I’ve recently started watching the UK Teen Mom series (I’m only on series 2, so this may change as I get further through it!) and I’ve noticed pretty much all of the girls/families featured seem to be from fairly working class/lower socioeconomic backgrounds. I’m absolutely not saying that as a criticism of them individually, some of them are doing amazing (finishing their A-levels, buying a house etc) and obviously I know the show is only a small selection of teen mums.
It just made me wonder why that seems to be the case. Do you think the producers specifically targets / chooses girls from those backgrounds because it makes for the type of TV they want to make? That girls from more middle-class backgrounds are less likely to agree to be filmed because they realise that Teen Mom potentially doesn’t portray teenage motherhood in a particularly positive light? Or is it actually fairly representative of the demographics of teenage mothers in the UK, and we’re simply seeing what the reality is? Or most likely a combination of all three?
I’m genuinely curious rather than trying to make a point about the girls on the programme. I also appreciate that “class” is a pretty broad and subjective thing, and I’m basing this entirely on what we see on the show rather than knowing anything about their actual circumstances.
Also does it change in the later series?