Transcript Classification usage and attitudes study

Classification: usage and
attitudes study
November 2016
1
Background and aims
• Investigate usage of and attitudes to classification in the context of newer
media (e.g. Netflix, apps, YouTube and other sites) and information sources
• Use of classification:
– Referral and adherence to classification across various media
– Monitoring, gatekeeping and information seeking behaviour regarding media
content for children and adults
• Attitudes to classification:
– Overall performance, reputation and image of the classification system
– Classification Board decisions (for film and computer games)
– Ongoing role and nature of classification, particularly restriction
– Classification information
Methodology
• 10 focus groups in Sydney, Adelaide and Rockhampton
– April –May 2016
– Parents of children in age segments: 3-5, 6-11, 12-17
– Carers, non parent adults and youth
– High proportion of users of streaming services, apps, internet and computer games
• National online survey n= 2,187
– July- June 2016
– Age 14-75
– Representative for age, gender and location
– Quotas on ages of respondents’ children to ensure spread
– Booster sample of 1,000 parents (weighted in reporting on overall sample)
• All study participants screened for media usage in the last month
Use of classification
Who uses classification most?
Engagement with classification peaks when children are in primary school.
Focus groups
• Parents/carers of primary school aged children were clearly most engaged with
classification
• Primary school children themselves were reported as very engaged and
knowledgeable
• Parents of early high school aged children were also highly engaged, but their
use of classification and general monitoring and information seeking started to
decline when their children reached approximately 13 years
• Engagement and use by parents of preschool aged children was mixed. Many
found it simple to manage media usage at this age without using classification.
Survey*
– Little kids are happy to watch little kids shows so they don’t have to be checked on as
much 55%
– Shows on ABCkids are made for children so there’s no need to check the rating of
individual shows 57%
*n = 1,131 parents/carers
Media used by children
Children use a broad range of media, including platforms
which carry no Australian classification.
55%
YouTube etc
52%
Cinema
ABC2/ABCKids on TV/ I-view
50%
Free to air commercial TV/catch up
50%
49%
DVDs/Blu-ray
44%
Console games
36%
Foxtel
48% parents/carers
reported children using
game apps
31%
Game apps - Apple App Store
29%
Game apps - Google Play
28%
ABC3 on TV/ I-view
25%
Websites (other)
Lower incidence of children using
Netflix and Apple App Store reported
in the survey than in focus groups
24%
Netflix
7%
Stan
5%
Presto
n = 1,131
parents/carers
YouTube used by
children of all ages
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Confidence about media children are using
100%
90%
80%
70%
How confident do you feel about protecting children from disturbing or unsuitable
93%
material when they are using…
89%
87%
86%
85%
83%
83%
79%
77%
77%
74%
71%
63%
60%
59%
n = no.
parents/
carers
with
children
using
each
platform.
Ranges
from 53
(presto)
to 617
(YouTube).
Note
small n
for
Presto.
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
High confidence across most media - lower for YouTube and other internet sites
Confidence lower for Google Play
How are ratings used?
Ratings are used as needed, rather than as a matter of course
Focus groups- parents/carers
• Ratings are used by parents/carers if they are unfamiliar or uncertain
– Other cues as to age suitability e.g. title, advertising images, trailer content, placement
– Younger children repeatedly use favourite shows or apps, reducing need to check
• Rating is a guide only for parents – particularly below MA 15+
– Familiar content can be judged as safe despite rating e.g. Star Wars
• Rating is useful as a quick reference point
• Parents most likely to check when taking kids to the cinema and buying hard
copy games (Xbox and PS4), or DVDs, which were less frequent
– Cinema attendance is mostly in holidays- whereas TV, apps, YouTube, Netflix are used
daily
– Similarly, hard copy games, being expensive, are purchased occasionally- and rarely for
primary school and younger children
– Focus group participants rarely reported hiring DVDs, but a few purchased them for
young children (usually familiar series or films).
How are ratings used?
