-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Should books have ratings? (Age Restriction)
- Thread starter cantona222
- Start date
- Status
More_Badass
Member
Catcher in the Rye has mild language and sexuality themes. Would it be a PG-13 book?
What about Where The Red Fern Grows? That book has some violent moments
Or the Pendragon series? Would they be PG-13 for intense action and violence?
Rating books seems pretty silly
What about Where The Red Fern Grows? That book has some violent moments
Or the Pendragon series? Would they be PG-13 for intense action and violence?
Rating books seems pretty silly
nailbombxx
Member
Its on the person gifting the book to children to make sure that there isn't anything they don't want them to be exposed to
do you think you're the first person to suggest this?
While I think we should be aware of the content in a book before handing it over to a child (knowing it would be a bad idea to give a kid something like the Anne Rice Sleeping Beauty novel being a good example), putting age restrictions on books sounds like an absolutely terrible idea and would lead to more groups looking to ban books at or above a certain rating for being obscene.
Kids would also miss out on some good writing during their formative years and expand their interests and direction.
Kids would also miss out on some good writing during their formative years and expand their interests and direction.
That sounds dumb, and counter-intuitive to the idea that books are suppose to test your maturity and knowledge.
The child who is taught new ideas and concepts by reading a book that gives them a new perspective on life might not have read that book if their helicopter mom read it is for higher ages sand dealt with mature themes.
Similarly, this is worse for younger children, and has already caused lots of the "age" recommended books to be done away with, and put in with "skill levels" or just flat-out getting rid of a discrimination in those books. It allows people of younger ages to be reading middle school/high school level books while they are in elementary school, and helps foster kids into learning about more complex books at a younger age and allowing for an even high advancement later on.
It really goes against the nature of literature to have an age restriction.
The child who is taught new ideas and concepts by reading a book that gives them a new perspective on life might not have read that book if their helicopter mom read it is for higher ages sand dealt with mature themes.
Similarly, this is worse for younger children, and has already caused lots of the "age" recommended books to be done away with, and put in with "skill levels" or just flat-out getting rid of a discrimination in those books. It allows people of younger ages to be reading middle school/high school level books while they are in elementary school, and helps foster kids into learning about more complex books at a younger age and allowing for an even high advancement later on.
It really goes against the nature of literature to have an age restriction.
afternoon delight
Member
Seriously. If a librarian told me I was too young for something, I would have been heated.
Oh no! Children might actually hear what adults think and do! What a catastrophe!
Rug Monkey
Member
We must protect our children from reading about incest, prostitution, murder, genocide, retribution and racial and religious intolerance ... but ... that's the Bible for you.
I read a lot of my mum's horror books as a kid (pre-teen) and I don't think my fragile eggshell mind was damaged. James Herbert had a LOT of sex as well as horror in his novels. I read a lot of non-violent books as well.
We've gone thousands of years without it. Sounds like a solution looking for a problem.
We've gone thousands of years without it. Sounds like a solution looking for a problem.
User 100115
Banned
I was thinking about this the other day.
I live outside a tiny town, with a tiny public library. I sometimes help the librarian with their sci-fi/fantasy section. I was thinking of donating my Kushiel's Dart series to them, but...
While they are awesome political fantasy drama, there is a shit ton of kinky sex as well. I just pictured some old lady freaking out at a bondage scene lol.
I live outside a tiny town, with a tiny public library. I sometimes help the librarian with their sci-fi/fantasy section. I was thinking of donating my Kushiel's Dart series to them, but...
While they are awesome political fantasy drama, there is a shit ton of kinky sex as well. I just pictured some old lady freaking out at a bondage scene lol.
NHarmonic.
Member
They should. i remember my school having on the "obligatory books" one with really questionable sexual scenes... can't really remember which one it was, but it was disturbing and unnecesary.
More_Badass
Member
Questionable, disturbing, and unnecessary...to you
Doesn't meant the content is actually questionable, disturbing, or unnecessary
lastplayed
Member
American Psycho was R18 here, was even shrinkwrapped. That's the only rated book I remember seeing.
