The Marketing of Teen Pregnancy
Posted by Lisa in Marketing to Girls, tags: hollywood, marketing, parenting, parents, teen pregnancy, teen sexLike most moms, I was horrified at the news that yet another influential teen star was tabloid fodder. Unfortunately, the fact that Jamie Lynn Spears was pregnant at 16 was far from shocking. My fear is that it will become yet another story that glamorizes teen pregnancy.
When the Spears story broke, I decided to be proactive and bring up the subject with my tween daughter that evening. Despite the fact that she’s never been a fan of “Zoe 101,” she had already heard, discussed and digested the news at school with her friends. At home, my tween daughter and I are having awkward conversations about sex … but tabloid news and Hollywood keeps interrupting the conversation. As a mom, I can’t help but feel that I have few if any allies on my side.
Popular movies like “Knocked-Up,” “Waitress,” and “Juno” are just the latest to dramatize the topic. Not unlike the white-washed “Pretty Woman” fairy tale, Hollywood knows that the story of a gutsy young woman that overcomes the trials and stigma of teen pregnancy and goes on to make something of herself sells better than reality. You’ve heard that sex sells. The media has learned that teen sex and teen pregnancy sells.
Obviously, teen idols and media are not going to help parents with their “just wait” messages. Perhaps I can counter with some stories from reality. For instance, this Christmas I volunteered at a Toys for Tots distribution center. The reality I saw was poor young women — both black and white — picking through tables of dollar-store quality toys in the hopes of finding one toy that would make Christmas a reality for their children this year. While I completely admire the Salvation Army’s efforts, I left feeling sick about the disparity of gifts under my own tree.
Perhaps social media offers a lens of the realities of teen pregnancy. At cafemom, there are hundreds of teen mom groups with thousands of members. I took a look at one of the open groups and found teen moms openly discussing their parents reactions, how they dealt with school, the father’s involvement and the impracticality of partying when you have a baby. As “real” as this lens looks, it only represents young women who made peace with their situation, who have chosen to keep their babies and who are obviously doing well enough to be able to afford Internet access and have some free time to visit social networks.
So what’s a mom to do? My thought of the day is that it is more critical than ever that my daughter routinely hears from me on the topic. Just like educating her on the realities of all those marketing messages she hears everyday, it’s my job to point out that while Jaime Lynn seems to be getting plenty of attention and has not lost her job, she’ll be facing some major realities and has forever changed the path of her life and career. I found some great talking points for parents on the Spears’ pregnancy from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
So parents, I’d love to hear what resources you have found to help balance the scales in your favor?
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Hey JediMom!
What a great blog. Let me say that with what you have stated you are right on target. Teen pregnancy is very “jazzied” up by hollywood and others with enough money to hire the help that is needed to let these kids “off the hook” so to speak. Not only JL Spears but others who have the nannies and cooks and bodyguards etc…. to come in and take over so that the parenting duties are not in the resume of their lives yet they will be afforded the opportunity to take the credit for it. I am the mother of 3 kids (1 – girl 2- boys) My daughter is now 22. She became pregnant at 18 and I as a mother who did talk and talk and talk to her about it still felt as though I didn’t do enough! She had finished HS and already a semester at college when she found herself pregnant with twins no less!! Eventhough she is doing well as a mother I was determined that SHE was the mother and I would be there p.r.n. I was not going to “take over” she was going to find out on her own that her actions would now require her to change the course of her own life (as hard as that was for me) I knew it was the best course of action I could take to benefit her at that time. My boys are now 15 and 12 and I try even harder to make sure that they know the consequences of sex and life and to keep there heads in the right direction. I don’t believe that the boys have any less responsibility than do the girls. (This is also a problem in society whereas the male figures are not held as responsible by parents nor society in the same actions as the female). I don’t have any good places to seek answers for this problem other than eachother’s advice and sticking together to help our now generation – education is the tool (FOR BOYS AND GIRLS) and maybe if more parents like us would stay involved and not be afraid to talk to our kids – not make the “hollywood life” so glamorous… and if our kids make a mistake – make them own it, then maybe we have some sort of shot at cutting down on the teen pregnancy epidemic we seem to have in this world today. Thanks for listening!
@Debbie Thanks for your comments! You’re right about the unrealistic experience of motherhood. How many unwed pregnant teens are going to have a nanny, housekeeper, private tutor, etc.
I agree that it’s just as important that we teach sexual responsibility to our sons as well as our daughters. As parents we’ve got to do more to turn the tide. The United States leads all developed nations in Teen Pregnancy. It shouldn’t be a source of national pride.