A photo showing pregnant teenagers
When unverified data sheets go round showing an upsurge in pregnancies among learners, the finger-pointing between teachers and parents escalate. With schools closed, viral videos on social media have exposed school children engaging in egregious behavior, prompting teachers to blame parents for failing to curb the uprising misdemeanors. Teachers were irked by the perpetual condemnation they have always received for behavioral breakages among learners. However, no one is to blame for the increased sexual craving among learners as the 21st century is just ripe for such delinquencies.
The 21st century has brought advancements that have shifted moral trends, e.g., smartphones. Increased juvenile pregnancies can be attributed to the rampant nature of the Internet, which exposes teenagers to obscene content in their incipient developmental stages. In the early 2000s, adolescents flocked cyber cafes to watch erotic material, a misbehavior that has been accentuated by the ubiquity of smartphones.
Social media has also exposed minors to untold vulgarities, a factor augmented by the television culture. Juveniles spend much time watching music with indecent dancing styles and “reels” that acquaints them with courtship skills and lustful desires. A relentless exposure to such programs indoctrinates them with premature sexual anxieties whose ramification exhibit itself through rampant pregnancies.
Increased liberalism also induces children into premature sexual life. Sex is nowadays treated casually, thanks to increased exposure to uncensored content. At teenage, these youngsters act mature and through their social media pages, chat and respond to erotic messages with alacrity. As time goes by, the 21st century continues to morph teenagers into independent-minded people seeking for pleasure.
Unfortunately, concerned parties can do little to contain the wave because they are also trapped in the same winds. Most contemporary teachers/parents are youthful people who spend a lot of time on the Internet consuming indecent content. Addiction to social media is slowly enervating parents’ ability to curve a morally accepted path for their children. Besides, teachers/parents can’t stop learners from accessing smart media.
The fast sweeping wave of the modern dressing code might also predispose juveniles to early pregnancies. Most young mothers not only dress provocatively but also adorn their children in a seductive way. This, amplified by the increased rate of children maturity, exposes teenagers to men who derive trophies from sexing young girls. Besides, young parents rarely censure what they talk before their children.
Although the charm instigated by social media has adulterated discipline among youngsters, the society should realize that as the century advances, new normalcies must be adopted. It’s quixotic to think that the debacle of teenage pregnancies can be prevented. Instead of shifting blames, the society should accept the phenomenon as a new normalcy brought about by the 21st century and help prepare juvenile mothers for the arduous task of juggling between studying and early parenting.
The Columnist is a Research Consultant, Policy Analyst & Strategist
