Secret Life of the American Teenager ~ NOT HAPPY IN ITS DIRECTION

[Mickey91]

Is anyone else dismayed at the direction Secret Life is taking? In the beginning it was a great tool to talk to your kids about sex and its results and ramifications. Now it has moved from a teaching aspect into just another show where it is okay. And for the Christian family on the show to be endorsing/encouraging the recent antics is unbelievable! Put all of this together with the fact that it is airing on ABC FAMILY and I just cannot believe the storylines.

[GoinGoofyPlanninThisTrip]

I had issues with this show from the start and therefore never watched, but I can't say I'm surprised by its deteriorating storyline. Apparently this is what the t.v. exec's kids are up to while they're off making bad decisions at their network job.

[Tinkerfreak]

I agree with you 100%. At the start I thought it would be a good life lesson show for my daughter but it has turned into something I won't even allow her to watch anymore. They missed a good opportunity to show the hardships of being a teen mom and what it is really like. Instead it is just one big soap with all the teenagers acting inappropriately. The show makes it look like being a teen mom isnt too bad and that all teenagers sleep around. It is no better than Degrassi or any of the other racey teenage dramas they are calling tv.
Come on ABC I am by no means a prude but they really dropped the ball with this show.
Even my 23 year old neice commented on how she didn't think her 15 year old cousin should be watching it because it sent a bed message.

[Mickey91]

Yep. My daughter and I watched this together every Monday night. In the beginning it was really good and we looked forward to it each week. Last night, I had to break the news that she would no longer be allowed to watch it. She was really sad and tried to get around it by telling me she didn't understand what they were talking about. I told her that it still didn't make it right and we were not supporting it. It is a shame. Because like you said, it was a great life lesson and after the first few episodes, she was dead set against ever letting a boy near her. Exactly what I thought the show was going for.

I am glad John Schneider left the show before it got bad. As a matter of fact, I was worried that the show might be going in the wrong direction since he left.

[IamBelle]

I have never seen the show, but I have seen short clips on The Soup and ads, and I am glad I havrn't wasted my time attempting to watch it. I am a teen, and my friends and I are NOTHING like what I saw on the ads of that show. It gives teenagers a bad rep, and gives us a stereotype...I do not like the show, never will...

[DizNee143]

i find the show to be pretty good..besides the sometimes bad acting! lol..
they do go a little over board with making it seem like EVERYONE is doing "it"..but they probably arent to far behind..

so what if they were christian? she was just telling her daughter it was an option..i mean seriously what they were talking about on this weeks show..is just a part of life..big deal..granted they did go alittle crazy with it in the show..but whatever..

and if my daughter was actually a tween and not 2 months old..id have her watch the show if she wanted to..and it would be a great way to open the door to the birds and bees talk..and just that kinda stuff in general..

but i guess to each his own!

[pink]

If you really want to teach your children the hardships and how difficult it is to raise a child have them watch Teen Mom on MTV. I'm in my twenties and wanted to have kids one day but that show made me want to push it off for a little longer- it shows the money struggles, relationship changes, family changes, difficulity in completing small tasks, etc.

As for The Secret Life, the show is really one big joke, the writing is terrible. From what I have heard, many adults watch it as sort of a comedy. Although I do agree the show has become completely unrealistic. Amy had a baby and yet we rarely even see it. The shows makes it seem like you can have a baby and yet still go on dates, have a social life, go to school and have no issues.

[PirateLover]

I agree with Pink. I have never watched Secret life, but I do catch Teen Mom and I think they do a great job of portraying just how difficult life can be. And the variety of the teen moms in terms of economic lifestyle are good... the only thing lacking is that I wish there was more ethnic diversity.
You have a couple who chose adoption whose family members fight with them about "giving away" their child, and the other girls have either broken up with the baby's father or have strenuos relationships. There are money issues, having to drop out of school, not being able to go out with friends etc.... I didn't really watch the predecessor, "16 and Pregnant," but Teen Mom is one I would probably want to watch with my tween/teen if I had one.

[Melanie]

MODERTOR WARNING!!!

Folks, please remember we are a family-friendly discussion board. This topic is teetering, and I've already had to edit out some non family-friendly comments. Please be aware of your audience when posting future comments.

Thanks!

[Mickey91]

There are a lot of things that are a part of life that are not or should not be a part of a Christian life. I'm not arguing that these things don't happen but, I don't believe it is as rampant as the show suggests. They made a large point of making Grace's family Christian. And I think they are making a large statement again by the conversation Grace and her mother shared and the advice her mother gave and the actions that Grace has taken. They have seriously gone down a wrong path with it.

[NotaGeek]

There are a lot of things that are a part of life that are not or should not be a part of a Christian life. I'm not arguing that these things don't happen but, I don't believe it is as rampant as the show suggests. They made a large point of making Grace's family Christian. And I think they are making a large statement again by the conversation Grace and her mother shared and the advice her mother gave and the actions that Grace has taken. They have seriously gone down a wrong path with it.

Really? I see pregnant 13 year old girls almost every day here in Phoenix. Its a horrible and unfortunate fact, but kids are growing up WAY faster than when I was young ... and I am only 40. I think that this show is trying to open a line of conversation, and its great if all of the antics don't fall into the realm of your specific community, but if you look at the statistics of inner city neighborhoods, teens are barely graduating high school, so the stuff this show is dealing with IS a reality in many parts of America.

I think the show isn't sending a bad message. Its just a show trying to make ratings and its cant be held responsible for being a role model, the message should be coming from the parents watching the show with their kids.

[Granny Jill A]

TV shows in general have me grinding my teeth when they put on inappropriate shows during "family" time. And I'm not just talking about the ones that show everybody falling into bed with everybody else. TV shows are meant to entertain. Showing some "teenager" with her tongue down some guys throat is not my idea of entertainment. Nor are the shows that feature the wise-cracking, smart alecs that populate prime time. It's not OK to talk back to your parents or other authority figure just because someone on One Tree Hill did it.

This particular show is pretending to show real life when kids have babies. Real life is far different, as we all know.

[Arielfan98]

I must agree with you Mickey91. The first season I really enjoyed the show because it was about teens and sex and how you should talk to your teen about having sex. However, when I watched the second season I was highly disappointed. The show's plot bored me and on top of that as a Christian, I was disgraced with the Christian character's actions on the show. What a bad example.