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Amanda Couture Ms. Caruso ENGL 1103 11 October 2012 Reality Televisions Effect on the Usage of Birth Control How does reality television effect how people think and use birth control? Why, as a society, do we sweep issues like sex and birth control under the rug? To answer these questions, further knowledge of the history of reality TV, its psychological effects on the population, birth controls history, and the positives and negatives of birth control must be explored. Without being well-rounded about a topic, an informed decision cannot be made. What is reality television and how did it get its start? According to Dictionary.com, reality TV is, a genre of television programming in which real life people are followed in a situation, game, etc. The first reality TV show to air was in 1948 and it was called Candid Camera. However, this show and many others created an artificial reality in the 1950s and had secret cameras to watch people on the show. It wasnt until the 1970s that cameras were truly brought out of the studio and captured real life in the show An American Family (Slocum 2). It was because of the show An American Family, that the words reality TV was created. During this time, the videocassette came out which made this show affordable and portable for every television. These shows later branched out into money making shows where contestants could earn money by completing a task or answering questions correctly. There are now talent shows where people sing, dance, and do other neat tricks to win contract deals with major companies and money. Examples of these shows would be Big Brother, Americas Next Top Model,
Comment [BC1]: Unnecessary sentence.

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Dancing with the Stars, the Bachelorette, and many others. There are many types of reality TV genres and each year since their conception, more of them are created and each is a different variation of the one before (Slocum 5). Why do these reality TV series seem to be so successful? They do not cost as much money to produce as regularly programed shows. There are not as many sets, paid actors, paid crew members, and less equipment which is also cheaper than other programs. On average, reality television shows can cost around $500,000 an hour. Even though this seems like a lot of money, it is one third the cost compared to casted programs. The cost also goes up if the show continues to run (Slocum). There is a lot more incentive for producers to invest in reality TV shows because theyre cheap and they know a lot of people will watch the show. Reality TV shows can also help the public. In the show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, volunteers went around to homes that needed a lot of work because the homeowners do not have enough money to fix up the house. Americas Most Wanted, shot in 1983, assisted the police in catching 842 criminals. This show was watched so frequently that people often called in for tips which led to the arrests of many criminals (Time). Reality TV shows cant be all that bad, or so the public might be led to think (Slocum 10). Since the creation of reality TV, family morals have lowered while divorce rates increased, people have difficulty dealing with conflict and connecting with other people (Karim 4). When young adults see Paris Hitlon and Nicole Richie in The Simple Life, wearing provocative outfits and doing anything for attention, what does this teach them? What does this teach young girls? It shows them they can do anything they want at any expense and it doesnt matter. The adolescents mind has been changed to who the true authority is, to some; its
Comment [BC2]: This is where you begin talking about morals, and where you begin to connect with your main idea. The mentions of the shows above dont seem to connect to your focus at all, which is why youre probably having difficulty with those connections.

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definitely not their parents. Media has increasingly played a dramatic role in the life of many families. According Dr. Krika S. Pontius, many studies have focused on how television programs that appear to be real (such as news and daytime dreams) alter the viewers perception of reality (or social reality) (Pontius 1). The Cultivation Theory, hypothesized by George Gerbner, states that high frequency viewers of television are more susceptible to media messages and the belief that they are real and valid, (Mass Communication Theory 1). The United States has 314,624,509 people (US Census p. 1) so truly understanding the psychological effects on the population is difficult because the population is so great and so many people watch TV there is no control group to test the effects (Pontius 2). Therefore, testing and supporting or disproving certain theories are difficult to create because these are new tests and do not have many models to create procedures to and its difficult to test on such a visually stimulated society. Majority of people think birth control is a relatively new. However, in 1550 B.C., Egyptian women were taught how to mix dates, acacia, and honey into a paste which was then smeared over wool as a pessary, a removable device placed in the vagina, to prevent conception (Time p. 1). In the 1700s, Casanova experimented sheep-bladders as condoms and half of a lemon as a cervical cap (Time p. 2). Charles Goodyear, the man who created vulcanized rubber, led to the use of manufacturing rubber condoms, intrauterine devices, douching syringes, and womb veils (Time p. 3). Birth control has been experimented with for over 2,000 years. Margaret Sanger was the sex education pioneer of her time. She began her efforts by writing a newspaper column called What Every Girl Should Know and also worked as a nurse on the Lower East Side. Working as a nurse, she treated many women who sought the termination of their pregnancies in back-allies. To prevent future women from suffering she
Comment [BC3]: There is no transition into the idea of birth control, as you mentioned in your memo, and little leeway for it. Im thinking it might be better if you talk about birth control first, then go into your Paris Hilton paragraph so you can begin talking about birth control in television.