God I love young adult fiction, even teen fantasy like Fablehaven ans Darren Shan and I am already a bit ashamed when browsing those sections in my bookshop....don't put a big sign stating it's for 10 years old on top of that....
And seriously it will just water down books to "aim" for the biggest market possible, like the movie market which is ridiculous with all it's PG13 nonsense.
You'll just constrain the author vision and freedom.
On top of that you'll create a limited section for kids while preventing them to actually go toward what they might like.
Just be a better father and pay attention to what you buy to your kid. But putting ratings on books is just a stupid stupid idea.
And seriously it will just water down books to "aim" for the biggest market possible, like the movie market which is ridiculous with all it's PG13 nonsense.
You'll just constrain the author vision and freedom.
On top of that you'll create a limited section for kids while preventing them to actually go toward what they might like.
Just be a better father and pay attention to what you buy to your kid. But putting ratings on books is just a stupid stupid idea.
Ziltoidia 9
Member
Politicians and family groups don't go after them because they aren't "recreation" in general. Its double standard bullshit, basically. Instead, they just try to ban them at schools.
Coreda
Member
There is likely some parental site that reviews books for such things (or at least mentions it somewhere). I don't see why books should have ratings though, it's not as if kids have a strong desire to read already let alone with age restrictions merely for occasional profanity.
Most kids I knew at that age were already accessing porn, so book reading would be the least of my concern. Not to say at all that parents should give up though, I just think it would be more appropriate to have some site that mentioned such things, or simply read/skim the book prior to recommending it like many do.
Most kids I knew at that age were already accessing porn, so book reading would be the least of my concern. Not to say at all that parents should give up though, I just think it would be more appropriate to have some site that mentioned such things, or simply read/skim the book prior to recommending it like many do.
I recall reading Shōgun when I was 12. If the word 'fuck' is the worst thing in Michael Jordan: The Life, then it's probably fine for an 11-year-old. You might be underestimating their maturity.
In any case, books are already categorized into children, young-adult and adult literature.
In any case, books are already categorized into children, young-adult and adult literature.
The target audience for most books is pretty obvious so there usually isn't that much need for age ratings. In the genres where books for different target audiences differ wildly and are not obvious (like manga), the publisher will sometimes have a voluntary age rating. This issue certainly seems to be less important than putting age ratings in games and flims.
Nathan_Drake
Member
Honestly the more I think about it the more I think they should. Most media is rated. Movies based on books are rated. The book you brought up is an excellent example. I would not necessarily expect vulgar language in the book about arguably the greatest NBA player (I know Wilt and Lebron get some votes). I could see a kid picking it up. I don't think it's bad I just think it would make sense to rate them aND there is precedence.
Dandy Crocodile
Member
When fourth graders read words like "bitch" or "fuck" in a book they hushedly pass it amongst themselves and giggle.
Seventh graders do the same thing with all of Anne Frank's sexual exploration in her Diary.
They love that stuff. It's not like it's anything new.
It's seriously not traumatic and "rating" books is foolish. Censorship of things, as can be seen in the New South Edition of Huckleberry Finn, is foolish.
Ratings would lead to a division of literature and can already be seen in some school systems.
They'll rate books by reading level. In theory, that's great! kids will read at their level and grow and improve over time.
In reality, however, it just makes kids freak out about the level of whatever book they're reading. If it's too low it's not worth reading, and they might refuse to read a book they'd otherwise be interested in.
If the level is too high they're prohibited from reading it and that's yet another block for content. It just causes eventual disinterest in reading since it has impediments associated with it.
Seventh graders do the same thing with all of Anne Frank's sexual exploration in her Diary.
They love that stuff. It's not like it's anything new.
It's seriously not traumatic and "rating" books is foolish. Censorship of things, as can be seen in the New South Edition of Huckleberry Finn, is foolish.
Ratings would lead to a division of literature and can already be seen in some school systems.
