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Original poster

Violent/explicit in-flight entertainment, unsuitable for children

95 replies

ejebrown · 17/08/2016 07:40

Hello Mumsnet! Star

I recently made a trip that involved seven flights. On each flight, I had to endure violent films on other passengers' in-flight entertainment systems.

These films were clearly inappropriate for children. Yet they could been seen by children.

I wonder if we could campaign for airlines either to provide only Universal (U) rated films, or to design their screens so that only passenger sitting directly behind the screen has a clear picture.

Any ideas?

(PS I am not (yet!) a mother: when I am I know I would not want my children being exposed to violent or explicit films)

OP posts:
ShanghaiDiva · 17/08/2016 11:04

Maple - all the long haul flights I have been on in last 8 years have had individual screens - so not an issue.
Short haul with overhead screens - only ever seem comedy shows or documentaries - no films and nothing violent.
I live in Asia and travel a lot with Chinese airlines, cathay pacific and dragon air.

ShanghaiDiva · 17/08/2016 11:06

Many people bring their own ipads to watch films - so not sure how that can be policed. Am certainly not aware of any airline rules regarding what you can and can't watch.

MapleandPear · 17/08/2016 11:10

I think there are three separate things here. Films the airline shows - ok on shared screens these are made for general viewing. Films the airline shows on individual screens - whether these ought to be for general viewing. Again I would say there ought to be nothing post-watershed on those. Films/content individual passengers watch on their devices - whether this is or should be regulated. I don't know whether it is but it ought to be, if airlines have any sense at all.

FuzzyWizard · 17/08/2016 11:15

What are you imagining by explicit. They edit the movies to censor out a lot of blood and nudity in the movies. It's not like people are watching porn, in December I watched Ex Machina on a plane. It's a 15 certificate but had been censored in places anyway, it's not like the airlines are putting uncensored Saw-type movies on their IFE systems.
The idea of restricting airlines to U certificates is laughable, you wouldn't be able to play Frozen or Harry Potter ffs.

fruityb · 17/08/2016 11:24

I flew with Delta last year and couldn't really see the screen next to me - it was darker like standing at an angle to a cash point. Nor was I looking as I was watching the film in front of me.

Restricting my viewing because someone didn't think of the children is bloody stupid.

MardAsSnails · 17/08/2016 11:24

I fly a lot. I travel alone mostly, and long haul. I choose to watch Disney shite because when I'm travelling I don't want to utilise my brain - I get enough of that in the working week when I'm not fucking around on mumsnet

Even I, who does not watch stuff like that on a plane, would be pissed off with no choice over such matters. Where possible I'd avoid the airline if they did this.

I suppose it could work alongside those other discussions we've had on here about 'family cabins' and 'adult only' cabins - if you choose to sit in the family section, then there will be no chance of overseeing someone watching an 18. If you're in the no-children's section, it's fair game.

StepAwayFromTheThesaurus · 17/08/2016 11:31

I don't think family cabins would make it better. Everyone with children of any age would be stuck with only U films (and I bet the perpetually upset and offended would start complaining that some U films are too scary and horrible to be shown).

Maybe the precious flowers could just stay at home and stop expecting the entire world to revolve around them.

People watching porn on their own screens is a completely different issue to people bring able to choose from the selection on the inflight entertainment system

SoupDragon · 17/08/2016 12:02

You wouldn't expect someone to be watching explicit content on a train next to you...

I wouldn't "expect" to control what people watch on their own screen anywhere.

SoupDragon · 17/08/2016 12:03

I dislike the increase in "Nanny State" demands from people who simply need to learn to sort their own families out.

expatinscotland · 17/08/2016 12:04

I agree, Soupy.

noramum · 17/08/2016 14:17

My child - my responsibility what she sees. We only flew long-haul ones, she spend her time watching the kids movies and occasionally checked what was on my screen. If I would have watch a film I would object her seeing I would say her so.

I don't think you really can see fully what is on a other person's screen unless you look directly onto it and this is not a polite manner and DD would get told off for this.

I commute by train and there are people on a regular basis watching all sort of stuff on a regular basis, honestly I can't care less. And I doubt that some of it is worse than what Eastenders brings before the watershed.

I pay a large amount of money for a long haul flight, I can expect a decent service for it. And this means entertainment choices for all tastes.

