Source: MTV.com

For the last year and a half, I have become addicted to the MTV television show “Teen Mom.” I started watching it in part because of Catelynn and Tyler, a young 18-year old couple that got pregnant when Catelynn was 16. At first, I thought maybe MTV was doing a good thing showing the struggles teen mothers go through trying to raise a child, go to school, work, and just live life. Then I noticed the lifestyle they were living, the cars they drove, the cosmetic surgeries, the nail salons, the cell phones… and I just can’t believe this is the message we are sending to today’s youth.

Just what kind of “real life” are these teen moms living?

Source: MTV.com

There’s Farrah, the former high school cheerleader from Council Bluffs, Iowa, that got pregnant with her on-agaon, off-again boyfriend Derek. Farrah gave birth to baby Sophia, and Derek was killed in a car accident. Over the course of this show’s season, Farrah lives in a house she rents from her parents. She has had breast enhancement surgery, she has gotten invisible braces on her teeth, and she is contemplating moving to Florida. She gets her face done at a pricey salon, and is able to afford all the luxuries a teenage girl could. When you add in the fact that she HAS NO JOB, what part of her story sounds REAL to you?

Source: US Magazine

Next up is Amber, and her boyfriend Gary. Amber and Gary are the parents to two-year old Leah, and currently live apart from each other. Again, neither of them HAS A JOB, yet they can each afford to live in sizeable homes. Amber has time and money to get her nails done on a regular basis, her eyebrows are professionally done, and she also gets her hair done at a pricey salon. Amber was arrested several months ago, and currently has Child Protective Services breathing down her neck because of some abuse that was captured on camera towards her boyfriend Gary. Basically, she tried to beat the hell out of him. She has some serious anger management issues, and I cannot for the life of me determine WHY she is still on the show. She still loves Gary, yet has dated two different guys in the season-and-a-half I’ve been watching. Real life? Not so much.

Source: MTV.com

Oh Miss Maci… one of the teen moms I kinda LIKED at the beginning. Maci and her ex-boyfriend Ryan have 2-year old Bentley. They share custody, and Maci is a part-time struggling college student. If you only see that part of their lives, they seem like typical teenage parents. Then you see that Ryan lives with his very rich parents and doesn’t have a job. You see Maci living in a $1,000/month townhouse– completely furnished– and living with her new boyfriend, Kyle. Maci drives a fairly new Dodge Charger, and they seem to be dealing with the financial aspect of parenting just fine. Like Farrah, Maci has also had a boob job, hair extensions, and gets her nails done on a regular basis. Did I mention that neither Kyle nor Maci have jobs?

Source: MTV.com

So that leaves Catelyyn. Pregnant at 16, Catelynn and her boyfriend Tyler decide the best choice for them was adoption. They gave up their beautiful daughter Carly to a wonderful couple. They have an open adoption, but still struggle with the grief over their decision– knowing its the right thing for them and their child, but still grieving over the loss of Carly. They are probably the couple I can relate to the most, not just because of the adoption– but just because they are MAKING GOOD CHOICES.

Both Catelynn and Tyler were determined to finish high school, and they both have part-time jobs. They live in a very modest mobile home and drive an older vehicle. They live within their means, and dealing with the struggles of  being a part of a very dysfunctional family. Catelynn’s mom, April, is married to Tyler’s dad, Butch (who seems unable to keep himself out of jail and off of drugs) and there is just craziness at all times. Through it all, they stick together, are supportive of each other,  and that makes me just want to cheer them on. And also give them each a great big hug.

What really bothers me the most? The fact that these young women are the role models we are presenting to society. The nice cars, the cell phones, the salon visits, cosmetic surgery and more. We give young people the impression that even if they get pregnant as a teenager, HEY-ITS NO BIG DEAL– you can still have it all (with no job needed!)!!! I realize these young kids get paid for being on the show, but this warped perception of REAL LIFE is the opposite of what we should be teaching our kids.

Someone needs to make a documentary of what it’s REALLY like as a teenaged mother. Let’s show the struggles to get the bills paid, and how exhaustive it is to come home from work and still have a stack of homework to do. Let’s burn THAT image into our kids’ brains. Not a half-hour dedicated to an overdone 19-year old at a consultation for breast implants.

Because of MTV’s popularity with a certain generation, they have the opportunity to make a HUGE impact on teenagers’ way of thinking.  They can show what it’s really like.  They can show that kids have choices, good and bad.  They need to show consequences, they need to teach work ethic.   It’s an opportunity for the network to give themselves a positive image for those of us that grew up watching their music videos 24-hours a day… and are now raising the kids that “Teen Mom” is targeting. 

Get REAL, MTV.