They'll rate books by reading level. In theory, that's great! kids will read at their level and grow and improve over time.
In reality, however, it just makes kids freak out about the level of whatever book they're reading. If it's too low it's not worth reading, and they might refuse to read a book they'd otherwise be interested in.
If the level is too high they're prohibited from reading it and that's yet another block for content. It just causes eventual disinterest in reading since it has impediments associated with it.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
I mean...school librarians just curating what's in their libraries would have the same effect for 98% of kids who don't get their books from anywhere else
davepoobond
you can't put a price on sparks
are you saying movies/music/games require less intelligence?
can't the same argument be made that "kids should be intelligent enough" to interpret music/movies/games in a similar fashion as you describe?
yet music/movies/games have ratings and the apocalypse of censorship has not really happened and those mediums are no less sensitive to censorship than books are?
BOND CO STOOGE
Member
No, and neither should other forms of media.
I read plenty of 800+ page books when i was kid and many were really violent, full of sex and profanities. (Stephen King, Clive Barker and plenty of fantasy of all kinds)
Having age restrictions on books is really idiotic.
NHarmonic.
Member
Are they free to use the internet too?
Vincent Grayson
Member
Yes and no. They've got free reign of YouTube at this point, but that's mostly because they've got closed-off devices that just run the app. I don't trust them with a computer unsupervised, though that's more due to me not feeling like they've got a good enough grasp of how computers work and I don't want them breaking my shit.
Messofanego
Banned
5 year olds know all the swear words, so you're a bit late there 
I have yet to see facts about kids having damage from reading books that are explicit, so I don't really have a hardline stance on this. Will depend when I get kids.
I have yet to see facts about kids having damage from reading books that are explicit, so I don't really have a hardline stance on this. Will depend when I get kids.
being exposed to the power of the written word has nothing to do with material being age appropriate or not.
This past Christmas my neice who was 10 at the time was given the hunger games books. Not having read the books, and disregarding their alleged quality, I have only seen a few of the movies and I thought to my self if the books are as violent as the movies I'm not sure they're really appropriate for her. But idunno.
Monocle
Member
I wouldn't want to see books regulated to the degree that movies and TV shows are. A content guide for some books would be a good idea though.
For example, American Psycho portrays such vivid extremes of hardcore sex and brutal mutilation that I honestly believe it would disturb most kids, and plenty of adults who aren't prepared for it too. There wouldn't be anything wrong with sticking a little note on it to give people a heads-up.
For example, American Psycho portrays such vivid extremes of hardcore sex and brutal mutilation that I honestly believe it would disturb most kids, and plenty of adults who aren't prepared for it too. There wouldn't be anything wrong with sticking a little note on it to give people a heads-up.
cantona222
Member
Maybe I will be the first person to succeed in implementing it
When I was 12, I had this little bookshelf in my room, my parents dumped random books from around the house there, most of them were just educational or picture books, but what I found most interesting was a copy of Terry Pratchett's Eric.
Now, I'm not saying the book is not child-friendly, but being 12 and reading about a boy summoning a succubus made me feel like I'm reading something I shouldn't be. But I kept reading (of course) and ended up loving fantasy novels ever since.
All I'm saying is, sure, some books should have a restriction, when it's some really heavy subject or something extremely sexual or horror, but it should by no means be the same age rating system as films, books should be far more open and in fact it should be encouraged that young people read something different than educational and picture books. Or the mandatory literature list. We all know kids nowadays don't read at all, I wonder why that is.
Now, I'm not saying the book is not child-friendly, but being 12 and reading about a boy summoning a succubus made me feel like I'm reading something I shouldn't be. But I kept reading (of course) and ended up loving fantasy novels ever since.
All I'm saying is, sure, some books should have a restriction, when it's some really heavy subject or something extremely sexual or horror, but it should by no means be the same age rating system as films, books should be far more open and in fact it should be encouraged that young people read something different than educational and picture books. Or the mandatory literature list. We all know kids nowadays don't read at all, I wonder why that is.
- Status