Real-life themes were found to be concerning to younger viewers but the British Board Of Film Classification (BBFC) said this was not down to a “snowflake” generation.
The BBFC issued new guidelines on Thursday based on research into UK audiences.
They were found to have objections to depictions of sexual violence, followed by certain portrayals of sex on screen.
Younger viewers, and teenagers in particular, were revealed to find depictions of “credible real-life scenarios” difficult to watch and in need of firmer classification.
The BBFC has credited younger audiences with being more savvy about what they want to watch and when they want to be warned about potentially upsetting content.
Craig Lapper, head of compliance at the BBFC, said: “I think the ‘snowflake’ thing is perhaps overstated.
“I don’t see that younger people are calling for more censorship.
“They are simply saying that particular people have a particular problem with something, they might not want to engage with that.
Young people are one of the most media literate groups we spoke to during the #bbfcguidelines consultation
— BBFC (@BBFC) January 17, 2019
“And they may just want to know that if they watch it, it will have these themes.
“Even if they do want to watch it. I think they are a lot more media savvy.”
Depictions of scenarios surrounding suicide, self-harm, eating disorders and other issues that could feasibly affect a young audience were found to be problematic by young viewers.
Research showed 95% of teenagers surveyed agreed with firm age ratings for content.