When 16 & Pregnant first aired back in 2009, I remember there being a lot of dialogue about the potential repercussions of the show. Was it giving “deviant” teens an unfair opportunity for having made bad decisions? Would this then influence teenagers across the nation to go out and have sex so they, too, can be on MTV? And if they turned out to be successful, would it then glorify being a young parent?

For their part, MTV maintained that the show was meant to show other teenagers the harsh realities of becoming a teen parent. In fact, a study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that, “the introduction of this MTV show led to a 4.3 percent reduction in teen births in the 18 months following its initial airing” — part of a larger trend of declining teen births nationwide.

The formula was working. My friends and I were also high school students and 16 and Pregnant became the cautionary tale for my friend group. It opened our eyes to all the teenage things — being a part of a sports team, prom, dating, going to the mall with friends and really just being carefree — that teen parents wouldn’t experience the same way.

We saw Maci Bookout and Farrah Abraham struggle to keep up with their cheerleading commitments; we saw Leah Messer not only having to adjust to having twins, but also having to learn how to take care of a child born with a disability; we saw Amber Portwood and Jenelle Evans coming to terms with their lifestyle changes as new parents; and in one way or another, all the girls had challenges with their children’s fathers.

The most impactful for me was perhaps Catelynn Lowell and her then-boyfriend (now husband) Tyler Baltierra who made the tough decision to give their first daughter up for adoption. I remember being surprised at the fact that choosing adoption didn’t spare them any of the postpartum challenges. They didn’t just go back to being high school students, but they had a new set of problems to deal with — including having to answer to their family, who weren’t in support of their decision.

My friends and I were equal parts judgmental, forewarned and entertained. While I haven’t watched as religiously since the show became Teen Mom, certain cast members have stayed in my consciousness, as they have been the source of major discourse online as they battled addiction issues, run into legal woes and showcased some tumultuous co-parenting relationships. The show remained a prime example of how quickly your life can change if you aren’t cautious.

I’ve recently found myself having a refreshed love for the show after some clips from the midseason premiere of Teen Mom: The Next Chapter made their way to my TikTok for you page. First, I had to get over the fact that the little tots I saw being born were now the same age — or almost the same age — as their parents when we were first introduced to them nearly two decades ago.

Secondly, I was so impressed by just how all of the kids seemed so well-adjusted, so emotionally intelligent and so smart, despite all the ups and downs their parents have had to overcome publicly.

One of my favorite clips was the back and forth between Leah Messer, Corey Sims and their daughter Aliannah, who was born with muscular dystrophy.

The entire conflict hinged on the fact that Ali, 15, was hell-bent on attending a high school football game without her wheelchair while Leah and Corey were steadfast on the fact that she needs to have it, because one misstep can cause problems for the teen in the long-term.

While there are some real feelings, of course — Leah even ends up crying over the issue because she doesn’t know how to enforce the wheelchair without making her daughter feel othered — I found the entire storyline so endearing.

Although Ali has a disability, the 15-year-old is every bit a typical teenager: She is headstrong, she’s bright and opinionated and she is a fierce advocate for herself. It’s a telling testament to Leah and Corey’s parenting, I feel, especially when you consider the fact that the two didn’t always have the most harmonious co-parenting relationship and that Leah had to overcome a pill addiction at one point.

To raise a confident kid is no easy feat, and the fact that they were able to instill that type of self-esteem in Ali deserves some praise.

For as long as the show has been on, Maci Bookout has been a fan favorite. A consistent parent, what’s admirable about her relationship with 16-year-old Bentley is also how well they communicate. They have the same face and the same demeanor, so conversations between them are calm and effective, even when they disagree.

Bentley’s dad is Ryan Edwards, whose struggles with addiction have also been chronicled on the show. And while Maci got some flack for standing by him at the peak of his issues, Ryan is now sober and the pair have established a solid co-parenting relationship.

In one of the most touching moments of the season, Maci, her husband Taylor McKinney, Ryan and his wife Amanda Conner present Bentley with his first car and the elated teen takes all four of them on a little ride around the parking lot. It’s a milestone moment that avid watchers of the show may have never seen coming.

Then there’s Leah, Amber Portwood’s daughter with Gary Shirley. The 16-year-old’s relationship with her mom remains strained, however, Leah has found solace in her stepmom Kristina, who’s been around since she was in kindergarten. In a heartwarming and vulnerable moment on the show, Leah reveals she wants Kristina to adopt her because she is the only mother she’s ever really known.

Much like Ali, I found myself admiring just how well-spoken and articulate Leah is. She was able to put words to her feelings in a way that most teenagers can’t. Asking your stepparent to adopt you is not an easy thing to do and the fact that she was comfortable enough to do is, once again, a testament to the type of parent Gary — and Kristina — is. So many of the comments I ran into on TikTok were about how he’s evolved as a parent.

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Not all of the stories from the Teen Mom franchise have had happy endings, of course, but I think it’s always good to give credit where it’s due. The kids on the current season seem to be thriving and their parents — whom we met as scared, confused and clueless teenagers — have morphed into responsible, grounded and loving 30-something year olds, who are instilling strong values in their kids and showing that every setback can be an opportunity for growth.

More than just a cautionary tale about all the things that can go wrong, the Teen Mom franchise has also shown how people can overcome challenges and make gold out of not-so-ideal situations.