Are the standard international age rating systems outdated?

Classical rating:

• Under 18: No explicit sex scenes
• 18+: Explicit sex scenes allowed

Proposed rating:

• Under 16: No explicit sex scenes (standard).
• 16+: Explicit sex scenes allowed IF:
  • Consent is clearly established within the narrative (not merely implied).
  • There is no depiction of minors with adults.
• 18+: Explicit sex scenes allowed (No restrictions).

"Carrot" strategy

• Incentive: Producers are rewarded with a lower age rating for depicting safe, respectful sex.
• Protection: Coercive or non-consensual narratives are restricted to adults.
• Education: Young people stumbling upon sexuality in media would be exposed to "vanilla" but respectful standards as the baseline.
• Freedom: Producers can tell any story for any audience; even dark themes are allowed at lower ratings provided the content is handled through suggestion rather than explicit depiction.

Variations over the world

• The age range may differ depending on the country.
• Foreplay before sex can be required.
• Complex sexualities can be excluded because it is harder to handle for young people (BDSM, large age gap...).

Theoretical impact

Proponents argue that this creates an incentive for the industry and serves as an implicit educational guideline. Acknowledging that it is difficult to prevent minors from seeing explicit content on the Internet, the theory suggests that showing appropriate examples in mainstream media helps to counterbalance it. While people generally know how to distinguish fiction from reality, the argument is that appropriate fiction provides a necessary reference point for those who lack real-world experience.

Questions for discussion

1. How much portraying consent and respect for others in fiction can reduce problematic sexual behavior in the real world?
2. Would this system effectively incentivize healthier depictions of sex, or would it simply encourage filmmakers to use "fake" consent scenes to get a lower rating?
3. Does restricting "toxic" or "complex" sexual dynamics to adults only shield minors, or does it prevent them from learning to identify these behaviors in real life?