How many times have you been denied entrance to a rated R movie because you’re underage? Annoying isn’t it? If teenagers under 17 are trusted with so many other privileges like driving and seeking out their first jobs they should not be labeled as too immature for a rated R film.

The prime reason theaters are so strict is because they are trying to shield young adults from unsavory material parents may not deem appropriate for them to view. This may have been a wise policy back in the days of “Psycho” and “Halloween,” but times have changed for our generation as we have access to a constant stream of content like this through television and the internet (especially through illegal websites). Since teens have already been exposed to material “unfit” for their age time and time again it seems pointless to foil their evening plans as a last ditch effort got censorship.

Along with our expanding technology, the content allowed in PG-13 films has also broadened considerably, slipping in more swear words as well as violent and sexual scenes blurring the difference between ratings. For instance, “Insidious 2” fell into the PG-13 category while “The Conjuring” was rated R. Both movies had very similar scenes of terror and violence, but only one was “safe” for minors to enjoy.

Parental in this debate is certainly understandable considering the plethora of unsavory content, but what they may not be willing to accept is that their kids are accelerating on their road to adulthood whether they like it or not. Treating teenagers like adults is an important way for parents to convey trust and instill responsibility so they can learn to act according to their age. Instead of trying to stunt their kids, the adult world should be supportive of their developing maturity by granting them the well deserved privilege of watching movies they can handle.