TVSquad

I have a 12 year old daughter and we watched the first 3 episodes of the first season together. (I watched the whole first season before deciding it was a potentially good conversation starter.) After episode three, she didn't ask to watch it again. Her lack of interest was her understated way of telling me she wasn't ready for it. There are definitely 12 year old girls in her peer group that are not only ready for American Life, but they will hopefully learn something from it. As with all things kid-related, it's important to let the kid set her own limits sometimes and to always be aware of what they're learning on television.

We recently discovered Degrassi: The Next Generation and have watched seasons 2 and 3 together. I prefer it over American Life because it covers a broader set of issues and it's only 22 minutes long so it doesn't devour too much of our day.

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The problem with this show isn't that it talks about sex, but that it features the ten dumbest teenagers ever as characters. Everything dealing with sex is thrust upon these idiots (who apparently have never had a health class or a talk with their parents) in the most moralistic way ever. In the first season, Amy gets pregnant without really knowing if she actually had sex (you'd think Ricky with all his experience would have made things a little bit clearer). Then Ben who is in *love* with Amy after seeing her in the hallway once, really and truly wants to marry this girl in spite of the fact that they are 15 and she's pregnant with another person's child. The only two promising characters (Grace and Adrian) have become ridiculous. You don't have feelings that strong about waiting for marriage and then decide with that much feeling that you'll have sex with a guy who has sort of treated you badly in the past after you've been back together for like a day and a half and decide not in the heat of the moment but a well thought out plan that God will understand that you love him. Adrian is looking for someone to love her through sex and while that is the only realistic thing to happen on the show, her seduction of her stepbrother pushed her character over the line to crazy land. Lauren and Madison are terrible friends who just give Amy misinformation and bad advice, and Grace's brother sets back the cause for mentally challenged people fifty years (he's her brother; why does he think he's her father? and why are her parents so okay with this?).

I'll admit that I keep watching because I can't wait to find out what stupid thing these people will do next, but really it's a terrible show. I'd let your 12 year old watch Degrassi instead, which does raise a lot of the same issues but in a much better way.

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Bring back Kyle XY and Wildfire!

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I find it funny that the show is called the secret life of the american teenager, yet everybody discusses everything that is going on. Nothing is really a secret on that show.

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No, I don't think it's apporpriate for young children to watch this kind of show, just like it's not appropriate for them to watch violent TV shows and movies.

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The ramping up of the sexuality on ABC Family shows on 2nd seasons seems to be rather common.

This is what happened on Kyle XY which in the final season began glamorizing sex in a way that I felt uncomfortable letting my 12 year old watch.

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I don't watch the show, so I can't speak to its content or suitability for younger audiences for the most part. However, based on commercials I've seen, I probably wouldn't have had any trouble letting my daughter watch it when she was that age.

In regard to your concern over it being shown on ABC Family, I'd like to point out that ABC Family has been trying to update their image and become edgier. The only reason it continues to be called ABC Family is because the original sale of The Family Channel to Fox/Saban had a clause mandating that the channel name must contain the word Family in perpetuity, regardless of subsequent sales. (Another clause mandates the continued showing of The 700 Club, or that'd be history too.) Therefore, it cannot be assumed that all of the channel's programming will be family-friendly, although the likelihood that most of it will be is still very high, given that it's owned by Disney.

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Yes, the name of the channel is "ABC Family", but it's target demogrphic is teenagers.

And the show probably isn't suitable for 12-year-olds; but then again, the show is so dumb, that no one of any age should watch it.

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The show isn't appropriate for anyone, its just poor quality and bad writing.

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Yes, it is appropriate for 12 year olds. In an ideal world parents would speak openly with their kids about sex and consequences. However, too many parents think it's "awkward" or "uncomfortable" or that their kids aren't old enough to hear about it. Newsflash: if you wait to talk to your kids about sex until YOU think they're old enough, it may be too late. Kids have a funny way of deciding on their own that they're old enough for something.

Secret Life does a good job of showing the consequences of sex and teaching life lessons. Although the writing is a bit heavy-handed and the lessons are glaringly obvious, it's good for kids to see attractive "cool" kids deciding that sex is something to wait on.

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I watch this show with my 11 yrold daughter. She is seeing how dumb people can be and what having sex can do to you. She also understands that the drama is a bit over the top. But hey if you look around many pre-teens and teens act that way these days. Right down to the stupid over drama. And it's helped my daughter know that being a drama queen is not cool, and doing things because others do it is not cool. I also think she apreciates me and her dad alot more now, since compared to parents on this show we are "normal". I also agree that this weeks episode had far to much sex talk in it, but some times it has to be that blunt and in your face for teens to get the hint.I do believe the show may help youngins who for what ever reason don't have the parents or type of parents to talk to about sex. Also seeing what the outcome can be from having sex instead of us just saying don't have sex is far more effective.

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Take this crap OFF the air. Do you think we really need another show promoting teen pregnancy? What a waste of time. This past April one of my 13 year old students gave birth to a baby boy. She is having an extremely, extremely difficult time trying to raise her son with her 14 year old father. teen pregnanacy is NOT glamorous in the least bit. Parents sit down and talk with your kids instead watching this junk on tv.

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I think this is silly, sorry but i'm 16 and 12 year olds arn't little kids. They know about sex, they're not dumb. This programme shows them the consequences and will most likely make them less wanting to have sex.
And for the perants that asks their kids if they're thinking of having sex, don't its just cringing, they have their friends to talk to if they want to.
I really don't like it when people treat people around this age like their babys but they know far more than you think.
(: x

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The first season of this show started out pretty good, with a story line of a young teen who made a bad decision (sex before marriage) and is now dealing with the consequences. The second season has turned into a trash, plain and simple. Every single character on the show is incessantly talking about or having sex. Just to name a few, take Anne Juergens (Molly Ringwald) who is separated from her husband and has sex with a first time date and now is pregnant herself!!!! Let's remember she is still married, has a 15 y/o that just had a baby and also has a 13 y/o daughter....great role model Anne, way to go. I see a future episode focused on who this baby's father is, cause it seems only the 13 y/o knows. Or, how about Leo Boykewich (Steve Schirripa), who unbenknowst to him is dating a prostitute and a prostitute that was pursued by the challenged son from the the Christian family. Wait a minute, don't forget Dr. Marshall Bowman (John Schneider) the only Christian man on the show following God's word and instilling good morals and values in his daughter Grace....they killed him off and his Born-Again Christian daughter who was saving herself for marriage (important message for young girls) has had sex. Even the Christian pastor is condoning sex before marriage.....what????? How about last week's episode when Adrian (Francia Raisa) is talking about what Bologna, Italy is known for.....oral sex!!! I could go on and on about the characters, plots, poor messages and shamefulness of this show, but I would find myself thoroughly exhausted. So, what I've finally done is decided not to watch the show, deleted it from my DVR recording list and I encourage all of you to do the same. Remember, garbage in, garbage out.

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i defenetly think 12 is and aprpriate age..im 12 and ive been watching it since the first season ..so i was 11 when i started watching it

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The Secret Life of the American Teenager is one of my favorite tv show. i watch The Secret Life of the American Teenager every season and episodes.

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