prepared when they enter kindergarten and are more likely to have more behavioral problems and chronic health problems than children born to older parents. While much research has been done to investigate the costs and rewards of teenage pregnancy, little has been done to discover what influences the perceptions that teenagers hold about the costs and rewards of teenage pregnancy. With popular reality television media portraying teenage pregnancy, such as Teen Mom and 16 & Pregnant, which is being broadcasted to the teenage market, it is important to investigate what influence these types of media have in the creation of the cost and reward perceptions.