Whatever the mother thought, it became very evident that this child was extremely uncomfortable at this movie. Ratings are worth nothing unless parents make informed decisions to follow the guidance they suggest. This little drama is a striking example of the concern which many educational television professionals have about parental responsibility to monitor the media experiences of their children, whether film, television, or the Internet. The fact that this film was rated R was meaningless in this situation because the parent paid no attention to the rating. I worry that the same scenario is occurring with television viewing at home.
Pediatricians are worried too.
AAP's policy statement on mass media for children and adolescents You may have read recently some fairly heavy-handed statements by the American Academy of Pediatrics about the risks of allowing very young children to watch television. Headlines in newspapers across the country, including our own Reno Gazette-Journal, stated that the organization urges parents to avoid television viewing for children under the age of 2 years. The AAP paper goes on to explain that research on early brain development indicates that babies and toddlers have a critical need for direct interactions with parents and other significant caregivers for healthy development. That's how they learn necessary social and cognitive skills, as well as language and communication. Of course, this position assumes that the child is watching TV alone.