Our monthly update shines a spotlight on the great work done to inform and empower New Zealanders No images? Click here NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER Kia ora koutou The past month of activity could be summarised as face-to-face kōrero. We've taken time together as a workplace to really consider how we can improve upon incorporating te Tiriti principles into all aspects of our mahi. We had in-person representation by members from our Youth Advisory Panel, and Te Mana Whakaatu staff, at He Whenua Taurikura, a hui focused on countering the dark stuff that we see happening in the world. And we've been collaborating with other agencies where we can to support positive messages of reducing harm. Our 'Quick Takes' are proving popular as an accessible way to understand the 'why' around a rating: whether it's a classification our Office has decided, a rating from the Film and Video Labelling Body, or a self-rated decision by one of the major streaming providers. We've highlighted some recent Quick Takes below. Our newsletters generally talk about topics like sex, drugs, and the media content landscape. Our aim is to have difficult conversations and shine a light on ways to reduce harm for New Zealanders. If you know someone who should receive these updates, please share our newsletter or encourage them to subscribe here. Be sure to follow our socials too. Aroha atu, aroha mai, tātou i a
tātou #Mātakitahi #WatchTogether #Kōrerotahi #TalkTogether Image: a still from The Woman King Working together to combat violent extremism Alongside the Human Rights Commission, Te Mana Whakaatu contributed to the annual He Whenua Taurikura hui on countering terrorism and violent extremism, by supporting some of our YAP members on a panel talking about rights, digital harms and youth. The discussion drew out insights from young people into social media harms, algorithms, online hate and much more. A member of our Countering Violent Extremism team was joined by Chief Censor Caroline Flora and two members of the Youth Advisory Panel alongside Paul Hunt, Chief Human Rights Commissioner. ![]() New educators resource: Keep It Real Online website update A shout-out to our colleagues at Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs who have introduced a new area of the Keep it Real Online website specifically designed for educators. The new resource section on their website provides age-appropriate tools, information and advice to help educators empower their students to stay safe online. Visit the new educators site at Home: Keep It Real Online The website, which was launched in 2020, is managed by DIA and contains information and resources for parents, caregivers and young people about different types of online harms. The new area of the website contains age-appropriate tools, information and advice from a number of organisations for primary, intermediate and secondary school children. The site also contains resources such as videos that can facilitate those more challenging conversations about online harms in the classroom. The Department is seeking feedback from educators on the new site and the information included. All feedback can be submitted via their survey. ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ The Nightmare Before Christmas is definitely a holiday must-see, but which holiday? The long debated 1993 film still has people asking which one and everyone seems to have different opinions. Caitlin puts forward the case for it to be catergorised as Halloween film this season. Read more on the blog. Feeling lonely and the dangers of the internet In 2021 the Office released a research report on the growing spread of misinformation, ‘The Edge of the Infodemic’. We are concerned about how rangatahi are being manipulated online and want to empower and encourage parents to engage with their whānau on the dangers of the online world as much as possible. Caitlin breaks down why it's cool to be an annoying parent by being an involved parent. Read more on the blog. We don't restrict for discomfort Watching sex scenes with an audience can be deeply uncomfortable. I’m in my 40s and I wouldn’t choose to watch that scene with my parents. Would I have wanted to see that movie at the cinema when I was 13? Yes, as soon as I could. Don't Worry Darling features adult themes, some of which might go over a young teenager’s head. We have provided warning notes for violence, sex scenes, self-harm and offensive language. But when we classify films we're required by law to apply the lowest reasonable restriction to ‘prevent injury to the public good’. Rebecca breaks down the classification decision to give Don't Worry Darling an R13 age restriction. Read more on our blog Why did Mister Organ get this rating?M: Offensive language and suicide references Journalist David Farrier finds himself in a game of cat and mouse with a mysterious stranger. Exploring further, he discovers a series of court cases, royal connections, and ruined lives. The film is a mix of usual documentary handheld-style filming, candid mobile phone footage, and static talking head interviews. These interviews involve frank and candid language where swearing is used sporadically. One of the most memorable quotes from the film is from the protagonist calling Farrier a “c*nt”. This film was rated by the Film and Video Labelling Body and received an M: Offensive language and suicide references. Read our Quick Take for the full breakdown of this classification. Why did Phone Bhoot get this classification?R13: Supernatural themes, drug use and violence Buddies Major and Gullu set up a ghost exorcism business with the help of a third partner, wandering ghost Ragini. Their success draws the ire of sorcerer Aatmaram. Phone Bhoot contains some low-impact horror imagery. The strongest horror is in the opening scene, which involves blood coming out of a shower head. However, this is not very realistic. Major and Gullu pop pills that cause hallucinations and zany situations that they deal with in a slapstick manner, before they fall unconscious. The drug use appears fun and harmless, and requires maturity to contextualise. This series was classification by the Classification Office and received an R13: Supernatural themes, drug use and violence. Read our Quick Take for a full breakdown. Why did The Peripheral get this rating?16: Violence, offensive language, content that may disturb Set in the future where technology and the online world have taken over, Flynne Fisher (Chloë Grace Moretz) becomes immersed in a virtual reality video game which could destroy her real life and everyone she loves. This is a sci-fi action series that contains both video game and real-life violence. Some scenes of violence are particularly detailed and gory, including bloody deaths and an eyeball transplant – not for the easily squeamish. This series was self-rated by Amazon's Prime Video and received a 16: Violence, offensive language, content that may disturb. Read our Quick Take for a breakdown of the rating for episodes one and two. Why did The Woman King get this classification?R13: Violence, sexual violence and content that may disturb The Woman King focuses on Nanisca, the indomitable leader of the Agojie, an all-female royal guard of Dahomey. It is a historical action drama set in the 19th century West African kingdom. The film contains battle scenes and other action violence where individuals are sliced, stabbed, pierced and shot. Blood effects are limited but bloodied clothing and bodies are depicted. The film deals with the 19th century West African slave trade. Victims are shown held in cages and sold at auctions. This material is well contextualised by the narratives and themes. The Woman King was due to be cross-rated M in Aotearoa after being rated M in Australia. The Acting Chief Censor called the film in for classification after concerns were raised about the appropriateness of the M rating given the subject matter and the likely audience. Read our Quick Take for a breakdown of the classification. Supporting your community through educationDo you have a local school connection? Te Mana Whakaatu staff offer a range of in-school presentations for rangatahi, parents and those working with youth, including teachers. We’re particularly skilled at talking about difficult topics like porn and young people growing up watching it. We offer tips, tools and practical advice on how to navigate this kōrero in a positive way. Click here to view an example of one of our past presentations. Get in touch if you think your community would benefit from an in-person speaker: info@classificationoffice.govt.nz Image: Pictured is Te Mana Whakaatu Senior Advisor Kate presenting at a session for parents and whānau at Queen Margaret College. She spoke on how to talk with rangatahi about pornography. ![]() Because our work involves a broad knowledge of the vast online landscape, we consume a lot of media in the office. Here are just a few of the things we’ve found relevant and informative over the past month. Take a break, with these media lunch items. The decline of etiquette and the rise of 'boundaries' (The Atlantic) A digital divide in how children are using devices is worrying researchers (Stuff.co.nz) Orthorexia and other manifestations of body shame (NEO.LIFE)
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