Focus groups – own media choices
• Adolescents use ratings only when seeking to avoid high level content or when
visiting the cinema with younger friends (especially those yet to turn 15)
• Adult women will use ratings occasionally to avoid high level content
• A few adult men and male youth reported using ratings occasionally to avoid low
level content.
Survey*
• 15% frequently use ratings when choosing for themselves
• Usage of ratings over past 10 years:
– 57% unchanged
– Changes in use mainly due to life stage (e.g. entering adolescence or young adulthood
and reducing use; becoming a parent and increasing use) rather than changing
perceptions of classification
*n = 2,187 (all respondents)
Frequency of ratings use for children
Ratings use by parents/carers is regular but not an everyday occurrence.
100%
29% of
parents/carers
use
classification
less than once
a month
90%
80%
70%
60%
57% of
parents/carers
refer to a rating
once a week or
more
50%
40%
30%
29%
29%
28%
20%
13%
10%
0%
More than once a week
Once a week
Once a month
Less than once a month
n = 1,131
parents/carers
Use of ratings for children- by classified media
Parents and carers are more reliant on ratings in using the cinema, DVDs and Blu-ray
than for Netflix, game apps and ABC children’s channels.
Frequently
100%
90%
7%
8%
7%
9%
3%
18%
8%
6%
16%
21%
28%
24%
11%
11%
11%
15%
14%
17%
12%
12%
80%
70%
12%
Occasionally
Rarely
19%
19%
27%
60%
35%
25%
28%
29%
Never
16%
19%
30%
50%
22%
28%
40%
37%
40%
30%
20%
65%
55%
55%
53%
47%
47%
46%
46%
42%
10%
0%
n = no. of parents/carers with children using each platform that is
classified. Ranges from 53 (presto) to 586 (cinema)
Including infrequent use, 81% 94% use ratings where available
How is consumer advice used?
Consumer advice (accompanying the rating) is used occasionally, to avoid specific content
that may be offensive or potentially disturbing to individuals.
Focus groups
• Parents used Consumer Advice to:
– protect children who may be more sensitive to certain content types
– avoid content they themselves considered unsuitable for children (e.g coarse
language or sexual references might be considered more problematic than
violence)
• Women and youth – used Consumer Advice to avoid horror and high level
violence
Survey*
• 14% use CA frequently for their own media choices - similar to usage of
ratings for people’s own media choices
* n= 2,187 (all respondents)
Use of consumer advice for children- by media
100%
90%
80%
Overall, CA is used less
by parents/carers than
ratings
Higher usage for
Cinema, DVD/Blu ray
than streaming
services and game
apps
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
37%
35%
33%
26%
26%
20%
16%
14%
13%
13%
4%
2%
0%
n = 1,021 parents/carers who
were aware of Consumer
Advice
How is classification used?
Key attitudes and behaviours reflected in responses by parents and carers surveyed.
Ultimately it is up to parents/guardians to decide what is best for
children to watch or play
81%
I am more inclined to check ratings when I am unfamiliar with a film
or game
80%
I think more carefully about suitability for children when something
is rated MA 15+ than when it is rated G, PG or M
77%
When I use ratings it is more of a guide than something I follow
strictly
69%
I am more likely to check consumer advice that accompanies a
rating on films or games rated higher than PG
n = 1,131
parents/carers
66%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90% 100%
Concern about children, youth and online content
Parents and other community members are more concerned about the content
and impacts of YouTube and social media than shows, films, apps and games.
It is hard to protect children from unsuitable online
content
70%
17%
8% 6%
Parents 70%
I am more concerned about what young people might
see on YouTube and other video sharing websites than
shows, films, apps and computer games
65%
23%
7% 5%
Parents 73%
I am more concerned about young people and social
media than shows, films, apps and computer games
61%
26%
8% 5%
Parents 71%
More should be done to regulate online content
n = 2,187 (all
respondents).
