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Original poster

Why is Friends merchandise aimed at 7 year olds these days??

98 replies

Ginny1987 · 02/11/2022 23:24

Who is letting their seven year old watch Friends?! I have an eight year old clamouring to watch it because her pals are all wearing the T-shirts, pjs etc. It won’t be allowed. It just seems strange and unnecessary.

OP posts:
SisterGeorgeMichael · 03/11/2022 09:14

I don't get it either.

Monica has a one night stand in the first episode with Paul, Paul, the wine guy. I know this because my best friends nine year old was telling my eight year old when she was trying to get her to watch it.

cliffdiver · 03/11/2022 09:23

I had a couple of FRIENDS VHSs when younger, some were rated 12, and one was a 15.

It has, like most sitcoms, dated badly - homophobia and xenophobia were common themes in early episodes.

I do not let my 8 year old watch it.

MegGriffinshat · 03/11/2022 09:30

I think my 8 year old would be bored shitless by it to be honest.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

7 year olds 8 year olds TV
BeautifulDragon · 03/11/2022 09:39

This thread is bizarre! Friends aside, if your 8yo is watching porn or even knows about porn you are failing as a parent. When did this become normal??

I have a just 10yo DD. Friends has come on the TV before and we've watched a few minutes before I've turned it off due to it being completely inappropriate. People are in such a rush for their small children to grow up.

I also quietly judge people who allow their primary school children access to TikTok/ Snap Chat/ Instagram. It's wrong, look after your children!

PizzaPizza56 · 03/11/2022 09:43

I watched Friends at 7 when it was on C4 and had them all on VHS (as did my mates). The sex jokes went right over my head and as I got older and rewatched them I understood more and more of the jokes!!!

When you're young you just laugh at Joey liking food and Ross liking dinosaurs, and wanting to be pretty like Rachel!

PuttingDownRoots · 03/11/2022 09:45

I reckon half the kids who say they've watched Friends etc have actually seen 5 minutes and been bored... if that.

My 9yo and 11yo definitely haven't seen it or asked to. Their favourite programmes are the Dengineers, Malory Towers and one about Boarding School on CBBC. 9yo also likes Ghosts but thinks Julien died getting dressed (so no trousers!)

17caterpillars1mouse · 03/11/2022 09:47

I completely agree OP and don't get me started on the Simpsons

Wombat100 · 03/11/2022 11:10

Just to be clear, I absolutely would NOT give my 7 or 8 year old a phone/access to Tik Tok and snap chat etc.

However, I know loads of kids of that age who have been given phones and internet access by their parents - my step children were given phones and set up with online accounts by their mum when they were 7!! Including WhatsApp, Snapchat and Tik Tok.

Shocking - we never allowed it at our house but obviously there’s nothing we can do to control it when they’re with their mum.

The school equally didn’t seem bothered about the kids (and many of their classmates) having access to social media at such a young age. The things these kids are being exposed to online is awful.

This is an interesting link about young children and direct exposure to porn etc - and there’s a significant disparity between parents who think their children have not seen porn vs. the number of children who have actually seen it.

www.bbfc.co.uk/about-us/news/children-see-pornography-as-young-as-seven-new-report-finds

ps. Sorry, didn’t mean to hijack your thread OP as I know we were just talking about Friends at the start.

Unseelie · 03/11/2022 11:20

Totally agree OP. It’s a show for teenagers! Not appropriate for primary age kids woth all the sex jokes and also why waste it on them when they won’t understand it and stip them appreciating it as teens?

Reminds me of all the parents who are so proud of their 6-7 yr old reading Harry Potter. Means a fab book for age 10-11 is wasted on young kids who’ll probably have nightmares about the teacher-murders and spooky bits. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Chattycathydoll · 03/11/2022 11:22

Unseelie · 03/11/2022 11:20

Totally agree OP. It’s a show for teenagers! Not appropriate for primary age kids woth all the sex jokes and also why waste it on them when they won’t understand it and stip them appreciating it as teens?

Reminds me of all the parents who are so proud of their 6-7 yr old reading Harry Potter. Means a fab book for age 10-11 is wasted on young kids who’ll probably have nightmares about the teacher-murders and spooky bits. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Don’t think HP needs dragging into this! I loved it when I read it aged 6/7, read and reread the series til my books fell apart, now I’m enjoying reading it to my DD. Not comparable to Friends at all!!

Iguanainanigloo · 03/11/2022 11:24

Another one who doesn't understand how it's suitable for that age group? Maybe 10 onwards, but at 7 I wouldn't be letting my kids watch it

CoveredInCobwebs · 03/11/2022 11:35

I completely agree OP - and with all the pp who don’t understand why 8/9 yos are being given access to tik tok etc - what is the rush?!

DD has one friend who is allowed access to tik tok and the way she talks just makes me really sad - a lot of chat about stuff that she just doesn’t fully understand and she doesn’t get why certain things are harmful.

I also would suggest that HP is different. A 6/7 yo will get a completely different understanding from it than a teen (and to be fair I feel quite differently about it as an adult in my late 30s than I did when I read it as a teen!) But a 6/7 yo can really enjoy the parts they do get, and the stories in general - the school and the magic and the good v evil and the families and the friendships (in simple terms) and so much more. Hopefully they’ll all go back to them as teens and read them differently.

Marylou62 · 03/11/2022 11:48

LittleBearPad · 03/11/2022 00:15

Enjoy @Dollydea

Show quote history

Blimey...I remember this song being banned and knew what it was about and danced to it plenty of times but had never seen the video for it...still love the song tho! Thanks for posting...

