Regulations: Age Related Music Videos

In October 2014, music videos were subjected to age regulations and restrictions that are similar to that of films. Since this date, music videos will be classed with age ratings: 12, 15, and 18. The aim of this classification is to protect younger children from inappropriate content and for parents to monitor what their child watches. However, these restrictions and regulations only are appropriate to UK music videos. So any American published music video won’t have the same classifications.   Psychologists believe, and have reported on, positive correlations between the use of sexualised themes and images in the media have a link between drug use and sexual activity within teenagers. However, many teenagers that they’re trying to protect, know ways around parental controls, and the fact that they’re putting parental controls on these sorts of videos only makes the adolescent more curious as of why. It is hard to decide whether a video is deemed ‘inappropriate’ and is very much a matter of opinion, and people are questioning whether they should trust what YouTube and the BBFC decides is improper.

I believe that my music video should be a rating of PG, it demonstrates the themes of bullying and loneliness, it doesn’t comment on drug use, sexual behaviour or nudity. These are all factors that influence the BBFC and YouTube to put a classification on the content.