Do people still care about TV/Film age restrictions?
Courtesy of Henry & Co.
Introduction
The idea of age-restriction ratings is nothing new: it's been around since the late 1970s. But it wasn't until recently that they became a more common part of our lives. I know this because I'm young, and yet I can still remember my first trip to the video store. My mom picked up a movie called "The Wizard" on a whim, and when we got home, she noticed there was an "R" rating on the box. That's when she told me about age-restriction ratings—something she'd learned about back in her day—and how they worked.
Age-restriction ratings are something we've been aware of since our first trip to the video store.
Age-restriction ratings are something we've been aware of since our first trip to the video store. They're used to inform parents about the suitability of a movie or TV show for their children, and every country has its own system. In Australia, there are four different rating systems: G (General Audiences), PG (Parental Guidance), M (Mature), and R18+ (Restricted 18+). In New Zealand, there is only one rating system but it is much stricter than Australia's; in fact, all films must be classified by an approved classifier before they can be released for public viewing anywhere in New Zealand including cinemas and DVD stores!
There is no mandatory censorship agency like ACB or BBFC in South Africa; however, there are voluntary self-regulation bodies such as the Film & Publication Board (FPB) which have created their own set of standards regarding offensive content such as nudity/sexually explicit language/violence etcetera within media content aimed at minors aged 17 years old or younger - this includes cinema trailers shown before feature films
But what exactly are these ratings, and how do they work?
So, what exactly are these ratings and how do they work?
The most common rating for films and TV shows is "PG" for Parental Guidance. This means that it's suitable for all audiences, but parents should consider whether their children are ready to watch it.
If you're still not sure if something is appropriate for your child, you can always check out this website at https://atlascinemas.net/ratings.html.
Do people really care about them anymore?
As you can probably imagine, the answer to this question is a resounding "It depends."
Some people still care about age restrictions. Some don't. And others fall somewhere in between. It all comes down to individual preferences and priorities: some people are more concerned with what their kids watch than others; some care more about content than ratings; others simply don't worry about either one.
Is there a better way to rate movies and TV shows?
Are age-restriction ratings accurate?
In the case of films and TV shows, it's hard to say whether or not their age-restriction ratings are accurate. The reason for this is that people don't always care about them. For example, if you wanted to watch an R-rated movie with your parents who have no interest in seeing an R-rated movie then you could easily do so without having any issues at all! However, if someone wanted to see an NC-17 film then they would most likely have some problems getting into cinemas or streaming sites due to having parental consent required before viewing these types of films (unless they were 18+ years old).
Takeaway:
If you're like me and grew up in the '90s, your first trip to the video store was an eye-opening experience. The sheer number of movies available was overwhelming--much more than what was shown on TV or advertised in magazines. There were also all kinds of ratings that we had never heard before: G (general audiences), PG (parental guidance suggested), PG-13 (parents strongly cautioned), and R (restricted).
Courtesy of Lucas Pezeta
At first glance, this seems like an efficient way to inform parents of what kind of content their children will be exposed to when they watch a film or TV show. But do these age restrictions really work? And if not, what should replace them?
Conclusion
We've all been there, sitting in a movie theater or TV room wondering if the movie we're about to watch is suitable for our kids. But with so many different ratings and levels of violence, how do we know what's appropriate? And more importantly: does anyone really care?
