The pitfalls of age categories

Young people watch TV; and many do so via streaming services such as Netflix and Prime Video. So far, I’m not sharing anything that is news to you. You, as a responsible parent will, I imagine, monitor the age restrictions related to what your children watch, and if your young person is of the appropriate age you will allow them to watch 15 rated programmes, relatively satisfied that the viewing content will be appropriate to them. You may even make the judgement that such a programme is appropriate for someone of younger years, and as a parent this is your prerogative.

You may be aware of, or have seen Saltburn, the film currently trending on Prime. It carries a 15 rating, yet it is being flagged by safeguarding communities for the highly explicit and challenging content it contains. The film is billed as a thriller with elements of comedy and an ‘indie’ hit. In reality, the film contains highly explicit content, drug use, violence as well as normalisation of harmful behaviours. It has generated a wealth of TikTok content, some with millions of views, which can expose its young users to this harmful content, even when logging in via a 13 year old’s account.

As a parent the advice being offered by safeguarding professionals is to approach with caution. Your young person may not be aware of the film, and a direct challenge may make the material more appealing. Find out what they know, and take the opportunity to review your parental controls around what they are able to access. If you find that they have watched the film there are lots of resources available to support you in having difficult conversations, around content or around their use of media and social media.
More Information: ineqe.com