Game of Thrones-How old should you be to watch it?

[Planogirl]

I would be willing to bet that most young teens wouldn't go out and try to emulate whatever they see on TV. I think that most have some idea of the difference between right and wrong and realize that TV is just fantasy.

 

[clm33]

My DS who is 16 is once again begging us to watch Game of Thrones. We have repeatedly told him no in the past. I do not watch it but I have heard it is adult viewing to say the least. My husband has allowed him to read the first two books but has said he feels the tv show is more graphic, etc.

What do you guys think? Is 16 old enough or should he wait until he is around 18 or older? I can't decide if we are being too strict or making too big a deal out of it.

Clear & simple....The fact that our brains aren’t developed until the mid 20s means that “legal adults” (those age 18+) are allowed to make adult decisions, without fully mature brains. Someone who is 18 may make riskier decisions than someone in their mid-20s in part due to lack of experience, but primarily due to an underdeveloped brain. All behaviors and experiences you endure until the age of 25 have potential to impact your developing brain. Maybe scientists and parents and other adults like some of us here just want allow you to be healthy teens and young adults rather than impacting you brain with all the drama GoT throws at you. Not that you aren't smart enough to catch the plot. Not that you can't handle the traumatic events or pain involved in the show. Just protect you heart and you mind...let it stay a healthy place to continue to it's development.

 

[clm33]

I wouldn't let any teen watch it. My husband doesn't even watch it anymore because in our home, porn is equal to adultery and he watched the first season (he loved the books) and I felt very uncomfortable. I told him so and he has since stopped watching anything with nudity or sex in it. And the sex in that show is soft core porn. No doubt.

Clear & simple....The fact that our brains aren’t developed until the mid 20s means that “legal adults” (those age 18+) are allowed to make adult decisions, without fully mature brains. Someone who is 18 may make riskier decisions than someone in their mid-20s in part due to lack of experience, but primarily due to an underdeveloped brain. All behaviors and experiences you endure until the age of 25 have potential to impact your developing brain. Maybe scientists and parents and other adults like some of us here just want allow you to be healthy teens and young adults rather than impacting you brain with all the drama GoT throws at you. Not that you aren't smart enough to catch the plot. Not that you can't handle the traumatic events or pain involved in the show. Just protect you heart and you mind...let it stay a healthy place to continue to it's development.

 

[clm33]

Clear & simple....The fact that our brains aren’t developed until the mid 20s means that “legal adults” (those age 18+) are allowed to make adult decisions, without fully mature brains. Someone who is 18 may make riskier decisions than someone in their mid-20s in part due to lack of experience, but primarily due to an underdeveloped brain. All behaviors and experiences you endure until the age of 25 have potential to impact your developing brain. Maybe scientists and parents and other adults like some of us here just want allow you to be healthy teens and young adults rather than impacting you brain with all the drama GoT throws at you. Not that you aren't smart enough to catch the plot. Not that you can't handle the traumatic events or pain involved in the show. Just protect you heart and you mind...let it stay a healthy place to continue to it's development.

 

[clm33]

I say it depends on your sons maturity...at 16 you have some that have less jello for brains than others if ya know what I mean . My 19 year old watched it but was to embarrassed to watch it with me...thats how graphic parts of it is...mostly in the first season. My 16 year old had no interest in watching it...but if he did I would have let him but I would also explain to him what to expect.

G.O.T is an awesome watch......you know your son best....just dont let him watch it with a girl

Clear & simple....The fact that our brains aren’t developed until the mid 20s means that “legal adults” (those age 18+) are allowed to make adult decisions, without fully mature brains. Someone who is 18 may make riskier decisions than someone in their mid-20s in part due to lack of experience, but primarily due to an underdeveloped brain. All behaviors and experiences you endure until the age of 25 have potential to impact your developing brain. Maybe scientists and parents and other adults like some of us here just want allow you to be healthy teens and young adults rather than impacting you brain with all the drama GoT throws at you. Not that you aren't smart enough to catch the plot. Not that you can't handle the traumatic events or pain involved in the show. Just protect you heart and you mind...let it stay a healthy place to continue to it's development.

 

[clm33]

She's 13. And I don't restrict what she watches now. She doesn't watch GOT, but it's because she isn't comfortable with it.

Clear & simple....The fact that our brains aren’t developed until the mid 20s means that “legal adults” (those age 18+) are allowed to make adult decisions, without fully mature brains. Someone who is 18 may make riskier decisions than someone in their mid-20s in part due to lack of experience, but primarily due to an underdeveloped brain. All behaviors and experiences you endure until the age of 25 have potential to impact your developing brain. Maybe scientists and parents and other adults like some of us here just want allow you to be healthy teens and young adults rather than impacting you brain with all the drama GoT throws at you. Not that you aren't smart enough to catch the plot. Not that teens can't handle the traumatic events or pain involved in the show. Just protect your heart and your mind...let it stay a healthy place to continue to it's development.