JamSandle · 03/11/2022 12:02

Friends used to be on channel 4 before I went to school and I'd watch it in the mornings. 😀

ChiefWiggumsBoy · 03/11/2022 12:49

Friends started the year I turned 12, I'm fairly certain it was shown after the watershed on Channel 4. I wasn't allowed to watch it.

I agree with you. My 13 year old watches it, and every time I catch a little bit of it I cringe. It is so hideously sexist.

CoffeeChocolateWine · 03/11/2022 15:52

I agree, I don't think it's appropriate for young kids. It's rated 12 for a reason. It's not so much the content in terms of sex, swearing, nudity, violence etc, but I think it's aged badly and there are some very unhealthy messages for young girls especially...incredibly sexist, homophobic and very shallow. And this comes from someone who loved it when I was younger (I was 16ish when it came out). My DS is 13 and has no interest in watching but I won't be letting my 10yo DD watch it any time soon.

OohMrBingley · 03/11/2022 16:55

Wombat100 · 03/11/2022 11:10

Just to be clear, I absolutely would NOT give my 7 or 8 year old a phone/access to Tik Tok and snap chat etc.

However, I know loads of kids of that age who have been given phones and internet access by their parents - my step children were given phones and set up with online accounts by their mum when they were 7!! Including WhatsApp, Snapchat and Tik Tok.

Shocking - we never allowed it at our house but obviously there’s nothing we can do to control it when they’re with their mum.

The school equally didn’t seem bothered about the kids (and many of their classmates) having access to social media at such a young age. The things these kids are being exposed to online is awful.

This is an interesting link about young children and direct exposure to porn etc - and there’s a significant disparity between parents who think their children have not seen porn vs. the number of children who have actually seen it.

www.bbfc.co.uk/about-us/news/children-see-pornography-as-young-as-seven-new-report-finds

ps. Sorry, didn’t mean to hijack your thread OP as I know we were just talking about Friends at the start.

Right, but your point was that the people not letting their kids watch Friends at age 7/8 are probably letting them have Snapchat, TikTok, and by default, mobile phones.

I really don’t think so.

If you’re not happy with your small child watching Friends, you’re hardly going to let them have unfettered access to a phone and inappropriate social media.

Surely it’s the people blasé about Friends at such a young age, who are also blasé about phones and social media at such a young age.

I don’t understand why you’re linking the mindful parents with underage phone and social media usage.

Florenz · 03/11/2022 20:50

There is even Friends Lego sets nowadays. It's not a suitable show for young children. There's a lot of sex talk and raunchy behaviour in it. It's like Sex and the City but thankfully they haven't started merchandising that to children... yet.

GyozaGuiting · 03/11/2022 20:52

Most kids have seen porn by the age of 9. Not the point of the thread, but your kids are seeing far more than you think. It takes one kid with a phone.
I’m taking the approach of talking to them and preparing them. Friends is the least of problem.

DelurkingAJ · 03/11/2022 20:58

Florenz · 03/11/2022 20:50

There is even Friends Lego sets nowadays. It's not a suitable show for young children. There's a lot of sex talk and raunchy behaviour in it. It's like Sex and the City but thankfully they haven't started merchandising that to children... yet.

To be fair, the people I know with that set are in their early 40s and just loved it as teens in the 90s!

OohMrBingley · 03/11/2022 21:06

GyozaGuiting · 03/11/2022 20:52

Most kids have seen porn by the age of 9. Not the point of the thread, but your kids are seeing far more than you think. It takes one kid with a phone.
I’m taking the approach of talking to them and preparing them. Friends is the least of problem.

I don’t understand this argument.

Yes. We know this.

So, what? We just give up, and let them do whatever they want, because they’ve probably seen something in the playground?

Friends is nothing compared to actual porn. It’s still not a great idea to let your 7 or 8 YO watch it. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Robostripes · 03/11/2022 21:06

Friends came out in 1994 when I was 7. I started watching it around the end of series 2/start of series 3 so I would’ve been 8/9. All the sex jokes went over my head. I still thought it was hilarious and it’s remained my favourite TV show ever since, I’m watching it now! My parents didn’t seem too fussed, they always bought us the videos at Christmas when they used to be on special offer.

My DS is 6 and he wouldn’t be interested in it yet but I won’t be too fussed if he wants to watch in a few years because I know it’ll all go over his head like it did mine at that age.

Alighttouchonthetiller · 03/11/2022 21:20

I started watching it with DD when she was 10 and turned it off after about the first 5 minutes. It’s clearly written for adults, which I seem to have forgotten, despite watching it compulsively when it first came out (and owning loads of videos of it at the time, too).

purpleme12 · 03/11/2022 21:23

My suggestion is to watch Sabrina.
The original one.
Very family friendly and I love it ♥️

Alighttouchonthetiller · 03/11/2022 21:25

GyozaGuiting · 03/11/2022 20:52

Most kids have seen porn by the age of 9. Not the point of the thread, but your kids are seeing far more than you think. It takes one kid with a phone.
I’m taking the approach of talking to them and preparing them. Friends is the least of problem.

Mine absolutely hasn’t seen porn and didn’t have a phone until starting secondary school. It’s certainly not the norm amongst her friends. What sort of kids do you let your kids mix with?!

You can talk to them about and and still have boundaries with regards to what is suitable viewing. It’s not ‘Hey kids, you’ll see porn soon, so let’s watch absolutely everything regardless of suitability!’