Linden Lab Official:Maturity ratings and media access

Your own maturity setting, as well as the maturity setting of land parcels near you, can affect your ability to hear sounds and voices in the Second Life world.

Voice and maturity ratings

Regions that use the Adult (A) maturity rating use a separate Estate channel for voice communication. This means that if you are in an Adult region, you can only speak with other Residents who are also in nearby Adult regions. If you are in an Adult region and you stand near the border of a PG or M region, Residents in the other region cannot hear you speak, and you will be unable to hear them speak. Text chat crosses region borders normally, regardless of maturity ratings.

Note: Note: Group and private voice chats are not affected by region maturity ratings, and always function the same way regardless of your location.

Gestures, sounds, and maturity ratings

Gestures and other sounds played in Second Life are handled differently than voice chat; your personal maturity rating determines whether or not you are able to hear sounds originating from a PG or Adult region. Your personal maturity rating must meet or exceed the maturity rating on the region you wish to hear sounds from.

Examples

• If your rating is set to PG, you can only hear sounds and gestures that originate from a region that is also rated PG.
• If your rating is set to M, you can hear sounds and gestures that originate from regions that are rated PG or M.
• If you are age-verifed and your maturity rating is set to Adult, you can hear sounds and gestures originating from any nearby region, including Adult regions.

Parcel media and maturity ratings

By definition, parcel media content is confined to the parcel for which it is set. If your avatar is not authorized to enter a land parcel, you cannot view or hear streaming media that is playing on that parcel.