Two US Congressmen introduced legislation calling for airlines to create kid-friendly zones on planes to shield them from violent or R-rated movies.
“The airlines have chosen to put our children in a situation that I don’t feel comfortable with,” said Rep. Heath Shuler, a North Carolina Democrat.
He and Republican Rep. Walter Jones, also from North Carolina, call their proposal the “Family Friendly Flights Act.”
“This legislation will be one avenue to help parents take back their right to determine the appropriateness of the content to which their children are exposed,” Mr Jones said in a statement.
The bill calls for the creation of sections on commercial flights where there would not be any publicly viewable movie screens. It would still allow airlines to show the movies they choose on big screens in other sections, or on individual seatback screens.
The legislation was prompted by some parent’s complaints, one of whom complained about the airline showing an R-rated movie with a “lot of nudity.” One complainant admitted she was traveling without her young children, but the situation remained bothersome.
“My point was that children can’t make that decision if they’re on an airplane and the scenes are before them,” Katie Kelley told the AP, adding that she also took issue with violent films shown on airlines. “They are naturally drawn to the screen.”
At least one airline, Virgin America already offers kid-friendly features that include the ability for parents to limit showings to G-rated movies and content at every seat, said spokeswoman Abby Lunardini.
Report by David Wilkening
