Attached Link: http://www.komonews.com/news/local/120366659.html#idc-cover

I dont get it....

I have a feeling this is just a concealed need for attention considering I dont see her real father on the videos.

The article said that it was part of a social experiment:

"Only a handful of people - her mother, boyfriend and principal among them - knew Gaby was pretending to be pregnant for her senior project, a culminating assignment required for graduation."

Personally, I think she's quite courageous: teen pregnancies is a fact of life, unfortunately, and those unfortunates who make those bad (well, unreflected) decisions are marginalised and ostracised for a mistake (poor decision) whist the other half of the equation rarely stands by them or wears any of the consequences of this.

I'm surprised you "don't get it". If you read the article, the purpose and motive is pretty clear. I guess it's hard to understand for someone who has never been marginalised why a person would voluntarily place him-or-herself in that position.

And your feeling that this is attention-seeking is typical of most people's views of teenagers. :blink: Have another read of the article... with your more charitable glasses on, this time.

I found the article very interesting when I read it earlier. Quite frankly I am surprised she had the determination to go through with it for so long.

I was at one point a teen mom, also was in my last year of school 13th grade (Germany) doing my Abitur while being 7.5 months pregnant was 17 almost 18 at the time. Things like this happen and it was very straining to go through this experience because save for a handful of people the genral attitude from my school and/or teachers was horrible.

From snarky remarks on being totally avoided and those mournful little head shakes and snide comments like "I really thought you would be the last one for this to happen to. Look at you all straight A's you ruined your life might as well quit school now."

Funny thing I graduated 3rd best in my year and went on to go to university when my daughter was 2 years old. Working my internship overseas ( yes I had even gotten the spot eventhough I had a toddler) I met my now husband and we dated for a while once I was done with my studies we got married and I moved to the states with a nice job and all. I am still not quite seeing how I ruined my life all it takes is a somewhat supportive family and some people who will stick with a teen mom and not all hope is lost.

My daughter turned 9 a week ago and is in 4th grade doing very well in school and might be skipping another year in order to stay challenged in school.

So why am I even saying all of this.. well I get quite aggrivated when people look down on those young mothers. Yeah they likely have made some really bad decisions or maybe like in my case something with the contraceptive went very wrong and it happened anyways. Instead of looking down on them I wish people would extend a hand and still treat them like human beings, instead of putting them down maybe offering some words of courage every now and then and instead of telling them they will fail one could tell them how admirable it is that they are trying to stay in school and raise a child. Those young mothers have to grow up over night and that is not a very easy thing to do..

But then again I know enough grown women who are horrible mothers and a ton of young mothers who are doing really well. ( I volunteer with an organization helping young mothers and pregnant girls to stay in school and on top of their responsibilities because it was likely the work of a group for young mothers from pro familia that helped me get through it and stay in school so I feel I should give back in some way.)

Yes I admire the girl and I hope she gave her whole school a lesson in something everyone preaches but then forgets about it when they turn around, kindness and tolerance. Something I find to be very lacking these days. And hopefully all of those who talked badly about her behind their back felt bad as they were reminded on how they talked about her and think twice the next time they are gossiping and putting down any human being, pregnant teen or not.

Well as a man I dont see any benefit to her "experiment".

I think this is just a drama fest masquerading as a call for awareness for against stereotyping that changes nothing. Its like being an activist against trees getting cut down but if you take a look around people still cutting trees to make a profit.

It only benefitted her. She was offered a scholarship for college after this at the cost of the real teen mothers out there. Very clever!

I dont see anything different with this from MTV's teen mom. Teens right now are getting knocked up to be famous at school. I will not be surprised if there will be copycat teen moms after this.

I would have respected her if she offered a real solution but she only offered drama.

No offense to teen moms out there. I just know how to identify ineffective solutions very quickly.

TheOwl's Proposed Solutions to Preventing Teen Pregnancy: Education

1.) Get all the teen girls to summer camp with orphanages and have them take care of the kids like how mothers do it so that they can see and feel in real time the hardships of being a a mother.

2.) Have them wear clothes that simulate pregnancy that will make them feel the weight of a baby and the fat they will gain while being pregnant.

3.) Show them pictures of men and women's private parts with different types of STDs especially those the warty ones and have them research about it.

4.) Show documentary movies about people with STDs and stories of women who had done abortion.

5.) IF everything still fails after this, birth control.

Quote - TheOwl's Proposed Solutions to Preventing Teen Pregnancy: Education

1.) Get all the teen girls to summer camp with orphanages and have them take care of the kids like how mothers do it so that they can see and feel in real time the hardships of being a a mother.

2.) Have them wear clothes that simulate pregnancy that will make them feel the weight of a baby and the fat they will gain while being pregnant.

