by Stephen Pate

Created on: December 14, 2009

Should children under 13 have a separate seating in airplanes to prevent them from seeing violent movie images?  I don’t see why not.  It would greatly benefit parents who try to shelter their children from the violence in movies.  It would be simple good business sense to accommodate their wishes.

Many parents try to control the violence they see in movies and on television.  The phrase of “monkey see, monkey do” can all too easily be applied to children.  Because of how easily influenced children are by what they see, those who see violent images mimic the actions and can harm others without understand the consequences of their actions.

In fact, it would probably be better for an airplane as a whole to have one section for adults with children and one section without.  How many airplane trips for the passengers have been ruined by children acting up in causing mayhem for everyone else?  How many passengers have tried to sleep on a long flight only to be woken up by an infant crying? 

Having a separate section for children and adults with children would make the flight more pleasant for many passengers who have trouble dealing with children.

Such a section would also make it a more pleasurable experience for children too.  A children’s section could be decorated with decals of shapes and animals and other items to provide visual stimulation to keep them occupied.  They would be able to watch child-friendly films and be able to engage each other in games. 

They could also take part in other activities that would otherwise annoy more adult passengers, for instance taking place in sing-alongs.  This would keep children busy and manageable without disrupting other passengers.

Another aspect for this is safety.  If all the children are sectioned in one area, it is easier for parents and flight personnel to look after their welfare.  Should some kind of incident happen with the other passengers, such as one becoming violent, the children can be looked out for by flight personnel.  This would be a good aspect of security on air planes.

All of these would make the flight more enjoyable for the other passengers as well as the children.  While the children are in their section enjoying recreation designed for them, the adult passengers in the rest of the plane can have amusement more suitable for them but less so for kids. 

Rather than have to suffer the constant stimulation that most children hunt for, the adult sections can be more geared to them relaxing the trip quietly.

Should children under 13 have a separate seating in airplanes to prevent them from seeing violent movie images?  Yes, but they should have their separate seating for other reasons too.  Children can engage in their raucous activities in their section while leaving the other adult passengers free from being bothered from it. 

This will make the trip more enjoyable for children and their parents and adults not traveling with kids.  Such a change could be pretty profitable for any airlines who give it a try.

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