Teenage pregnancies are usually unwanted and they are the result of bad sex education. The office of the mayor of New York promotes posters within a campaign that is supposed to prevent such pregnancies from happening and the whole campaign revolves around shaming and blaming. It is not a good decision to become a parent too early in life, while one is still a teenager, but shaming these young people cannot have a good outcome. It is not about blaming, because the issue is related to prevention and fostering a different lifestyle for the young who still need to work on their own development without being restricted by having babies until they have become fully developed and responsible grown-ups.
Teenagers need to be educated on sensitive topics that include a reckless lifestyle that is so alluring for many young people. It is all about a pattern of behavior which promotes rebellion, drugs, sex and rock and roll. This has been an issue since the 1960s and this kind of a social behavior which is related to being liberated from the societal norms and free-spirited should not end up in unwanted pregnancies. It is a part of growing up and it is essential for the children to remain healthy and develop a good self-esteem and self-confidence in order to become responsible members of the community. The office “began a jarringly judgmental advertising campaign that aims to shame teenage parents and scare teenage girls who are not yet parents by warning that really bad consequences await should they get pregnant“(Schulten). Shaming and blaming is judgmental and that is the worst part of this type of campaign. Theres is pathos related to these posters, but it is not right to use innocent children to tackle the serious problems because it does not even mean that a child who is a result of a teenage pregnancy will not have a good life.
It is assumed that girl who are teenagers want to have babies because they want to feel loved. “Parenthood sometimes provides a balm. But the cost — in education deferred, income lost and isolation — is great“ (Schulten). While teenagers need to develop themselves and lead great lifestyles that are suitable for their age, they should not have babies until they are completely ready and have full support. Reality is complicated than the slogans put on the judgmental posters because being afraid, shamed and judged will not make teenage girls stop pregnancies. These posters will not work because they are threatening and threat is never benevolent. Being subjected to shaming and blaming can only leave even greater consequences than teenage pregnancies because it alienates the girls even more at the time when inclusion is the best option. The change should be made by encouraging students to do best at school and to become the best versions of themselves before they create new life. People have to be ready for parenthood and it is best to educate teenagers about the importance of self-realization before dedicating themselves to their offspring. The posters that include any kind of shaming cannot have success because feeling ashamed can isolate a teenage girl even more. Teenagers need to receive good advice about making future life decisions while still in high school. It is best to be benevolent and open-minded in the approach to the teenagers in order to avoid negative consequences.
Works Cited
Schulten, Katherine. "Do ‘Shame and Blame’ Work to Change Teenage Behavior?" Mar. . Web. 4 Apr. 2016. <http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/13/do-shame-and-blame-work-to-change-teenage-behavior/?_r=0>.