3.) Show them pictures of men and women's private parts with different types of STDs especially those the warty ones and have them research about it.

4.) Show documentary movies about people with STDs and stories of women who had done abortion.

5.) IF everything still fails after this, birth control.

Yep, spoke like a man. Responsibility begins and ends with women. I'm impressed. :blink:

I wont pick a fight with you.

.... is this something we want to discuss here? really?

Quote - TheOwl's Proposed Solutions to Preventing Teen Pregnancy: Education

1.) Get all the teen girls to summer camp with orphanages and have them take care of the kids like how mothers do it so that they can see and feel in real time the hardships of being a a mother.

2.) Have them wear clothes that simulate pregnancy that will make them feel the weight of a baby and the fat they will gain while being pregnant.

3.) Show them pictures of men and women's private parts with different types of STDs especially those the warty ones and have them research about it.

4.) Show documentary movies about people with STDs and stories of women who had done abortion.

5.) IF everything still fails after this, birth control.

so...um...where is the plan to educate the young Men?! in all of this? Why should only the teen girls go to summer camp? ...unfortunately, society tends to forget it takes two...if you're going to educate the 'right' way, it must be an equal education...just sayin...

@magnusG ...no, probably not a topic for this forum...but sometimes it's tough to let that kind of arrogance? ignorance? pass ...and for someone as quiet/shy as myself to feel compelled to say something...that's saying something

Thank you, Kitt. That was my point exactly. No one is picking a fight: just trying to enlighten. I didn't call attention to this news-item, let's don't forget.

Oh, and the OP did say OT: which means, um, off-topic? I think?

She accomplished her goal, a full school year as the object of attention.

The adults who participated in this charade should be have their heads examined, but then they clearly knew it was unwise - from the boyfriend to the mother to the principal who wouldn't let his own daugther do it.

What exactly was learned from this "experiment".  That teen pregnancy remains, as it always was, a social outlyer and not the best timing for procreation?

What if she had pretended to have a physical ailment?  The real sufferers of said ailment would be up in arms.

Silly, self-centered and pointless.

The losing side in this problem is always the teen girls and they need the most protections than us guys. Taking a second look on my suggestions, it appears that teen boys can also do them. Yes! Including the pregnant costume thing so that they too will feel the burden they could potentially cause to their partners.

I asked my fellow guys in this subject and they all agree with me. I think the reason is people look at a problem differently. Its either we look at it as a potential problem to conquer or as something to talk and feel emotional about.

I bet this fake pregnant teen wont donate her scholarship for a real teen mom if her real objective is for charity and "awareness".

Before this thread is locked - as I'm sure it will be - I'll weigh in with a bit of family experience here...

My niece's daughter became pregnant at 17.  Not due to her being from a poor, uneducated or disadvantaged background with neglectful parents.  Far from it; her mother (a widow) has raised her and her brother well, their home is lovely and the entire family network is loving and supportive.  The young lady became pregnant because her contraceptive implant didn't work.  I emphasise this to show there's more than just education to address when discussing teenage pregnancy.  She did all the right things but was an "unfortunate" victim of the law of averages.

Unfortunate in quotes because her daughter is a beautiful little girl.  She's a delight and a joy to the family.  At 4 days younger than my own son, they are good playmates and perfect companions.

As it happens, the father is not a part of things (her choice) but he expressed willingness to take responsibility when he found out what had happened.  As things are, the whole family (including Claire and I) are part of the support network.

Teenage pregnancy doesn't have to be a bad thing and teenage moms deserve better than stereotyping.

Quote - Teenage pregnancy doesn't have to be a bad thing and teenage moms deserve better than stereotyping.

A lovely story. I have a whole new level of respect for you. I'm glad you shared.

sometimes folks dress as minorities or bums or prisoners or some occupation or whatever to study different lives.  this is not an unusual sociological experiment. 

it's probably counterproductive to the people involved in the experiment to go in to it with predetermined expectations or to push one agenda or another, although i'm certain these happen too.  there's not that much info on this really on this page really, more of a blurb.  did she go in to this with hopes to encourage this type of behavior?  should all involved have simulated further antagonistic conditions like drug abuse, falling grades, spousal abuse?  in this case you're moving more into performance art, not sociology. 

usually when someone is entering this kind of experiment, whether among apes or junkies or fat people, they try to just see what is going on there more than make a statement.  not that they don't have their own prejudices, but you're going to have a hard time making a factual report about their living conditions if you spend all of your time yelling at them.

I'm sorry...this has "what" to do with Poser????

OT threads have been allowed as long as they don't get out of hand.  No need to lock something that contains respectful debate.