Are you interested in one week's work placement in The Irish Times? Transition Year students can learn first-hand about the workings of this newspaper if their submission is published in Media Scope's weekly Over to You column. Just send us a 200-word piece on a media-related topic.
Jonah King, The High School, Rathgar, Dublin
I am 15 and am finding it increasingly frustrating to be subjected to masses of low-quality American trash patronisingly classified as "teen cinema".
It is almost impossible for me to see non-mainstream or independent film in the cinema: the Irish Film Centre restricts membership only to those over 18, and a large number of films shown in the Screen cinema are classified "18" by the censor - forcing the young punter to return to easily forgotten comedies portraying stylised sex and violence.
When, on occasion, quality films are given a general release by some brave distribution company, they are deemed unfit for viewing by children and withheld from a younger audience. Why is the film censor trying to raise the next generation on a slop of happy-ending children's films and market-driven gimmicks?
I understand that there are certain films with some content unsuitable for young people, or unnecessarily violent or pornographic. These are not the kind of films I would be interested in. I just believe that, especially during teenage years, people's rates of maturity differ immensely.
Therefore, it is unfair to expect a 17-year-old to go out and watch Big Momma's House; I am sure, given the opportunity, many would rather see Darren Aronofsky's Pi.
Write to media scope by posting your comments to Newspaper in the Classroom, The Irish Times, 1116 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2, or faxing them to (01) 679 2789. Be sure to include your name, address and school, plus phone numbers for home and school. Or you can use the Internet and e-mail us at mediapage@irishtimes.ie
MEDIA SCOPE is a weekly media studies page for use in schools.
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