# the secret life of a average american teen, wth?



## Odin (Aug 23, 2008)

Do any other americans find this just wrong? this show is saying the average american teenager girl get knocked up, around 15. What does that say about the USA? i just find that show wrong its saying most american teenage girls are sluts! what if some one lets say in South africa where to see this, what would they think?


----------



## brunson (Aug 23, 2008)

I don't think they're saying it does happen to every average american teen, just that it can. Also that even if you're pregnant as a teen most of your live remains average.


----------



## Dene (Aug 23, 2008)

I think you'll find, from studies done in (developmental) psychology, that I think 90% of teenagers in America have had sex by 18. (BTW, I have no idea what show you're talking about, I just remember that statistic from my lectures).


----------



## pcharles93 (Aug 24, 2008)

Odin said:


> Do any other americans find this just wrong? this show is saying the average american teenager girl get knocked up, around 15. What does that say about the USA? i just find that show wrong its saying most american teenage girls are sluts! what if some one lets say in South africa where to see this, what would they think?



If someone did see it in South Africa, they'd think: "Gee, America sucks. Good thing I'm in South Africa. I'd go write about it in a book or a blog, but no one really cares. Everyone thinks America is so great. With the constant rising expenses, declining number of jobs, complete disregard for substance abuse laws, and crappy border patrol, I can see why America is so great. Plus, at least 20 other countries have better school systems than America."


----------



## fanwuq (Aug 24, 2008)

pcharles93 said:


> Plus, at least 20 other countries have better school systems than America."



Make that at least 50.


----------



## pcharles93 (Aug 24, 2008)

fanwuq said:


> pcharles93 said:
> 
> 
> > Plus, at least 20 other countries have better school systems than America."
> ...


If that's true, then I don't see why people are freaking out about losing jobs to other countries overseas. It's kind of expected. Better schools=better qualified workers.


----------



## Crzyazn (Aug 24, 2008)

You might want to note the extremely stereotypical social classes of each person....


----------



## CAT13 (Aug 24, 2008)

Odin said:


> Do any other americans find this just wrong? this show is saying the average american teenager girl get knocked up, around 15. What does that say about the USA? i just find that show wrong its saying most american teenage girls are sluts!



You think it is all wrong, because you don't know about it. You don't know about it because it is the SECRET life of the average american teenager


----------



## ROOT (Aug 24, 2008)

knocked up as in pregnant? or just losing virginity


----------



## badmephisto (Aug 24, 2008)

Dene said:


> I think you'll find, from studies done in (developmental) psychology, that I think 90% of teenagers in America have had sex by 18. (BTW, I have no idea what show you're talking about, I just remember that statistic from my lectures).



or at least claim to have had. Still I'd like a link to the study. That seems ********


----------



## StachuK1992 (Aug 24, 2008)

badmephisto said:


> Dene said:
> 
> 
> > I think you'll find, from studies done in (developmental) psychology, that I think 90% of teenagers in America have had sex by 18. (BTW, I have no idea what show you're talking about, I just remember that statistic from my lectures).
> ...


I second that!


----------



## Lotsofsloths (Aug 24, 2008)

Stachuk1992 said:


> badmephisto said:
> 
> 
> > Dene said:
> ...




Especially since the legal age is like 18(in Virginia, and in Missouri its 14!!!) xD


----------



## qqwref (Aug 24, 2008)

Hahaha, legal age. If you think legal age has anything to do with people's sexual activities you're dead wrong ;-) It's just like how the legal age for drinking does nothing to stop people from drinking in high school and college. I don't know about the actual secret life of an average American teen, but I'd wager that it does involve breaking minimum age requirement laws. A lot.


----------



## AvGalen (Aug 25, 2008)

I didn't see the show, but 90% by the age of 18 seems very reasonable to me. The legal age in the Netherlands is 16, but most start sexperimenting around 14/15. 17/18 seemed to be the turning point.

The Netherlands is also not a "not-sex-before-marriage" country. We believe in "no-sex-after-marriage"


----------



## cmhardw (Aug 25, 2008)

ROOT said:


> knocked up as in pregnant? or just losing virginity



It usually implies pregnant.


