The Universe is Indifferent

If you ask me, there isn’t a specific age when you can say a child is old enough to read about the negative aspects of life. Why should it be thirteen? Do you mean to imply that if a child is say, twelve years and eleven months old, he isn’t mature enough to be exposed to drugs, sex, murders etc but he is a month later how is that logical?

The fact of the matter is, we cannot put everyone in the same box. Some children mature faster than others do, while others lead sheltered lives. Therefore, a horror movie might not affect the mature child much but can be the cause of nightmares for another, less mature child. Generalization is what I object to.

I do not mean to imply that a five year old should watch a documentary on rape, there has to be a baseline but that’s about it. Children today are technologically well-equipped and they will do what they want, as the popular saying goes ,”Strict parents only make sneakier children”. What is really needed is a communication channel connecting the parents and the child, where children are comfortable broaching any subject, however controversial. Technological checks, such as keeping track of the websites your child visits goes only so far because let’s face it, most children possess more gumption than their elders when it comes to technology.

We were all encouraged to read the newspaper when we were kids. Newspapers carry articles about murders, rape, robberies, drug raids etc all the time, didn’t they? We read them to know what was happening around us, which is important. We need to be aware of the dangers lurking in the alleys to protect ourselves from them.

When it comes to the WDC ratings system, I am still on the fence because I haven’t been a member for long. However, one or two experiences have led me to believe that it tends to be overprotective sometimes. Also I find the line between ‘ASR’ (Adult supervision required) and ‘13+’ to be blurry. What rating does one mention of a man jumping off a cliff in a story merit? ASR? 13+? 18+? I am of one opinion while you have your own.

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.”- Helen Keller