Ever since the rose to popularity and became a mainstream way of escaping daily life for a short time. They used to be only five to fifteen seconds long and now have grown to sometimes more than three hours. Some movies do contain content that is not suitable for kids, and certain ratings prohibit the viewing of young audiences from watching mature content. The Motion Picture Association of America Film Rating System is in place to prevent kids from seeing things that may corrupt their thoughts.
Rating systems should remain in place to preserve the innocence of young minds in today’s society. Some people may argue that anyone, no matter the age, should be able to view any movie they please. The film is a subjective art form, it is argued that any audience should be able to judge a movie no matter the content.
Preserving innocence should not be the main objective when it comes to watching movies. Also, many believe ratings affect the outcome of a movie.
Companies will purposefully rate movies PG-13 instead of rated R, in an attempt to appeal to more people in the world. This causes directors and film crews to alter the content of a movie to fit within the guidelines of a PG-13 movie. Many believe that this is not good for the film industry and entertainment of people around the world. Kids who are still in adolescence are considered to be very impressionable, and the things that they come across on a daily basis will affect their decision-making in the future.
Jacquelynne Eccles, a professor of psychology, education, and women’s studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, says in her paper.
“The Development of Children Ages 6 to 14,” that “The years between 6 and 14—middle childhood and early adolescence—are a time of important developmental advances that establish children’s sense of identity,” (Eccles). If rated R movies are being watched by thousands of kids, their view of the world may be horribly skewed, due to the impression the content leaves on them. The Motion Picture Association of America Film Rating System is in place in this country for a reason. Our way of escaping daily life should entertain, while equally preserving innocence among children. Protecting the young minds of America should come as paramount importance in the creation of films today, because if we do not, we may not know what will come tomorrow.