MTV’s Star on the Struggles of Being a Teen Mom

Maci Bookout, a native of Chattanooga, Tenn., is anything but just another 20-year-old community college student. For the last four years, virtually every moment of Bookout’s life has been captured on camera. After responding to an advertisement on Craig’s List, Bookout found herself cast on the MTV program “16 and Pregnant,” a controversial “documentary” that led to the equally divisive -- yet unquestionably popular -- spin-off series “Teen Mom.”

Bookout is, for all intents and purposes, a media darling. Fans of her television exploits have posted “video tributes” to her and her son on YouTube, her Twitter account is followed by thousands upon thousands of “Teen Mom” devotees, and she makes regular appearances in the pages of numerous supermarket tabloid papers. Although she frequently rebuffs her “stardom,” it’s quite apparent that, in the eyes of many, many viewers, Bookout is indeed a bona-fide television celebrity.

The Price of Teen Pregnancy and the Influence of Reality TV

Reality stars’ influence is not always the best, as proven by MTV’s group of teen mothers, who generate publicity that often glamorizes teenage pregnancy. Sadly, these stars sometimes have more money and fame and influence over teens than doctors, educators, businessmen and women. If your aspirations are to become famous and make tons of money, know that it is sometimes easier to accomplish these days by appearing on reality shows. We live in a society that rewards people for knowing how to party hard, like the cast of “Jersey Shore,” date an athlete, like the women of VH1’s “Basketball Wives,” and even get pregnant in high school, like the now tabloid-famous reality stars of MTV’s “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom.”

This summer, MTV premiered season three of its hit TV show, “Teen Mom.” The show is about a group of teens who have recently given birth. They are followed by MTV’s cameras to watch their everyday lives.