 

[clm33]

Your 13-year old can watch R-rated content with simulated sex, violence and gore? Just wondering. Maybe I'm sheltered, but none of my friends with teens allow them to watch r-rated content, especially not at 13.

Clear & simple....The fact that our brains aren’t developed until the mid 20s means that “legal adults” (those age 18+) are allowed to make adult decisions, without fully mature brains. Someone who is 18 may make riskier decisions than someone in their mid-20s in part due to lack of experience, but primarily due to an underdeveloped brain. All behaviors and experiences you endure until the age of 25 have potential to impact your developing brain. Maybe scientists and parents and other adults like some of us here just want allow you to be healthy teens and young adults rather than impacting you brain with all the drama GoT throws at you. Not that you aren't smart enough to catch the plot. Not that you can't handle the traumatic events or pain involved in the show. Just protect you heart and you mind...let it stay a healthy place to continue to it's development.

 

[clm33]

I think you missed my point. I stated it was fantasy. But if you look at the people in the show, look at their manner of dress, their weaponry, the type of food they are eating, dishware, style housing/bedding, etc., well those things are "real" and they are part of the more medieval time period in world history. Now, I'm not historian so I probably even got THAT wrong, but there's no doubt that the timing of GoT is during a period of "real" world history.

I don't really see any fantasy type weapons, homes, transportation vehicles ...

Clear & simple....The fact that our brains aren’t developed until the mid 20s means that “legal adults” (those age 18+) are allowed to make adult decisions, without fully mature brains. Someone who is 18 may make riskier decisions than someone in their mid-20s in part due to lack of experience, but primarily due to an underdeveloped brain. All behaviors and experiences you endure until the age of 25 have potential to impact your developing brain. Maybe scientists and parents and other adults like some of us here just want allow them to be healthy teens and young adults rather than impacting you brain with all the drama GoT throws at you. Not that your aren't smart enough to catch the plot. Not that your can't handle the traumatic events or pain involved in the show. Just protect your young heart and your mind...let it stay a healthy place to continue to it's development.

 

[clm33]

How many of you who restrict your teens from watching anything 'above their maturity level' actually believe they do? I'm not saying this to be negative or condescending or mean it is a real legitimate question as my husband and I have discussed it and want to limit tv in general when we have children, but we also discussed keeping it aged appropriate when we do allow them tv time. I pose my question because in our discussions we both had parents who said we couldn't watch certain programs, or programs/movies with certain ratings and yet we both did. Parents aren't always home, friends parents aren't always strict, and sone are even willing to say, 'no, we aren't renting any R rated movies for them to watch' or 'we are taking them to see Inspector Gadget, not that American Pie movie everyone's been talking about'. I watched the sopranos and six feet under at my aunts every week because she had a sopranos party and needed someone to sit with her dogs, because she didn't want them annoying her friends. So there are ways around this whole strict parent thing.

Clear & simple....The fact that our brains aren’t developed until the mid 20s means that “legal adults” (those age 18+) are allowed to make adult decisions, without fully mature brains. Someone who is 18 may make riskier decisions than someone in their mid-20s in part due to lack of experience, but primarily due to an underdeveloped brain. All behaviors and experiences you endure until the age of 25 have potential to impact your developing brain. Maybe scientists and parents and other adults like some of us here just want allow you to be healthy teens and young adults rather than impacting you brain with all the drama GoT throws at you. Not that you aren't smart enough to catch the plot. Not that you can't handle the traumatic events or pain involved in the show. Just protect your heart and your mind...let it stay a healthy place to continue to it's development.
Its about doing what we can as adults to aid and guide not about immaturity vs maturity.

 

[clm33]

I know it is easy to joke about these things, but it isn't always a joking matter. We recently had 2 boys 13 and 14 who sexually assaulted a girl in their class. One of the things that came out during the trial was what they were watching on tv and their ipod/ipad. Some of the shows, the parents knew about and thought they were mature enough to handle it, some of it they didn't know about.

The boys confessed to this and admitted that they wanted to try out some of what they had watched--particularly the violent, forceful aspect. The judge came down very hard on the parents and the boys are now locked up in the Department of Corrections.

I'm not saying GoT is what they were watching. I just don't think it's always easy to determine how certain images are impacting children, even if it seems they are mature enough to handle it. I would bet money their parents are now wishing they had paid more attention to what their sons were watching.

Clear & simple....The fact that our brains aren’t developed until the mid 20s means that “legal adults” (those age 18+) are allowed to make adult decisions, without fully mature brains. Someone who is 18 may make riskier decisions than someone in their mid-20s in part due to lack of experience, but primarily due to an underdeveloped brain. All behaviors and experiences you endure until the age of 25 have potential to impact your developing brain. Maybe scientists and parents and other adults like some of us here just want allow you to be healthy teens and young adults rather than impacting you brain with all the drama GoT throws at you. Not that you aren't smart enough to catch the plot. Not that you can't handle the traumatic events or pain involved in the show. Just protect you heart and you mind...let it stay a healthy place to continue to it's development.