Parents: n =
467 (weighted)
58%
25%
12% 5%
Parents 71%
0%
NETT - Agree
Neutral
10%
20%
30%
NETT - Disagree
40%
50%
Don't Know
60%
70%
80%
90% 100%
Strategies for children using internet, streaming, apps
Use of filtering mechanisms varies; parents/carers frequently ‘hover’
• Prevalent strategy for parents/carers with online content, streaming and apps is
personal surveillance
– Streaming services- 50% watch with children
– Apps- 45% download and play with children
– YouTube and other video sharing- 54% watch or are in the same room
• For streaming and apps parents/carers use multiple strategies:
– (Netflix etc) check the rating 40%, age profiles 34%; filter by kids and family category
33%; parental lock 25%;
– Apps 37% check the rating (Google Play); 41% use age recommendations (Apple App
Store); 33% read blurb
• For YouTube and other video sharing sites there is limited use and awareness of
available filters
– 22% used Safe/Restricted Mode; 14% YouTube kids. Among parents generally, 17% and
20% were aware of these products
• 31% of parents/carers aware of Internet filtering software
*n = parents/carers with children using streaming services (315), Apps (545) and/or YouTube and similar (617).
Other content filters and information sources
Parents in focus groups reported using filtering mechanisms more
and using ratings less than survey participants
Focus groups
– Netflix users relied heavily on age profiles and were generally unaware of ratings on
this service
– ABCkids users trusted programmers to pre-vet content
– Foxtel users similarly ensured children watched age appropriate channels
– Apps – parents have accounts so able to gate-keep; cheap, quick to download and
delete; often based on known content (e.g. TV show characters) – lower perceived risk
in trial and error
– Search by age, category (e.g. educational) or particular purpose (e.g. spelling apps)
– App Store users happy with age recommendations available (which are not based on
Australian ratings)
• Mainly use Google query when uncertain about PG and higher, e.g. “Force
Awakens OK for 10 year old?”
• Some awareness of IMDB and Common Sense Media
• Very low awareness of Classification website or Know Before You Go
Attitudes to the classification system
Perceptions of the classification system overall
Mostly important and useful,
sometimes convenient and trustworthy and seldom confusing, old fashioned or obsolete.
To what extent would you say the classification system is:
Nett agree
Important
61%
Useful
Neutral
Nett disagree
30%
52%
9%
37%
11%
Convenient
43%
46%
11%
Trustworthy
43%
45%
12%
Reliable
41%
Confusing
45%
21%
Old fashioned
39%
24%
Obsolete
10%
41%
43%
19%
0%
14%
33%
42%
20%
30%
40%
39%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
n = 2,187 (all respondents).
Perceptions of the classification system overall
Positive regard but lack of engagement among focus groups.
Focus groups
• Classification seen as less culturally significant/prominent than in previous
times, due to
– changes in media consumption – at home, easy to switch off unsuitable content,
availability of filtering mechanisms
– lack of media promotion of/education about classification
• Asked how well is classification performing its role, focus groups responded
positively – “Give them an 8 out of 10”
Survey
• I think I will continue to use Australian classifications in the future: 61% overall*
(73% of parents)**
• Limited understanding of the classification system, e.g. 17% overall* aware that
the Classification Board does not classify television
*n = 2,187 (all respondents). **Parents: n = 467 (weighted)
Attitudes to ratings decisions for film and computer
games
About two thirds think Classification Board decisions for film and games
are ‘about right’.
Overall, would you say the ratings for films and computer games are:
Too lenient, 22%
About right, 63%
Too strict, 15%
n = 2,187 (all respondents).
Treatment of classifiable elements in film and
computer games
About 1 in 3 think that violence is treated too leniently in film and computer games.
Films -coarse language
55%
Films - themes
53%
21%
Films - nudity
54%
21%
Films - violence
53%
29%
Films - drug use and references
54%
26%
Films - sex and sex references
53%
Computer games - coarse language
44%
Computer games - themes
46%
24%
24%
Computer games - violence
40%
Computer games - drug use and references
40%
26%
Computer games- sex and sex references
40%
27%
About right
10%
20%
Too lenient
22%
Too strict
40%
50%
11%
14%
9%
11%
21%
11%
19%
25%
10%
11%
18%
23%
12%
70%
9%
9%
11%
60%
10%
9%
32%
30%
14%
15%
24%
42%
9%
12%
24%
Computer games - nudity
0%
12%
21%
80%
90%
100%
Don't Know
n = 2,187 (all respondents).
