Bullying part 1

Bullying. There isn’t a human being on the planet that doesn’t know what this word means. As soon as you hit the age to be in school it will happen. Whether you are the victim or the bully, or whether you are an adult who watched it happen you know what it is. So many people, adults and children, around the world and in many homes have to deal with this word. Chances are they have felt the pain of this word at some point in their lives, and probably did it to someone else too. When people hear bullying they think of two children, possibly on the playground or in classes at school. However, only thinking bullying happens in these two places, and only these two places are naïve.  It doesn’t matter what age you are, bullying can still happen, the difference is that when people are older, others feel that they should be able to handle it and are probably being dramatic if they can’t handle it. I remember being in middle school and I think many people would agree with me that at least for girls middle school was one of the worst times to be a kid. Bullying was a commonplace thing and when everyone got aim accounts it became even easier to attack someone at home and not just school anymore. With the internet steadily growing bigger and bigger and invading more homes and more opportunities to invade people’s lives the aspect of bullying grows tremendously as well.  To imagine being a middle school child in this era where it’s extremely easy to get on the internet and harass someone, it would be much worse. I’m sure the feeling would be claustrophobic and one that would feel as if you couldn’t get rid of the person who was making fun of you. It’s sad to think of what that would be like and how you would deal with that. The feeling of not being able to escape what someone was saying, and not only that but being able to have it spread to more people faster without control. Imagine all this is stemmed back to one kid bullying someone else because they are different or just because they want to, it doesn’t seem to be just in the playground anymore does it?

MTV-16 and Pregnant/Teen Mom and Skins

 Many people would agree that MTV airs far more reality shows than music videos these days, but many programs that they are playing have many parents up in arms. 16 and pregnant and Teen Mom followed by Teen Mom 2 have been on their second seasons and showing the hardships and challenges that teenage parents have to deal with. One day on my ride to school the radio station I was listening to was asking people to call in to give their opinions about these two series. Many people were saying that these shows glamorize teen pregnancies and don't really show them what it is like, or it shows that MTV will pay you to be irresponisble and a bad mother in some of the cases of the moms on Teen Mom.

  Some mothers blamed Teen Mom and 16 and pregnant of making it looking okay to get pregnant. Being a teenager I would have to disagree with this statement. I have watched 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom and Teen Mom 2 and no where in any of those have I felt that they glorified being pregnant. If anything it shows how crazy and hectic some of these teenages lives are because they ended up getting pregnant before they were old enough. A lot of those women either do not have the financial ability or do not have the father to help them which makes it extremely hard for them. If there is a rise in teen pregnancy then maybe people should look more to the parents instead of to the TV shows, because even if there is something on TV if a parent doesnt't talk to their children about it and how to prevent such things, then they should be held responsible as well.

Another show that has even MORE controversary than Teen Mom and 16 and pregnant would be the show Skins. I have seen the commercials for Skins when MTV was heavily promoting the show before its series premiere, and honestly those advertisements were uncaptivating to me. I do not really have any friends that have watched this show, but from what I have seen of it, even if they did they probably would not watch it for long. MTV has been claiming that it is a show that represents what kids in high school are going through and what their lives are like, instead of other shows that gloss over the really bad things. I am sure that like with other MTV shows they have overeaggerated certain things, but at the same time it probably has some truth to it. Having not watched the show myself I can not be certain, but I wouldn't want to watch it necessarily either. Many mothers have been against the excessive drug use, alcohol, and sex that Skins displays in their episodes. MTV is close to child pornography  because of the underage actors that are on this show. Many mothers want this show off air so that their children will be saved and not exposed to it.

MTV will be a controversial TV station for years to come. They will have shows like Skins, and Teen Mom and 16 and pregnant around for awhile. I do not feel that they will change what they think will get viewers on their network, regardless of how many moms make petitions. Being a teenager I have watched some of these shows and I think that it is naive to assume that ALL teenagers will watch these shows and think, " Oh, it's on TV so it must be okay to do so." No, those who think that are the same teenagers who will be influenced by their friends to do certain things like drugs or drink before they are legal to. If parents are worried about what the show will do to their children, then they need to sit them down and make sure their children understand the reality of certain shows, and that not everything that is on TV is okay to do in real life. Parents should be parents, TV shows, songs, and bad movies will always be out there, it will be a reality in this world for many years to come, and instead of just trying to get rid of those shows, they should combat the behavior. Just because you get a show off the air does not mean that teenagers do not know about the possibility of what the show was about. It is not out of sight out of mind, the behaviors are still out there, so do something about THAT and maybe those behaviors will be lessened. As for me, I am going to continue to watch Teen Mom 2 and 16 and pregnant, but I know better than to imitate these behaviors that I see on TV.

I would love to hear your opinions on this topic. It doesn't have to be just these shows, or just MTV, but other shows that relate, and how you feel it affects those who watch it, if it affects them at all.