Should Teens Watch R-rated Movies? | Teen Ink

Should Teens Watch R-rated Movies?

August 2, 2012
By Annie Lee BRONZE, Lexington, Massachusetts
Annie Lee BRONZE, Lexington, Massachusetts
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Head dangling on the floor, blood spreading all over ground, swearing often, and frequent sexuality. These can be the reasons why some movies receive the rating ‘R’. In general words, violence, language, and/or sexual are the criteria why some movies are rated R. In U.S, R rated movies are allowed to the teens under 17 accompanied with a person who is older than16. Teenagers under 17 should also be allowed to see R rated movies. Teens can handle mature scenes enough because their world is full of same thing. Every teenager has experienced mature content before. It’s very common that TV dramas, music, computer games, and internet include sexual or violent scenes.

First, 2-hour movie can’t ruin the years of value teenagers have created. They all grew up and learned rules or values that they have to keep. Most of the teenagers know fantasy is not reality. If the 2-hour movie destroyed the whole thing one has set up in their whole life, that isn’t the movie’s fault.

Teenagers under 17 are preparing for being adult so they should be allowed in R rated movies. Being grown-up is also being more responsible at things. Watching R rated movies can be one step for being responsible. Because, they have to judge what information they should accept and what they shouldn’t. It must be good practice for teenagers to adapt information and understand the reality of life.

The line between PG-13 and R rated has become faded, which means PG-13 and R rated movies don’t have big differences. Movies that are really lewd are NC-17 rated. For example, in 2011, a documentary called “Bully” received R ratings for strong language used by real children in the footage. But many parents, experts, and some of Congress members agree that children should watch it. “Bully” became PG-13 after a few edits. “The Dark Knight Rises” received PG-13 right away even if that movie includes extremely violent scenes. Some PG-13 movies include almost similar level of violence as R rated movies. However, younger people can go see movies so teenager should watch R rated movies if they can watch PG-13 movies.

Some might argue that R rated movies show something very new to teenagers and it also can be hard to accept for teens. However, teens are often not that naïve as adults think. Teenagers are used to violent or sexual images. In other words, they are not surprised by R rated movies so adults need to give them chance to prove that they can handle it.

Arguments about allowing teens in the R rated movie are always exist. Nowadays, values among the people are changing and teenagers are growing faster. Therefore, Teenagers under 17 should be allowed in R rated movies. Because teens should be prepared for the information, they have the right to encounter the adult’s world.



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This article has 10 comments.


on Apr. 19 2018 at 6:16 pm
BananaFacetime,
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I'm in 5th grade just so u know

on Apr. 19 2018 at 6:15 pm
BananaFacetime,
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THIS IS SO TRUUUU SIKE!!

on Apr. 19 2018 at 6:13 pm
BananaFacetime,
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Rock what??

on Apr. 19 2018 at 6:12 pm
BananaFacetime,
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I don't think so because I think their mature enough

b.davis said...
on Dec. 5 2014 at 1:33 pm
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on Dec. 4 2014 at 1:33 pm
Tht is soon truuu

Jonnyboy said...
on Nov. 20 2014 at 1:43 pm
teens should be able to watch r rated movies because we have a right to

on Oct. 15 2014 at 9:53 am
i think teens should be allowed to watch some rated R movies but not all, and they should try to stick to just pg-13 movies for now i think.

Roy Lubit said...
on Sep. 26 2014 at 12:37 am
I strongly disagree with the post.  Just because teens have been exposed to similar content before, does not mean that it is OK to expose them to more of it.  There is far too much violence and sex in movies and TV and the internet.  Teenagers do not need to be exposed to such material to be prepared for the adult world.  They need to be adults so that they can properly handle such material when they are exposed to it. The issue is not so much whether they can handle it as whether seeing more of it is harmful to them.  I believe it is.  Seeing great amounts of violence numbs people to the suffering of others. Exposure to explicit sexual material leads to greater focus on sex and provides an overly sexual image of the world and relationships that is not helpful for teens or adults.   It encourages or tempts teenagers to prematurely engage in sexual activity.  Moreover, rather than encouraging teenagers to focus their attention on learning how to have emotional intimacy it focuses attention on how to be sexual.  It can increase the teenagers focus on sex and violence taking energy away from proper activities needed for development.

julihotty said...
on Apr. 11 2014 at 10:11 am
this is so true!!!!!!!!!!!