I'm writing an article about movie ratings. If you are a teenager, how do the ratings affect you? Have you ever snuck into a movie that you weren't old enough for, based on the ratings? What do you think of the ratings? Do you think sex and violence in the movies affect you adversely? Anything else you want to say about ratings?

Parents: Do you monitor what your teenagers see? Do you think the ratings are effective? Anything else you want to add would be appreciated.

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One nation under God.

I'm 19, for the record ^_^

I sneaked into an R-rated film when I was...let's see, 16. Only time I've done it, and I only barely got away with it too-- we had tickets for another film, but a couple of kids in my group had legit tickets their grandfather bought for them, and they were the ones who got checked for some reason. It was stupid-- my mom had given me permission to see the film, but we forgot to have an adult stay to buy our tickets.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of the ratings. I think it's the parent's responsibility to deal with what their kids are or are not seeing at the movies. Some parents-- mine included --have no problem with their kids seeing R-rated movies occasionally. For them it's just a complete nuisance.

For parents who seriously think that seeing "Romeo Must Die" (yeah, can you believe THAT'S the film I went to such effort for?) is going to be traumatic for their kids-- and nothing happened in that movie that you wouldn't see on MTV by the way --then it's THEIR responsibility to deal with it.

I suspect that if the 17-or-with-a-guardian-only rule was taken away from the rating, many parents would allow their kids to go see the R-rated films eventually. It's really the complications and potential illegality that sets parents off, I suspect.

Sex and violence having an effect on me...well, let's see. I've been an avid Internet user for about eight years now, I've played video games like Mortal Kombat or Doom since I was a wee lass, and I saw my first R-rated film at the age of eight. I went to a youth therapy group once, but I wasn't asked back because I was as mentally healthy as anyone. The worst crime I've ever committed is the ever-present illegal mp3 download. I've never had a traffic ticket, never punched anyone, am not remotely interested in guns or other weapons...so no, I don't think it's had any adverse effects on me. To be honest, I see most complaints from parents that video games/tv/movies are making their kids more violent as simply passing the buck.

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Georgia ("Gia") Manry
[url=http://georgiamanry.com]GeorgiaManry.com[/url]

I do use the rating system as a way of deciding what may or may not be appropriate for my children to watch.
Then I take the time to see why it received that rating. In all honesty, I don't worry about the violence aspect near as much as I worry about the sexual content.
My children see violence every day on the news. They also know the difference between reality and fiction and if they ever blur the line they are reminded clearly that is what they are doing. But they may see things of a sexual nature tey are simply not ready to deal with.
I have four children from eight to fifteen in my house and I need some way, without having to see each movie myself before I allow the children to see it, to determine which movie I can take all four children to see.
The ratings help - but personally, I don't think they are enough. We go to movies as a family. I don't drop my kids off to see movies on their own very often. Then if my kids see something that is inappropriate, we can use that to open a line of dialogue that may not have occured at this particular age otherwise.
Hope this helps.
Good-luck!
C

I am the parent of 2 teens, a 16 year old girl and a 13 year old boy. I was strict when they were younger. Now I am more of an adviser and we discuss movies. I monitor what they see and the rating system helps only in terms of a general guide. I do find it helpful and if something is rated R, I check with friends (we work in Hollywood) or screenit.com to see why. I do draw the line with sexual content because they do not have the life experience yet and a movie is not the way that area needs to be shaped, particularly if there is violence tied in with sexuality. My son has a remarkable knowledge and grasp of history, especially modern military history, and can handle even the graphic war movies occasionally because he has the context. He sees them with his father and they talk about it. The reason I have not allowed my kids to see everything is that they would be innundated with values that do not line up with those of our family. That is also why I don't use the movies as a babysitter. My daughter is old enough to go with friends but as a group they have decided to only see PG-13 movies. We believe in guarding what we take in with our eyes and ears because there is a subtle effect over time. I have seen it repeatedly with grown children of friends and now my 16 year old is seeing it in her friends. All the seemingly inconsequential messages and values have their effect and iIt is not a simple one to one correlation. I have been vigilant because my job is to teach them to think critically and to use their time wisely.

My daughter Blair who is now 15 has worked as a professional actress for a number of years, so a long time ago I gave up any concept of censoring what she saw. Even now she doesn't particularly like violent movies, so she avoids them on her own, and many others get R-ratings simply because they contain the same language she would hear regularly in real life working with directors and fellow actors. Mostly she does stage work, but she did appear as an extra in an R-rated film ("Arlington Road") when she was about 9, and I just couldn't get behind the logic of the MPAA that a child can be in a film but not view it on her own.

I don't put much credence anyway in anything that is so easily manipulated by the filmmakers or characterized by shifting standards depending on the bankability potential of the film. I've taken Blair to see many R-rated movies, but if she and her friends want to sneak into other ones when I'm not around, I really don't have a problem with it.

Brooke

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I don't think the ratings are very effective. Different people mature at different at different rates. It's easy for children to find a way around their parents restrictions because of cable TV available in many households. Cheap videos also make it possible to evade restrictions. I'm more concerned about the talk shows and talking heads that disseminate "expert" opinions and advice and about the effects of sports and entertainment figures who act as role models for kids whether they intend to or not. I am aware of what my children see. It is a cop-out to blame social problems on movies. Children get their sense of responsibility for their own actions from their parents or guardians.