“Adult” Content
Whenever I see a rating which restricts certain material to “mature” or “adult” audiences, it really annoys the crap out of me. Both words have essentially the same meaning, which is fully-grown. The word “mature” can also refer to sexual maturity, when a person is capable of reproduction. In either case, there is no relationship between those words and depictions of sexual activity, which is what these people are really trying to warn us about with “adult content.”
Are we really so afraid of sex in our culture that we can’t even call it sex? Hiding from the issue and speaking about it in whispers behind closed doors is probably the biggest reason that young people are engaging in risky behavior in the first place — nobody is honest with them and they have to learn everything on their own. Have you ever heard an older adult say “you didn’t invent it, you know” when talking to a younger adult about sex? Apparently all the fun activities our generation is discovering are old news to our parents (don’t picture that).
We as a society have to quit pretending to be such prudes so the conversations we need to have become socially acceptable. Here’s a fun fact: “Abstinence-only” sex education has been proven to cause more unprotected sex. Why? The kids don’t know any better. Sexual appetites are completely natural, and people are going to act on them eventually. We have to stop demonizing sex and deal with it rationally. And just because something is “natural” does not necessarily make it good — we have to teach kids to avoid unwanted pregnancy and disease. But “you have to wait until you’re married” is just not working, and really not justified as a general rule. So if you have kids, educate them about the good and the bad, and don’t try to “protect” them from sex as though it was dirty.