----------



## DavidWoner (Aug 25, 2008)

pcharles93 said:


> fanwuq said:
> 
> 
> > pcharles93 said:
> ...



private school ftw! seriously, i had the best teachers ever for every single class.



Lotsofsloths said:


> Especially since the legal age is like 18(in Virginia, and in Missouri its 14!!!) xD



lol i have lived in missouri my whole life(18 years) and i have never heard of that. good news i guess. did you wikipedia this information or did you know it offhand?



AvGalen said:


> I didn't see the show, but 90% by the age of 18 seems very reasonable to me. The legal age in the Netherlands is 16, but most start sexperimenting around 14/15. 17/18 seemed to be the turning point.
> 
> The Netherlands is also not a "not-sex-before-marriage" country. We believe in "no-sex-after-marriage"



LOL at that last part. also, "sexperimenting" is the greatest word ever.

now to contribute something of substance:
i dont believe 90%. id buy somewhere in the 70-80 range, but not 90. i have also heard "90% of american high-schoolers have experimented with drugs or alcohol" which i also do not believe.

i learned a lot in stat, and one of those things was that it is extremely easy to manipulate a survey/study to get the results you want. if people actually look at the conditions and test subjects of the study, its very obvious that its fake, but you can still claim to have a study that shows whatever you want. this technique has been around for ages. im guessing that they took samples from specific groups in order to get the results they wanted.

for instance, if i wanted to prove that a majority of people could solve a 4x4, i would just take all of my subjects from this forum, that way i can get a sample of 200+ people where probably 90%+ can solve a 4x4. if i did random samples of the earths population, it would be less than 1%.

the media(and the american media especially) like to sensationalize problems that are not really problems at all. how many americans remember the anthrax/smallpox/SARS/bird flu scares of the past ten years? there really wasnt a problem, but the media manipulated 10 cases of a disease into a "national epidemic"

in conclusion: *screw the media*.

thats why i get all my news from jon stewart/steven colbert


----------



## philkt731 (Aug 25, 2008)

just fyi the title is "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," you added the average yourself


----------



## Dene (Aug 25, 2008)

AvGalen said:


> I didn't see the show, but 90% by the age of 18 seems very reasonable to me. The legal age in the Netherlands is 16, but most start sexperimenting around 14/15. 17/18 seemed to be the turning point.
> 
> The Netherlands is also not a "not-sex-before-marriage" country. We believe in "no-sex-after-marriage"



Does nobody else think this is sad, or not-a-good-thing? I envy those who find it morally acceptable. You must live easy lives.

badmephisto: I will look tomorrow for the study.


----------



## Karthik (Aug 25, 2008)

Dene said:


> AvGalen said:
> 
> 
> > I didn't see the show, but 90% by the age of 18 seems very reasonable to me. The legal age in the Netherlands is 16, but most start sexperimenting around 14/15. 17/18 seemed to be the turning point.
> ...


Well I think so. 14-15 is I think too early for "sexperiments". Call me old-fashioned, but these are my opinions.


----------



## Dene (Aug 26, 2008)

Darn it, unfortunately I don't have the lecture notes from where the study was mentioned (I stopped using lecture notes and started using my laptop about halfway through the first semester). I can't get access to them either, sorry.
But that number is only from memory, and I've been known to have a bad memory. It could easily have been something like "90% of teenagers in America have considered having sex" or something.

Either way, I still think it is morally repugnant.


----------



## qqwref (Aug 26, 2008)

Karthik said:


> Well I think so. 14-15 is I think too early for "sexperiments". Call me old-fashioned, but these are my opinions.



Old-fashioned, eh? It wasn't too long ago that girls would typically be married at that age. If you go back even further (or look at less-industrialized societies in any era) people are often considered to be adults around 13 and are thereafter expected to be having sex. In a way, the belief that people shouldn't be having sex under age 16 or 18 no matter what is quite new.


----------



## Dene (Aug 26, 2008)

More like: It's a fashion that did not last very long at all, but we were brought up at the end of it, so it seems old.


----------



## hawkmp4 (Aug 26, 2008)

Dene said:


> Either way, I still think it is morally repugnant.


Why is that?
I have yet to see a convincing argument that doesn't involve "sex before marriage is just bad/a sin!" I don't view sex as a bad thing as long as the necessary precautions are made.


