MBN's new show on teen parenthood already facing backlash

Television

Published: 22 Feb. 2022, 13:16 Updated: 22 Feb. 2022, 16:22

MBN's new show on teen parenthood already facing backlash

Television channel MBN is set to start airing a new entertainment show titled “High school mom and dad” (translated) on March 6. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Television channel MBN is set to start airing a new entertainment show titled “High school mom and dad” (translated) on March 6. But the show is already receiving criticism that it makes light of premarital parenthood, which is frowned upon in Korea.

“High school mom and dad” will be a reality show observing teen mothers and fathers who are still attending high school. A teaser video for the show uploaded on YouTube on Feb. 15 shows a young woman cleaning the house and looking after a baby. She then reveals that she is an 18-year-old high school student.

“We want to tell the story of high school-aged mothers and fathers who unexpectedly had to bear the responsibility of parenthood,” the show’s producers stated on MBN’s website. According to the producers, the show will include infant education and sex education lessons from experts.

But in the teaser video’s comment section, while some say teen parents deserve credit for raising their children, public opinion is largely negative.

“Having an unplanned pregnancy in your teens is nothing to be proud of. If anything, it’s shameful,” reads a comment. Some say that the topic of teen pregnancy should be dealt with more seriously in a documentary, not on a lighthearted entertainment show.

In Korea, premarital pregnancy is considered shameful even for adults and only becomes somewhat acceptable when the parents marry so that the child is born in wedlock. Those who are not financially stable, which is the case for most teen parents, are especially condemned for subjecting their babies to hardship.

A post written on Korea’s online community Nate Pann on Feb. 13 predicts in a mocking tone that the show will likely portray the teen parents as responsible and strong, but also play emotional background music to make them seem deserving of sympathy. The post garnered some 2,200 likes and most comments dismiss the upcoming show as nonsensical.

“Most of them just behaved recklessly and had an unplanned pregnancy,” reads a comment under the post. “Why are they trying to get pity for that?”

Some even accused the producers of attempting to bump up Korea’s birth rate by glossing over the harsh reality of premarital and teen parenthood in Korea, so that younger generations become less wary of unplanned pregnancies. Comments on Nate Pann read, “Are they trying to convey that it’s okay for teens to have babies, because the birth rate is low?” and “I’m worried the show’s supportive tone will lead to more teen parents.”

However, psychology professor Lim Myung-ho of Dankook University who specializes in child and adolescent psychiatry says the show’s potential beneficial message outweighs such apprehension.

“Korean society has viewed teen parents with indifference, prejudice or pity at best in serious documentaries,” he said. “But whether they’re deemed morally appropriate in our Confucian values or not, teen parents need society’s attention and active help. In that sense, I think this program is meaningful as long as it teaches how to raise a baby in a more fun but informative way.”

Lim added that the public’s criticism toward financially unstable parents should be replaced by a deeper discussion.

“Rather than asking why they had a baby when they don’t have money, the real question should be how can we help raise the babies who’ve already been born,” he said. “Koreans view raising a child as a strictly individual task, but there should be assistance from a societal level. I hope this show conveys to teen parents that it’s okay to ask for help, and that society still has good will.”

BY HALEY YANG [yang.hyunjoo@joongang.co.kr]