Attitudes to classification categories and CA
Support for age guidance for lower categories and continued restriction of high level content.
I would prefer it if material for children included age
recommendations
65%
22%
7% 6%
(73% parents)
Some things rated G are not suitable for young children
44%
26%
21%
9%
(53% parents)
The range of material that is rated PG is too broad
41%
32%
18%
9%
20%
4% 5%
(47% parents)
It is important to protect children by legally restricting
higher level media content where possible
72%
(75 % parents)
Media rated MA 15+ and higher should remain legally
restricted
64%
8% 7%
(71% parents)
There is no point in keeping legally restricted categories
because you can access everything online
40%
The MA 15+ rating should not be legally restricted any
more
n = 2,187 (all
respondents).
Parents: n =
467 (weighted)
21%
23%
0%
10%
NETT - Agree
26%
28%
27%
20%
30%
Neutral
43%
40%
50%
60%
NETT - Disagree
70%
6%
7%
80%
Don't Know
90% 100%
Attitudes to consumer advice
Consumer advice is sometimes useful but has limitations
Focus groups
• Some parents found CA useful for filtering content that they considered
unsuitable for their children
• Others find CA hard to interpret, potentially subjective- prefer specific
content information
‘Your “mild” and my “mild” may not be the same thing’
‘I can go to Common Sense Media and look under Violence and it tells
me if it’s a fist fight or a decapitation’
Survey
• 50% of parents and carers* agreed
When choosing films for children I often want more detailed
information than the consumer advice
*n = 1,131 parents/carers
Attitudes to using overseas classifications
Participants were asked hypothetically about adoption of overseas ratings
instead of Australian ratings. Views were mixed but generally unsupportive.
Would not want
to use ratings
from other
Would make no
difference as I
seldom use the
Australian ratings,
countries, 28%
26%
It would be
inconvenient,
14%
I would adjust
over time, 32%
n = 2,187 (all
respondents).)
If Australian ratings
ceased to be applied to
new films and computer
games, and instead an
overseas rating was given,
which of these
statements best matches
your response?
Groups: very little
support for deeming.
Australian ratings are
important, functionally
and symbolically
Attitudes to the reach of classification
Australians would prefer Australian classifications to be more widely applied,
but do not pursue them when they are absent.
I would prefer for all media to carry an Australian
Classification
60%
26%
8% 6%
Parents 74%
It concerns me that some media do not carry an
Australian classification
50%
29%
13%
8%
Parents 61%
I have looked for and been unable to find the Australian
rating on some media
26%
34%
22%
18%
Parents 38%
n = 2,187 (all
respondents).
Parents: n =
467 (weighted)
0%
NETT - Agree
Neutral
10%
20%
30%
NETT - Disagree
40%
50%
Don't Know
60%
70%
80%
90% 100%
Key points
• Overall the community is positive about classification but not especially engaged
• Ratings are valued but not relied upon every day
• Ratings use is driven by media usage patterns, availability of other information and life
stage- frequency of use may have changed but ratings will continue to be used for certain
things and at certain times
• Use of Consumer Advice is limited- and it is easy to Google for content information
• There is anxiety about protecting kids from online content- especially video and social
media - and perceived lack of support, but confidence about films, apps, shows and
games
• There is little concern about the fragmented nature of the classification system and reach
of classification specifically- classification is ideal but any filtering or age guidance is good
• There is an opportunity to engage community, especially pre and primary school parents,
on classification
• There is clear support for restriction of MA 15+ and over, plus age guidance at G and PG
• Overall the majority are satisfied with ratings decisions for film and computer games, but
a substantial minority think the treatment of violence is too lenient
Questions?