 

[Christine]

Interesting first 9 posts to a Disney board.

 

[dosekies]

I know this is an old post, but I am kind of shocked! Do parents really monitor what their kids are allowed to watch this much?

Not trying to judge at all, I just grew up very differently so it isn't something I'm used to. I can't talk as a parent, but as someone who was a teenager not too long ago, my parents NEVER monitored what we were watching. I grew up watching movies and TV shows with them that contained violence, gore, sex, etc. and neither of us ever batted an eye. Heck, I was the one who started watching GoT in my family and then got my mom hooked on it, so we started watching it together.

In my opinion, and based off of people I grew up with, parents need to give their kids some space. If you really think they don't know about these things already, they most likely do. While GoT is more violent and sexual than most shows, these are things teenagers need to know about. The kids I knew in high school whose parents tried to shelter them or control what they watched/did were usually more naive and also the ones who acted out and did more risky things to rebel. They also did not feel like they could talk to their parents about certain important topics because of situations like this.

I really believe the reason I am so comfortable talking to my mom about ANYTHING is because my parents were never concerned about exposing us to topics like this a kids. Had they tried to keep me from watching or learning about these kinds of topics, I definitely would not be as comfortable talking to them about my relationship or sex or violence.

 

[Disneylover99]

Interesting first 9 posts to a Disney board.

Clear & simple

 

[Disney1fan2002]

I love this show and I would probably have let my 16 year old watch it but I would not have been comfortable watching it with him.

My daughter was 15yo when she started watching Orange is the New Black. I never watched it. But she would have it on in the living room, so in passing by, I could see some of what went on in the show. I was not happy. I sat her down and told her I was not comfortable with her watching that show, and that I could forbid her to watch it. That is what my mother did to me as a teen, and I just went to friends houses and watched TV, movies and listened to Cheech and Chong records. So, what I told her was she is NOT to watch it with me in the room. She lost interest in it after a couple of seasons.

As far as the Game of Thrones.. if it were released in a movie theater, it would have an NC-17 rating IMO. Just under an X. For the graphic nature of the sex scenes and violence. Far more brutal than a regular R movie.

 

[DawnM]

Interesting first 9 posts to a Disney board.

It is just strange to respond to each one with a cut and paste of the exact same thing. I don't think I have ever seen anything quite like it.

Not clear but very simple.

 

[L&Lfan]

I don't watch it, but I would say 16 is fine.

 

[kdonnel]

There is a lot of sex.

I am not really against violence in shows like that, but the sex is pretty graphic.

Never really understood this.

So creating a life is off limits but ending it is fine?

Why is cutting of a head or two ok but a nipple is oh no, not gonna be ok with that?

 

[kdonnel]

Once kids start attending high school they are exposed to way more sex then many on this thread would like to know about. There is probably not a lot in GofT that is not in high school.

 

[Magpie]

Once kids start attending high school they are exposed to way more sex then many on this thread would like to know about. There is probably not a lot in GofT that is not in high school.

I'd say even before that. I've taught sex ed to both fifth graders and seventh graders. (And also kinders, but that's beside the point.)

There's always at least one fifth grader who admits to having browsed Reddit, meaning they've almost certainly seen some gory and explicit content. And there's quite a few of the seventh graders (some of whom will even admit to hanging out on 4Chan).

And yes, this is definitely a weird way to revive a zombie thread!

For the record, my son was about the same age as the OP's when this thread was started, four years ago. We had no objections to him watching it back then, and even invited him to join us. He was horrified and appalled at the idea of watching GofT with mum and dad and our friends. So he stayed out of the room when we were watching it, and watched it with his friends instead.

I'd given up monitoring our kids' media consumption part way through middle school, anyway. My daughter read SO much fanfic, and it had just got impossible to keep up with (ugh... Naruto porn!). I settled for just making sure they were well and thoroughly educated on the topic of sex, so that hopefully they'd recognize when the writers and filmmakers were being ridiculous.

And no... neither our family nor our church, believes you can sin in your thoughts.

 

[lancermom]

I think your view might change when that sweet looking kiddo in your ticker photo grows up.

I watched all kinds of R-rated stuff when I was a teen and honestly, some things I wish I hadn't at that age, especially with adults in the room. Games of Thrones is full on soft porn in my opinion. The sex scenes make "Skin-imax" movies look tame.

My kids are 15 and 18, and I have never really restricted their viewing. My 15 year old has seen GoT. Is it uncomfortable at times if he's watching with DH and I? Sure, but we get through it. My 18 year old has no interest.

Edited to add: and once again, I failed to see the date of the original post