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fought to make birth control information known and contraceptives like, the magic pill, accessible. In reaction to her efforts, Anthony Comstock created the Comstock Act of 1873. This act prohibited the trade in and circulation of obscene and immoral materials. This included Margaret Sangers feminist publication The Woman Rebel, created in 1914, which promoted a womans right to birth control. Instead of facing a five-year jail sentence, she fled to England where she continued to work for the womens movement and research many types of birth control (Bio). After returning to the United States in 1915, she toured around the country to promote birth control, a term she also coined. In 1916, she opened up the first birth control clinic in the United States. This clinic would later be known as Planned Parenthood. Her and her sister Ethel were later charged with providing contraception information and fitting women for diaphragms. Their convection was later appealed which became the first victory for the birth control movement (Bio). Without Margarets fight for women to have the right to use birth control, womens rights in general would have suffered. Without the media and through outlets like reality TV, people might not understand the importance of birth control. A poll taken by the Associated Press-Ipsos, stated that 67 percent of students favor letting their public school provide birth control to them (MSNBC 1). The public is also divided on whether sex education and birth control information is more effective than stressing abstinence to teenagers. Does teaching students encourage them to engage in sexual intercourse or teach them to be safe in the future? How does seeing pregnant teenagers affect peoples views on giving their children birth control? There are many types of birth control methods to choose from such as the pill, ring, a shot, or a patch. Birth control causes women to have fewer periods each year making it more

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convenient for women to live their daily lives. The ring, shot, or patch doesnt have to be taken daily also allowing for a more convenient lifestyle. Birth control also lightens the symptoms during the menstrual cycle. Birth control can lighten heavy periods, mitigate symptoms associated with premenstrual dysmorphic disorder, clear facial acne, ease cramps and bring regularity to an irregular cycle, (Livestrong p. 6). These types of methods also decrease the risk for women contracting reproductive cancers and disorders, such as ovarian cysts or pelvic inflammatory disease. If these contraceptives are used correctly they can also prevent pregnancy (Livestrong). However, birth control methods still have their side effects and may not be the answer for everyone. Birth control comes with side effects such as nausea, absent periods, headaches, mood changes and other serious medical conditions. These conditions might be rare but still should be considered. There is an increased risk for blood clots, strokes, heart attacks, liver tumors, gallstones, and jaundice. These conditions also include warning signs such as sudden headaches, aching legs, chest pain, abdominal pain, trouble breathing, and yellowing of the skin or eyes (Livestrong). Despite all the teen pregnancy reality TV shows, pregnancy rate in teenagers has declined from 117 pregnancies per 1,000 in 1990 to 68 per 1,000 in 2008 (Sex, Pregnancy and Abortion p. 3). From 1995 to 2002, there was an 86 percent decrease in teen pregnancies due to the dramatic improvements in contraceptive use (Sex, Pregnancy and Abortion p. 4). Pregnancies in young women have decreased due to sex education stressing the use of forms of contraceptives, not chastity and abstinence. Congressed passed a law in 1981, the Adolescent Family Life Act (AFLA), which has programs installed to prevent teenage pregnancy by abstinence (Sex Education p. 1). Then in 1996, a reformed welfare law created a federal-state funded program

