Who loves watching movies?
A lot of people wonder about how to tell if a movie is appropriate. Why does it even matter? For the Strength of Youth says, “Whatever you read, listen to, or look at has an effect on you. Therefore, choose only entertainment and media that uplift you. Good entertainment will help you to have good thoughts and make righteous choices. It will allow you to enjoy yourself without losing the Spirit of the Lord” (17).
We’ve found some research that illustrates this point. Quoting from our book we find the following–
So the more “bad movies” one watches, the more likely one is to do “bad things.” So perhaps instead of asking, “How old do I need to be in order to watch PG-13 movies?” we could ask, “What are entertainment choices that I should make in order to have the Spirit with me?”
Again, For the Strength of Youth gives great guidance. We read, “Do not attend, view, or participate in entertainment that is vulgar, immoral, violent, or pornographic in any way. Do not participate in entertainment that in any way presents immorality or violent behavior as acceptable” (17). That should be the guideline for all of us, whether we are 3, 13, 33 or 103.
