Cinemas are refuges

Those who take young children to a film must realise that the cinema isn’t a town square

Stacey Turnbull, a British parent, says she took her child to the cinema when she was only a few weeks old. Christopher Pike / The National

After a hard week at work, what could be more satisfying than watching a movie in a cinema designed as an escape from reality? They are comfortable, dark cocoons that you can get lost in, forgetting about your workplace, unpaid bills or looming exams. But this only functions as long as every moviegoer respects the cinema as a refuge away from the real world.

Going to the movies can sometimes be an uncomfortable experience because of people talking, texting and loudly moving about. Some parents even choose to take very young children to see films that are loud, violent or otherwise inappropriate.

While we sympathise with those parents who need to get out of the house and engage in some kind of activity, it is not fair to spoil the experience for other patrons. And the film classification system is there for a reason. Ratings that restrict screenings of certain films to adults only ought to be enforced by the cinemas.