Should Access to YA Literature be Limited? (Argument Essay)

        Nowadays, young adult literature has been containing more caliginous content (or so some say); and this has caused a stir among adults and teens all across the nation. Some say that access to young adult literature should be limited to teens due to the content it provides—they believe that said content is too much for the teenagers and that it will corrupt their innocence and/or happiness, and so they shouldn't be allowed to view concepts. Personally, young adult books should not be limited in any way—limiting access would not work and YA fiction can be seen as reassuring to its readers.
       
        Access to YA literature should not be limited because limiting it to children/teens will simply not work. In the article, "Should young adult books has ratings?" Patrick Ness, an author with a Carnegie Medal-winning novel, argues that rating systems for young adult literature won't work because, "children are great self-censors." He states, "'if it's got an 18 certificate for adults, then younger children will look it out when their parents are not around…. They know what they can read and they know what they want to read, and if you don't give it to them, they'll find it somehow." This is completely true when it comes to children and teens, in general. It happens with other types of media as well. For example, if a minor wanted to buy a mature-rated video game, they would still get it even if their parents or the seller didn't allow them to. They could get it online or ask to borrow it from a friend who was able to get it.

        YA books shouldn't be limited because it is comforting and supporting to the teens reading it. The author of the article, "Why the Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood," Sherman Alexie states, "And there are millions of teens who read because they are sad and lonely and enraged. They read because they live in an often-terrible world. They read because they believe, despite the callow protestations of certain adults, that books—especially the dark and dangerous ones—will save them." This shows how YA books can be helpful for teens who are struggling. They (books) make them feel like they're not alone and literature encourages them.

        It's easy to see why some people think YA books should be restricted; these books can contain dark content that, according to some people (like Meghan Cox Gurdon), may alter a teen's thinking or perspective on life. Gurdon says, "If books show us the world, teen fiction can be like a hall of fun-house mirrors, constantly reflecting back hideously distorted portrayals of what life is…. It has to do with a child's happiness, moral development and tenderness of heart." I can see where Gurdon is coming from and her thinking process, but I just have to say that books don't show us the world. And not all teen fiction contains such "lurid" or "horrendous" content. Also, if the book has some dark concepts, the readers may be seeking it out for their own good. They want to know that they are not alone and that others have experienced what they're going through. In other words, these teenagers look for reassurance when they can't seem to find it anywhere else. Additionally, if the content in YA literature is too disturbing for the reader, then they don't have to read it! It's their choice if they would like to read it or not. And if one particular teenager doesn't like YA literature, that doesn't mean that a whole bunch of teenagers have to have it taken away from them.

        In conclusion, young adult literature should not be limited because any limitations will not work and the books, that are being challenged, encourage readers to thrive on, despite their struggles. To be completely honest, I don't even know what goes on in the minds of people who want to restrict particular books or genres to adolescents and teens. Reading is good for the mind, even if it has dark content and such. Those people in particular should look past the gory concepts and try to find an important lesson or moral reason as to why that book was written. As I said before (countless times), YA literature can have aspects that encourage teens to thrive on, or as Sherman Alexie would say, "to give them weapons—in the form of words and ideas—that will help them fight their monsters." Maybe those people could try and find the better aspects of young adult literature. What is something positive that YA fiction has taught you or made you think about?