OK…I admit it. I was one of those moms who was pretty strict about what media I allowed my kids to watch. On at least one occasion, one of my daughters elected to read a book at a sleepover rather than watch the offensive movie being shown by her middle-school friends. It turns out my motherly unease was well-founded. USA today reported on a Dartmouth Medical School study that found that almost a quarter of middle-schoolers whose parents let them watch R-rated movies “all the time” had tried a drink without their parents’ knowledge. A mere 3% who were “never allowed” to watch R-rated movies had tried a drink. This joins the already established evidence that watching media with adult content at a young age is connected to early sexual activity. So parents, hold your ground. It’s OK to set limits on what young, immature brains take in. Come to think of it…I’m a bit squeamish about the sex and violence in many R-rated movies myself!