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which cost the government $440 million over five years. Then four years later, another abstinence-only education program was given $50 million despite evidence that shows abstinence-only education is not working (Sex Education p. 2). When sex education changed by 2002, teenage pregnancies declined by 49 young women per 1,000 pregnancies. This shows that education in contraceptive use prevents teenage pregnancies. These facts almost seem incorrect because of the frequency a person sees or hears about a pregnant teenager. Shows like 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, and My Teen is Pregnant and so am I make it seem like the current generation is filled with teen mothers. In reality, only 13 percent of teenagers have had sex by the age of 15 (Sex, Pregnancy and Abortion p. 1). This makes mothers think that sex education on contraceptive use is not working. Instead these mothers decide to preach abstinence to their children when in actuality, current sex education is helping protect teenagers from unplanned pregnancies. Reality television has begun to play a role in many familys lives. It opens up the options to explore and see other ways people conduct themselves in their own lives. When people watch others, they base their opinions on what they observe. Through observational learning, the decision to use or not use birth control because of the influence reality television has become a very important question in this society today.
Comment [BC4]: Please always put your name in the filename. Comment [BC5]: Amanda, Your paper seems to be more about the history of birth control in general and how it is seen today. I dont see much room for the discussion of reality tv, except for in the Paris Hilton paragraph and the two paragraphs before your conclusion. You can certainly change your focus, but I know that you have done a great deal of research. Lets talk in class (during a workday) about what you would want this paper to be. You have options, but I want to make sure you dont end up with something you didnt intend to write. As for your language, it is not necessarily conversational, but it can use some strength. The first sentence of your paper, which is a question, is very simple. Work to make the structure of it more complex by adding ideas to the sentence. The second highlight in the paper, in your second-to-last paragraph, can become stronger if you change it to something such as present the generation as being filled with teen mothers. Work to change up some of the wording and sentence structures in your paper, but let me know if youd like more help. Im looking forward to seeing what youll change for the portfolio! --Ms. C

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Comment [BC6]: Be sure that you are doing the citations yourself, no matter what source may have had them written out.

Works Cited "Cultivation Theory." Mass Communication Theory. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://masscommtheory.com/theory-overviews/cultivation-theory/>. "Facts on American Teens' Sources of Information About Sex." Facts on American Teens' Sources of Information About Sex. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/FBTeen-Sex-Ed.html>. "THE IMPACT OF REALITY TELEVSION ON VIEWERS` PERCEPTION OF REALITY." THE IMPACT OF REALITY TELEVSION ON VIEWERS` PERCEPTION OF REALITY. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://clearinghouse.missouriwestern.edu/manuscripts/409.php>. "Margaret Sanger Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://www.biography.com/people/margaret-sanger-9471186>. Martin, Claire. "Time Entertainment." The End of America's Most Wanted: Good News for Criminals, Bad News for the FBI. N.p., 29 July 2011. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. <http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2085343,00.html>. "NBCNEWS.com." Most OK with Birth Control at School, Poll Finds. Associated Press, 01 Nov. 2007. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21577133/ns/healthchildrens_health/t/most-ok-birth-control-school-poll-finds/#.UKCrPIeCkfV>. "The Negative Effects of Birth Control." LIVESTRONG.COM. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/48500-negative-effects-birth-control/>. "Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc." A History of Birth Control Methods. Katherine Dexter McCormick Library, Nov. 2006. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. <http://www.plannedparenthood.org/files/PPFA/history_bc_methods.pdf>. "Pros of Birth Control." LIVESTRONG.COM. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/38824-pros-birth-control/>. "The Real History of Reality." The Real History of Reality. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://www.wga.org/organizesub.aspx?id=1099>.

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"Reality Television." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/reality television>. "Sex Education: Politicians, Parents, Teachers and Teens." Sex Education: Politicians, Parents, Teachers and Teens. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/tgr/04/1/gr040109.html>. "Time Magazine." A Brief History of Birth Control. N.p., 03 May 2010. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1983970,00.html>. "U.S. & World Population Clocks." U.S. & World Population Clocks. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html>. Wetzel, James R. "American Families: 75 Years of Change." American Families: 75 Years of Change. N.p., Mar. 1990. Web. 4 Nov. 2012. <http://www.bls.gov/mlr/1990/03/art1full.pdf>.