Social Media, Parental Neglect and Lifestyle Pressure Linked to Rising Teenage Pregnancy, Organisation Says

A youth-focused organisation, Protect Our Future Foundation, says social media influence, parental neglect and the pressure to maintain lifestyles portrayed online are contributing to the rising incidence of teenage pregnancy in Ghana.

Founder of the Foundation, Susana Anutiga Nablisi, said the problem has become particularly worrying in the Upper East Region, where her organisation has been engaging schools and communities on teenage pregnancy and child protection.

Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Afternoon Ghana on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, she said the situation could not simply be attributed to poverty, arguing that what the organisation had observed on the ground pointed to a growing desire among some young girls to imitate lifestyles they see on social media.

“These figures are real. They are not fake. It is happening,” she said.

More than 53,000 adolescent pregnancies were recorded between January and July 2026, with 1,501 involving girls aged between 10 and 14, according to the Ghana Health Service.

The Savannah Region reportedly accounted for the highest proportion at 25.9 percent, while the Upper East Region recorded more than 2,400 adolescent pregnancies within the first five months of the year.

The Bongo District alone recorded 520 cases during the period.

Ms Nablisi said her organisation’s engagements with students had revealed the extent to which social media was shaping the aspirations and behaviour of some teenagers.

“I think it is, one, social media,” she said. “What these children are seeing, the lifestyle they are seeing, and what they want to copy.”

She cited TikTok in particular, saying some teenagers were increasingly exposed to lifestyles associated with celebrities and influencers and wanted to replicate them despite lacking the financial means.

“They are copying the wrong lifestyles,” she said.

According to her, some young girls want expensive wigs, fashionable clothing and other items they see online, while others are seeking quick money to fund those lifestyles.

She, however, acknowledged that poverty remains a factor in some communities, particularly around illegal mining areas where vulnerable girls may be exposed to exploitation.

Ms Nablisi also pointed to parental neglect as another concern, saying some parents were not paying enough attention to what their children were doing or where they were getting expensive items.

“A girl goes out, brings something to the house and the parents ask, they don’t even care. They don’t even ask, where did you get this from? How did you get this?” she said.

She urged parents to create an environment where children feel comfortable discussing their experiences and challenges with them.

“Create an environment where your daughters can talk to you, can open up to you,” she said.

Ms Nablisi said teenage pregnancy often has a direct impact on girls’ education, particularly because many have to leave school during pregnancy before seeking reintegration after childbirth.

She said some girls only begin to understand the consequences of pregnancy after it has happened.

“The unfortunate thing is, they don’t even know until it happens,” she said. “To them, they are just, oh, it’s fun until it happens and they now see the other side of it, the consequences of it.”

She said Protect Our Future Foundation has therefore been visiting schools to educate students on the consequences of teenage pregnancy, while also working with communities and parents.

She also noted that stigma often keeps pregnant teenagers at home, making it difficult for organisations working in schools to directly identify the men responsible for the pregnancies.