----------



## Dene (Aug 26, 2008)

hawkmp4 said:


> Dene said:
> 
> 
> > Either way, I still think it is morally repugnant.
> ...



Well, basically, you have it, but in a bit of a derogatory way.
I, personally, am a "no-sex-before-marriage" kind of because I believe that sex is something that is sacred and should be cherished, you could say. And yes, this is strongly influenced by my religious beliefs.
I just think it is something that two people that really care about each other should share together, not something done for a cheap thrill. There should be more to life than that.


----------



## Karthik (Aug 26, 2008)

qqwref said:


> Karthik said:
> 
> 
> > Well I think so. 14-15 is I think too early for "sexperiments". Call me old-fashioned, but these are my opinions.
> ...


As a matter of fact child marriage still goes on in some parts of my country, but it "just" marriage. Kids, some even as young as 9 years old are married off. But they are not allowed to stay together. Only when they are 17/18, are they allowed to have sex.



Dene said:


> More like: It's a fashion that did not last verylong at all, but we were brought up at the end of it, so it seemsold.


That should make my point clearer.


----------



## Karthik (Aug 26, 2008)

Dene said:


> I just think it is something that two people that really care about each other should share together, not something done for a cheap thrill. There should be more to life than that.


Very well said.


----------



## masterofthebass (Aug 26, 2008)

Dene said:


> I just think it is something that two people that really care about each other should share together, not something done for a cheap thrill. There should be more to life than that.



Personally, your view of sex before actually having it can usually be thrown out the window after you have partaken in it. Basing your hardcore personal beliefs on what others tell you really isn't a good idea in any circumstance. The reason most people have sex is not for a "cheap thrill" but the fact that sex is a biological function that produces pleasurable after effects. It's the same with drugs and alcohol, or really anything that makes you feel "good". If having sex wasn't as physically rewarding, I'm sure many more people would be not having it as much.

--EDIT--
also... don't get me started on religious beliefs. I did some research last year for an essay, and my views on that makes everyone sound complete retarded.


----------



## Kian (Aug 26, 2008)

yeahhh that's not even close to true. no chance it's 90%.

even 50% seems a bit high, but a lot more likely. i could accept that number.


----------



## hawkmp4 (Aug 26, 2008)

Dene said:


> I just think it is something that two people that really care about each other should share together, not something done for a cheap thrill. There should be more to life than that.



Who says sex before marriage is a cheap thrill? 
I agree with what you say wholeheartedly. I just don't understand how sex out of marriage always has to be portrayed as devoid of emotion- I can tell you that its not.


----------



## tim (Aug 26, 2008)

hawkmp4 said:


> Dene said:
> 
> 
> > I just think it is something that two people that really care about each other should share together, not something done for a cheap thrill. There should be more to life than that.
> ...



Even if it is a cheap thrill, what's so wrong with it?


----------



## shelley (Aug 26, 2008)

Dene said:


> I just think it is something that two people that really care about each other should share together.



Okay, I agree. But what does that have to do with marriage?


----------



## Dene (Aug 26, 2008)

Wow, what a controversial claim I made (well done Dene  )!

You guys are right, what does marriage have to do with it? This is a fair claim. My view is that sex should be for those who have gone to the full lengths to devote their lives to each other (i.e. marriage). Commitment is very important to me. Of course, you may not want to get married, and fair enough, but my view is that if you intend to be together, why not get married? (If you are against marriage then good for you! Personally, I get nauseous at the prospect of it).

First of all, let us not forget that this is only my view. I'm not a relativist (i.e. I think my views are _right_ for me, and for everyone else). However, I don't actually care what anyone else thinks anyway.

But to clarify my view:

Mr. Cohen: Of course religion is always controversial, which is why I rarely discuss my personal views (I'm still happy for a religious debate, I just keep my own views out of it. Fundamentally I probably agree with you, religion makes us all look like idiots, but I just can't help but believe in God; for me it is an inevitability). But still, you don't need religion to distinguish between right and wrong.
As I said, there is (should be) more to life than just "happiness" (maybe not necessarily a "cheap thrill", although that is basically what it comes down to; what else is that "pleasurable after-effect"?)

hawkmp4: You misunderstand me, it isn't sex-before-marriage that is the cheap thrill, it is sex in general (sex for the sake of sex).