U-movies - sometimes nice but even my 9 year old gets bored if she would watch only that.

Family cabins - how would you sort this out? Flight A - ten children, Flight B, turnaround at airport 2 hours - 50 children. So 40 screens would have to be readjusted. Pointless in my option. I think people should be given the responsibility to decide, not a blanket ban to safeguard when no safeguard should be necessary.

Then you better also ban TV on demand as the precious children can access movies shown at 11pm the next day after breakfast.

ShanghaiDiva · 17/08/2016 14:39

Agree Soup - just parent your children and leave adults to make their own choices.
Flying back to China in July I was watching Dexter and switched if off as dd was next to me and looking at my screen. Imo it's not appropriate for her, but if a stranger next to her had been watching it would have been my responsibility to distract her - not tell them what they could and could not watch.

Believeitornot · 17/08/2016 15:00

How is a nanny state to have a care for what our children may or may not see?

Should we remove the 9 o'clock water shed, remove the need for having porn magazines hidden etc?

It's not about telling people not to watch certain things, it's about having a thought for others around you.

tribpot · 17/08/2016 15:23

I flew on a 777 last week and will again today. I couldn't see ds' screen (sitting next to me) but could clearly see the screens of passengers in rows ahead of me and on the other side of the aisle. I wouldn't be happy if ds (11) had had a view of graphic material, I had assumed the films had been edited the way they are when shown on TV.

MapleandPear · 17/08/2016 15:27

but if a stranger next to her had been watching it would have been my responsibility to distract her - not tell them what they could and could not watch.

It's not your responsibility, it's the airline's responsibility to set the rules and enforce them.

MapleandPear · 17/08/2016 15:31

Then you better also ban TV on demand as the precious children can access movies shown at 11pm the next day after breakfast

There is a way of blocking this by setting a PIN.

If someone was watching porn or extreme violence next to me on a plane I'd find this unacceptable, whether there were children there or not.

FuzzyWizard · 17/08/2016 15:32

Tribpot- they are edited. Nudity gets blurred out or cut IME as does some violence and any gore. They are still not kids movies but the airlines I've flown long haul with (EVA, Cathay, Virgin) all edited the grown up movies. Asking for more than that is OTT IMO.

FuzzyWizard · 17/08/2016 15:34

Airlines are not putting porn and snuff movies on their IFE systems.

MapleandPear · 17/08/2016 15:35

I pay a large amount of money for a long haul flight, I can expect a decent service for it. And this means entertainment choices for all tastes

I pay a large amount of money for my train season ticket and don't expect to feel threatened by some grubby bloke's viewing material next to me.

MapleandPear · 17/08/2016 15:36

We are also talking about passenger content on their own devices, Fuzzy.

I'm fine with films being edited.

ShanghaiDiva · 17/08/2016 15:39

Maple - but no rules have been set and even if they were it's still my responsibility as a parent to decide what is and is not suitable for my child.
The airline does not take parental responsibility for the child. It is clearly stated on entertainment systems that certain programmes are not suitable for children and that locks/controls can be switched on (should you wish) to ensure that your child does not inadvertently access these programmes.
I don't see that airlines can set rules about what passengers can and cannot watch - what one person considers unsuitable another may be fine with. Can they watch anything as long as a child cannot see their screen?
Overhead screens - viewing should be suitable for all passengers, but for individual screens I still think parental control and supervision is the answer.

DesolateWaist · 17/08/2016 15:40

When I last flew there was an episode of Game of Thrones on the IFE. It was just one big blurred mess!

FuzzyWizard · 17/08/2016 15:40

Oh. I missed that Blush. I wouldn't want someone watching porn next to me on a flight, or any other public space. I think IFE systems are fine as they are though.

SoupDragon · 17/08/2016 15:43

How is a nanny state to have a care for what our children may or may not see

It is a nanny state for you to expect others to do it rather than the radical idea of looking after your children yourself. Obviously.

ShanghaiDiva · 17/08/2016 15:46

If someone was watching porn or extreme violence next to me on a plane I'd find this unacceptable, whether there were children there or not

There is no porn on in flight entertainment systems and programmes with violence tend to be edited.
I take about 25 flights per year and have never seen anyone watching porn on their own device either.