These days, all over the TV, music, and movies, there is content inappropriate for most children to see, hear, or watch. This is true, but there are many parents who go overboard on “protecting” their child.
First off, I am going to give you the basic run down on American movie and TV rating systems. First off, TV:
- TV-Y (All Children — This program is designed to be appropriate for all children)
- TV-Y7 (Directed to Older Children — This program is designed for children age 7 and above.)
- TV-G (General audiences)
- TV-PG (Parental guidance suggested)
- TV-14 (Recommended for people 14 or older)
- TV-MA (intended for mature audiences)
- G (General Audiences– All ages admitted)
- PG (Parental Guidance Suggested- Some material may not be suitable for children)
- PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned- Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13)
- R (Restricted- Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian)
- NC-17 (No One 17 and Under Admitted)
There is no official rating system to music, but radio stations generally will not play rude music.
These are the official rating systems, but they are not always accurate. Also, as a parent you may be worried that watching an R-rated movie will have negative effects on your child, but he or she is exposed to plenty of this content anyway. At school, we children learn many things that you may not even imagine us knowing. At the same time, don’t just give your kid free reign. Every child has a perfect age to be exposed to content of a mature theme. Some kids are not as mature as others, period.
Also, we have more access to it than you think. At certain friends’ houses, I might watch TV after 10pm and can watch M-rated shows. The same is true for R- or even NC-17 rated movies online! You can get music online also, but it generally it is less graphic. Finally, if you are overprotective, the child may have a hard time in the real world. It’s not like the world is G-rated!
Parents, I’m not asking you to have NC-17 movie night with you kids. Just…don’t try to be too protective, it won’t help.