Why Ratings Can’t Be Trusted to Tell You a Movie Is Right for Your Kids
In an episode of the series “Adam destroys everything,” released in 2016, ” Adam destroys Hollywood ” bold but accurate statement: “The ratings of films are absolutely senseless.” For those unfamiliar with the show, which aired on TruTV until 2020, the title is mostly about plot – comedian Adam Conover “messes up” things by providing often unpleasant and perhaps even undesirable context for many of the generally accepted aspects of our daily lives. The Film Ratings segment points to critical flaws in the process, which is monitored by the Film Arts Association’s Classification and Rating Board. Conover describes the rating process as “bizarre and arbitrary,” and offers some particularly compelling examples of how flawed the system is.
The Dark Knight, a rather violent character in the Batman franchise, is rated PG-13, and not at all the violent Shakespeare in love is rated R. The latter includes some “sexual situations”; The first is the scene where the Joker kills someone with a pencil. Adam used this example to illustrate the persistent bias in the rating system – the board tends to agree with high levels of violence, but is bigot about sex.
The show notes that the same obscene words can give different ratings. Saying “fuck you” in the movie gets you a PG-13 rating, and “I want to fuck you” is an R. Conover notes that LGBTQ sex is often considered more objectionable in ratings than straight sex – if it wanna fuck you ”was told to someone of the same gender, it might even lead to an NC-17 rating.
There’s a pretty damning quote in this segment about how ratings are determined. Joan Graves, chairman of the film board of directors from 2000 to 2019 , once described the process as “not a science, but a matter of perception.” Add to this the bias against LGBTQ content and the racist history of the system – the precursor to the modern film ratings board that once considered depictions of white slavery inappropriate, but acceptable in black slavery – and it’s easy to see how something supposed to help parents make informed choices about Regarding the content that kids should or shouldn’t watch, it’s actually not all that useful.
But beyond ratings, where can parents go for information to help them understand what might be shown in films or other media that their children are watching? We asked Kristen Harrison, a professor and media psychologist at the University of Michigan who studies the impact of media on children and adolescents, for some guidance.
Understand the impact on your particular child
Parents need to understand two key things: Beyond their age, the material that children can handle in a film depends on their personality and level of maturity. They can also be affected by early exposure to sex and violence, so this is definitely worth considering.
“When children are exposed to violent media, sexual media, they tend to behave in a manner consistent with that exposure,” says Harrison. “Children who are often abused are more likely to be a little more aggressive. Children who come into contact with sexual media may use sexual language a little more often, or it may fuel their curiosity about sexuality. But the crucial point here is that not all children react the same. ”
One of the reasons this film and other rating systems are problematic is because they include a general, unconditional statement about what age this content is suitable for. Not only are some children of the same age more likely to be intimidated or upset by abusive materials than others, but saying that something is only relevant to children 17 and older can automatically make it attractive to children under 17.
“[Ratings] can backfire because when kids see them it can make content more engaging for younger kids who want to feel like adults while watching something for older kids,” she says.
Harrison encourages parents to look for content-based ratings. Common Sense Media has an excellent database of in-depth, content-based reviews of various media that parents can use as a resource.
“Let’s say the movie is listed as adult or violent; that parent can decide, based on what their kids are sensitive to, which kids might be okay with the content and which might not, ”says Harrison.
What the MPA ratings do not cover
When sharing your favorite entertainment with kids, understand that revisiting past content with modern eyes can reveal stereotypical depictions of race , gender, and sexuality that are not covered by this PG rating. When these topics come up, they need to be discussed with the children and explained. But they often go beyond what tools like movie or content ratings provide.
Dad and I were very different people. He was a proud blue collar from a store, and I was a book nerd. (He was kind and loving, even if we didn’t speak the same language.) When I was a kid, we grew close watching professional wrestling. He really liked it, and I, like many other children, found outstanding personalities in wrestling wildly fascinating.
He died a year before the birth of my son. As my son got older, I tried to introduce him to his grandfather through wrestling. There’s a problem, though: WWE, the largest wrestling company in the world, has a ridiculously problematic history of racism , homophobia , the regressive way the company portrays women , and how it relates to its own work . Instead of assuming that this material will fly over his head, we worked with him, as it did in the old wrestling shows that we watch, opening the door to good and productive conversation.
“There are studies showing that media content that is stereotypical or stereotypically represents groups is associated with more stereotypical attitudes about these groups after exposure,” Harrison says. “So parents should keep this in mind. I think they can talk to their children about how stereotypes can manifest in the media. “
Obviously, there are clear examples of racist or sexist content in the old media that are usually easy to see as they are, but such content is not always in the past. Harrison notes that the storytelling process itself still leads to reliance on such imagery. It’s just easier to rely on cultural or gender stereotypes at fixed intervals than to create characters or stories with genuine human complexity, and many shows, films, and other media still rely on them, even if they are more subtle. than in the past.
“Creators need to present the story visually,” says Harrison. “For example, violence is a really visually powerful and easy-to-understand way to show conflict. But in real life there are a lot of non-violent conflicts, right? But the media must get it across. If a conflict arises between two people, he often resorts to a vivid demonstration of the conflict. ” It’s the same with other stereotypes, she notes: “If [the film] wants to portray that the character is gay, for example, they may actually still rely on visual stereotypes and gags to convey that they are gay.”
When these situations arise, Harrison recommends simply reminding the children that stereotypes are not a reflection of reality and that all people are different and have different motivations and character traits.
You cannot personally check everything
Parents want to protect their kids, so it’s natural to always know what they’re watching, especially at a young age. But it is also impossible to preview everything they see. Nearly all children have some level of access to devices, perhaps even when parents are unaware that they are using them. Content is everywhere.
“It’s really hard to track content these days,” says Harrison. “I don’t think it should be bad for parents if they don’t watch their children’s shoulders 24 hours a day, because they simply cannot. And at some point, when their children, for example, move into adolescence, in any case it is inappropriate from a developmental point of view, when they are being watched to such an extent. “
It’s important to make sure kids aren’t engaging in inappropriate conversations or being harassed by predators when they consume media, but it’s also important as they grow up to help them start developing their own relationships and interests, and practice decision making. Parents can provide structure and guidelines for content without having to constantly monitor what is being viewed.
For younger age also has applications and tools such as Securly, which allow parents to view the history or the content digest that browsing the children, and keep track of other behavior, to ensure that they are responsible for what they consume, and how they interact in the Internet.
Simply becoming familiar with various healthy activities can also be a way to ensure balance in their lives and avoid over-consuming distressed or overly mature films or shows.
“I think parents need to stop thinking about looking over their shoulders to see everything they’re looking at or listening to, and thinking more about it in terms of the media is part of child development,” says Harrison. … “One way parents can deal with the onslaught of the media is simply to try to introduce more general pursuits into their children’s lives. So, if that means going out with the kids or cooking food together, don’t look at it in terms of trying to lessen their impact, but instead try to replace them with things the kids need to grow. Give them a break from the media and it will [naturally] reduce their exposure to problematic content. ”