I am currently hooked on the tv series "The Secret Life of an American Teenager" which I am watching online.
The show portrays the problems and pressures that an american teenager would face. I find the show more educational and more convincing than those Suria shows which try to educate parents on teen gangsterism, teen pregnancy, drugs and yada yada...
I find those shows on Suria very depressing and they dun give much hope to those who are already encountering problems. It was more of a nagging. I also dun tink I m suffering from the disease that the 'Western-shows-are-better-than-ours-juz-because-they-are-from-the-West'.
"The Secret Life of an American Teenager" is about a 15-yr-old girl who got pregnant by a guy she din even love and how the pple arnd her deal with the problem. I like the OPTIMISM in the show in that if u got pregnant at an early stage, not all is lost. U might tink that the show is indirectly encouraging teenage pregnancy by giving hope to those girls. However, the solution to the problem that our society is facing now is way beyond juz warning our teenagers not to get involved in sex. It is quite pointless in doing dat already. We shud take a step further and address those who are already involved and even got pregnant.
I am one of those pple who support the idea on giving out condoms to teenagers. Why?? Because it is time we face the fact that teenagers noe the consequences of early sex and yet they still do it. No matter how hard we try to advise them or deter them by showing gory pictures of abortion, it is of no use.
Sometimes, to be able to find a solution, we shud face the facts. Not giving out condoms and advising our kids to haf safe sex, is the same as ignoring the real problem altogether.
The show also portrays on how the teens struggle with parents who are divorcing, teens who have a very bad childhood. In overall, the show has a lot of advice but it is not one of those boring, educational cum documentary kind of show. It is a bit like Gilmore Girls with some humor moments.
I tink it is time our society steps up in producing QUALITY shows to advise the teenagers and not juz producing them for the sake of it. OR.... the mediacorp shud try airing this show on Channel 5. That would be great!! Provided that the parents haf an open mind that is.
Ciaoz!!