Week 10

Dear Mom,

I just wanted to write you and thank you for restricting me from watching all kinds of movies. As I have done research I have realized that many factors influence movies and their ratings systems. I have discovered many interesting facts about the effects of watching movies with high ratings. Did you know that people of all ages who watch movies with sexual content, abuse, and drugs have been shown to view rape as a more trivial offense, and dwell more on female victimization. These facts are seen with adults, and not just children and juveniles. This showed me that it doesn’t matter how old or mature you are movies with high ratings can still have a negative effect on you.

Remember those times when I would whine and complain about how I should be able to watch it it’s only PG-13. Well I now realize I was a little off base. In today’s world movies rating from G to PG 13 make four times as much profit as and R-rated movie. This influence movie producers and effects how they adjust there films to try and get them to fit in a lower rating category. A movie rating does not specifically mean it is the same as the last movie you saw with that same rating. Just because a movie is PG-13 does not mean all children 13 and over should watch it. In one of the articles I read it discussed how smoking in movies effects the audience. It showed that the more movies a child or teen had watched with on going smoking throughout the higher the chance of that child or teen ending up being a smoker themselves.

I know that when it comes movies certain things stick out to you more than others. It is scary to realize that even adults can be affected by watching certain films. In today’s world there are more R-rated movies made than G, PG, and PG-13 movies combined. No wonder we are seeing an increase in violence, murder, and robbery’s in todays world. These movies have negative effects on more than just a young audience. Maybe when parents are watching a movie instead of wondering whether or not they will share this film with their children they should consider whether or not they are benefitting from viewing this film.

I thank you mom for keeping me from watching high rated movies, but still allowing me to learn about the problems and negative aspects of those kinds of movies, so I am not completely wrapped up in my own world and unaware of the troubles going on around me. This world is a crazy place, but I don’t have to watch R-rated movies to discover all the problems in the media.

Love Karlee :)