The latest tween reading craze - a trilogy of books known as The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - is a story that takes place in a post-apocalyptic United States where 24 teens -- 12-18 years-old from different districts -- hunt and kill each other until one survives.
According to Common Sense Media, an independent, not-for-profit, group that rates films, the PG-13 film is loaded with violence that children of 13 may not be able to handle, particularly in movie form.
“We all have vivid imaginations, that’s for sure, but it’s very different to see a kid spearing another one, breaking another one’s neck, smashing their head in, than it is to read about it,” says Betsy Bozdech, managing editor of Common Sense Media. “It’s just a more visceral experience.”
On a scale of 0-5, the violence in this film rates a "4", especially the scene when the Games get officially underway.
“It really is kind of a bloodbath,” says Bozdech. “It’s really quickly edited so nothing really lingers. But it’s pretty brutal.”
While the film merits a high mark for the strong role model portrayed by heroine Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence), those high grades are tempered by the fact that Katniss and fellow tribute Peeta Mellark (played by Josh Hutcherson) occasionally use “deception and manipulation” to achieve their goals.
Psychologist Brenda Hunter, PhD, and education writer Kristen Blair, authors of From Santa to Sexting, have also issued a strong warning to parents about the books and movie.
"In Collins' twisted dystopian world, kids kill kids in gladiator-style 'games' imposed by the Capitol to prevent rebellion among starving districts. Impotent or voyeuristic adults acquiesce and watch," Hunter and Blair write.
They question how the public could have been so horrified by the shootings at an Ohio high school a few weeks ago, then allow middle schools across the country to take their children on field trips to see a movie where kids slaughter kids in order to survive.
"Why this cultural disconnect? We are playing with fire. What children watch and read matters greatly. It seeps into their hearts, minds, and souls. Research unequivocally documents the connection between media violence and aggression in children. Yet tweens and young teens today are exposed to graphic violence through video games, television, movies, and books. Collins' novels, slated for 12-year-olds on up, are nonetheless being devoured by elementary school children."
However, much like they did during the Harry Potter craze, young people claim the story teaches them good values.
"It teaches us to fight for what we believe in and to take a stand and to help other people," said Elise Lemnanski, a student at Lutheran West High School in Cleveland to WKYC3.com.
"It's a love story for the girls and an action story for the guys. It's more survival then violence," said another student named Valera Ghali.
But parents need to beware of the content of these books and the movie, and determine whether or not their teen is mature enough to handle it.
Hunter and Blair claim that while conducting interviews for their book they found that many parents are in the dark about kids' exposure to media and violence.
"In talking to middle school parents, we have heard that most feel overwhelmed by the media onslaught their children experience daily. Parents are often shocked to learn what their kids are consuming," says Blair.
"If 'life imitates art,' we can expect to see an upsurge in violence and carnage among kids as this movie circles the globe," Hunter warns. "Kids are copycats who lack the cognitive and emotional maturity needed to process the disturbing material in 'The Hunger Games.'"
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