Mr. Habermaas: As I said, I believe that sex is something that should be kept sacred, which is why it should not be used as a cheap thrill.

Miss Shelley: I think I probably answered your question (in relation to my own views) somewhere in this post, I hope!

EDIT:Mr. Puthraya: Good to see we are on the same wavelength! It is people like you that keep the faint glimmer of hope that I have in the human race alive (I still think I'm an alien, by the way  ).


----------



## brunson (Aug 27, 2008)

I'm married with two kids and I think sex is a cheap thrill.


----------



## shelley (Aug 27, 2008)

Of course, with the divorce rate where it is now (at least in the US) marriage isn't quite the lifetime commitment it used to be.


----------



## Dene (Aug 27, 2008)

No - another thing which I find sad (and another reason why I have no intention of ever getting in a relationship).


----------



## hawkmp4 (Aug 27, 2008)

Dene said:


> hawkmp4: You misunderstand me, it isn't sex-before-marriage that is the cheap thrill, it is sex in general (sex for the sake of sex).


Ah, got it! Then we have essentially the same views, maybe from a different perspective, but essentially the same..


----------



## joey (Aug 27, 2008)

Dene said:


> Of course, you may not want to get married, and fair enough, but my view is that if you intend to be together, why not get married?


If you intent to be together, why get married?

Are married couples 'better' than unmarried couples?


----------



## Escher (Aug 27, 2008)

i think the idea is that marriage is a 'confirmation of loyalty, love and respect'. yet affairs happen every day all over the world. marriage is a completely personal choice. what frustrates me is when the law places heterosexual marriage above homosexual civil partnerships (or doesnt even allow civil partnerships). its blatant discrimination. 
Sex is a thrill, cheap or not. i dont think there is much wrong with people having sex at fourteen or fifteen (i had sex at 15 after a years relationship, and two years later we are still together), but i dont think the law should reflect that, because sex is an emotional commitment at that age whether you like it or not, and if its in a throwaway relationship it can be emotionally damaging. im sure theres a better way of putting my argument, but thats basically my view.


----------



## Dene (Aug 27, 2008)

joey said:


> Dene said:
> 
> 
> > Of course, you may not want to get married, and fair enough, but my view is that if you intend to be together, why not get married?
> ...



I think Mr Escher explained it well enough, but note my comment after that sentence.


----------



## ThePizzaGuy92 (Aug 28, 2008)

The most average american girl [that I can think of] is my girlfriend, and she's mexican! hahaha. She's not knocked up either... at least, if she is, I didn't do it! and I have a butt to kick! lol 
on a slightly related note: I think the world's perception of America is a little disappointing, although I don't know first hand what people think of us, Just what I've seen from the television box.

note: I didn't read much of the other posts, just replying to the first.


----------



## darkzelkova (Sep 1, 2008)

I personally have no qualms about sex after people enter puberty. Before - it gets a bit iffy. But I personally see no problem with people enjoying a thrill (why you see it as "cheap" I'm not sure), having a good time together. Some people have friends with benefits, because it's a lot of fun. No reason to stop yourself from having fun is there?

I think that people overvalue sex in today's society. They seem to think that it is like pledging yourself to another person, and they talk about how it should only be allowed between couples that are willing to get married. But the fact is is that sex has less value now then it did years ago. There is a LOT less chance of getting pregnant if you take the proper precautions, and STD's are easier to treat now then ever.

And what about the homosexual population? One of the most hated groups in the world - encompassing all races, a different types of people. How are they to express themselves is marriage is not allowed where they live? I think it is blatant discrimination against them.

So in short - I see no problem with sex WHATSOEVER, as long as the proper precautions are taken.


----------



## CharlieCooper (Sep 1, 2008)

i know the thread isn't necessarily about the show now... but i had to mention that i am strangely addicted to watching it. 

it's really a dreadful programme and i'm not sure why i have any interest in it but i just can't stop watching it.

it's also paining me to admit this, but i couldn't bring myself to read the thread until i'd caught up on earlier episodes in case somebody had included spoilers ... *walk of shame*

edit: after having read the rest of the thread i will agree with the "sex before marriage is fine, so long as people take suitable precautions" school of thought.


----------

