Teen Pregnancy: Looking for Answers

February 25, 11:13 AMFatherhood ExaminerJoe Schatz

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Sammi and Daniel seen here with Liam

Southport, UK-- You may have read about this couple, fifteen year old parents to twins, and the other teen pregnancy headlines that have been circulating lately through all the media outlets either in the UK or the US.  Has the coverage of these stories been done in such a way as to only make people gasp and to get people to buy papers and visit websites?  Or has this coverage generated some thoughtful discussion on the topic that is teen pregnancy? 

Take the latest story of Sammi and Daniel, the coverage started with provocative Sun headlines and has now come full circle to the video interview.  It seems these stories have been milked in a way that, for lack of a better description, is all about the money.  That is the bottom line though, right?  Media outlets, of course, are all about money, and perhaps I am to blame just as much as the other media outlets for following these stories so closely. 

I don't profess to think that all of these kids having kids can't overcome extreme odds and make it as a family, I am not passing judgment on them for having sex--it happens, the real issue here is the fact that kids aren't focusing on their futures as much they should.  Everything is about the immediate, the 'now'--instant gratification.  The texting, tweeting, Linked-In Facebook crowd that is so rapidly growing around us (of which I am a member of) wants everything now.  Information, entertainment, reactions, videos, photos, online banking, skype...it all lends to a mentality of "Why wait?"  This instant gratification hurdle may very well be at the root of teen pregnancy, that and the usual suspects of low self-esteem and lack of education.  Teens aren't the only ones though who have been sucked into the 'why wait' trap.  

Take a look around.  The current economic crisis is one that was avoidable if not predictable.  Financial "geniuses" all disregarded the big picture opting for the quick buck as did millions of average people who are in debt up to their eyeballs on the verge of fiscal bankruptcy.  What type of example are setting for our youth anyway?  In the past, the mentality was pay with cash, do it yourself and eat around the kitchen table.  I remember my grandparents, who led a life that was simple, frugal and based on common sense, and they were a great model for the family--that is if we ever slowed down to take notice of it.

Now, society is all about financing. If its broke, get another one. Going out to eat is an everyday occurrence.  Growing up, I don't think we went out to eat more than once a year and it was always a special occasion.  Why do we find it necessary now to go out as a family ten times that amount?  I hardly see any junky, beat up cars on the road anymore.  How can everyone afford new BMWs?  

The point is this, our society has sped up and left responsibility to the wayside and this is what our children see.  This is what our children have been seeing, for quite some time.  Perhaps a good solution to the problem that is teen pregnancy isn't to just talk about sex with your kids, but also to ensure life isn't so fast paced for them.  Our kids need to help with the do-it-yourself projects, they need to be there when we do the bills, they need to us help make dinner. So, maybe the way to fix teen pregnancy isn't to throw money around and point fingers at each other, but instead fixing it ourselves, on the homefront.