Evidence of meeting #23 for Canadian Heritage in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was violent.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:40 p.m.
As an Individual
It's the same sort of thing. I've never had an actual formal discussion, but if I'm watching something on TV or am about to put a movie in, my mom will ask what the rating is or what kind of content is in it. Then she might say no or yes to it, depending on what movie it is.
4:40 p.m.
As an Individual
It's the same thing with me. I'm not allowed to watch movies with too much violence or blood. I wanted to go to see the new Johnny Depp movie and I wasn't allowed to watch it because it was too bloody.
Sometimes when we're going to rent a movie, my parents will ask me first what we're renting. We can tell them, and then they'll say, “What's it about?”
4:40 p.m.
As an Individual
I've never had a formal discussion or anything like that, but if we're going to rent a movie and it's rated 18 and higher, sometimes on the back it says why. Sometimes, if my mom were in, she'd prefer I wouldn't watch it. But if it's just for violence or coarse language or something, she won't mind as much as if there's other content that's inappropriate.
4:40 p.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
So your parents actually look at the rating classifications on some movies or TV programs? That's something you've seen them refer to or that they have asked you about when they see you watching something?
4:40 p.m.
As an Individual
Not really that much; it's just usually when I'm with my mom, and if she's renting a movie and wants to watch it with me, then she'll check it. But if it's just me and my friends, she doesn't really mind.
4:40 p.m.
As an Individual
My mom definitely checks the rating on the back of the movies. For example, a couple of weekends ago I wanted to watch a movie with my friend, and she was like, “Oh, what's it rated at?” I said, “I think it might be 14A or rated R”, and she said, “I don't want you watching that”, so I wasn't allowed to have my friend over.
4:40 p.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Have any of you had a discussion about violence on television, for instance, at school as part of a classroom discussion? Have you ever had that kind of conversation or done any work about the kinds of programs that are on television and how you might think about their content or what they're about? Have you ever had that as part of your classroom discussion?
Myriam.
4:40 p.m.
As an Individual
No, we only talk about violence in real life, such as bullies and stuff.
4:40 p.m.
NDP
4:40 p.m.
As an Individual
Well, I go to a Catholic school, so we have to take a mandatory religion class. Part of it is all about culture. We had a class discussion about violence on TV and in movies and whether it affects youth culture. We discussed whether or not we think violence on TV will make teenagers more violent in real life.
4:40 p.m.
NDP
4:40 p.m.
As an Individual
Most of them thought it didn't really have an effect, but if there was too much of watching violence and stuff, people might get more ideas of how to become violent or might just become immune to the violence and not really notice it as much.
4:40 p.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Do folks think that TV is more violent than video games, or than the Internet? If you had to compare those three—the Internet and video games and television—which do you think is the most violent?
4:40 p.m.
As an Individual
I've watched my little brother play some video games with some of my friends. I know that a lot of those can be really violent. But I'd say that on TV I've never really seen that much violence. In movies I've seen a lot also, but not so much on TV, or on the Internet either.
4:40 p.m.
As an Individual
I think that video games are more violent too. They are all about war. On television, a lot of people like other kinds. I think video games are more violent than television.
4:45 p.m.
As an Individual
Compared with what I watch on TV—on TV I don't really watch violence in movies—a lot of times, I'll say, it's mostly video games that have a lot of violence. They're mostly about war. Even if they're fictional, they'll have violence too.
4:45 p.m.
As an Individual
I think video games or the Internet. There are a lot of violent video games, but you might not have access to them because you have to pay for it. But with the Internet you can go whenever you want.
I don't think as much on TV, because there aren't that many channels that play violent stuff. Also, on some channels they play violent movies or something, but if there are parts that are too violent, they'll take them out.
4:45 p.m.
NDP
Bill Siksay NDP Burnaby—Douglas, BC
Do any of your families have the blocking thing on the TV that stops you from watching programs that aren't rated for children, or anything like that? Or have you even heard about that?
I see some of you don't appear to have seen it, but....
Jordan, does your family use that thing on the TV?