As we get ready to enter the summer movie season, many parents wonder whether a movie is age-appropriate for their child. How does a PG rating differ from a G rating? What about language? Are there scenes that may upset my child and cause nightmares?No rating or rating service can answer all of those questions, but we recommend that you start your investigation by visiting the Common Sense Media website.
Common Sense Media (CSM) is a national organization led by concerned parents and individuals with experience in child advocacy, public policy, education, media and entertainment. The members of their staff represent leading research, academic and policy institutions as well as the business community. Their members have a broad range of views and backgrounds, but they all share a passion for media and for kids.
The mission of CSM is to improve the lives of kids and families by providing trustworthy information, education, and an independent voice to evaluate movies, games, apps, websites, TV shows, books, and music.
Many children spend more time with media and digital activities than they do with their families or in school, which profoundly impacts their social, emotional, and physical development. As a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization, Common Sense Media rates media based on age appropriateness. They rely on developmental criteria from some of the nation's leading authorities to determine what content is appropriate for which ages. The goal is to give parents a broad range of information so that you can decide what works for your family. Every family and every kid is different — but all families need information to make good media choices.
Is It Age Appropriate?
For each title, the CSM Decider Scale indicates the age for which a title is either appropriate or most relevant and assign an ON (age appropriate), IFFY (somewhat edgy for the age), or OFF (not age appropriate) rating.
Is It Any Good?Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. We think you want to know how enjoyable something is before paying for something that will bore you to tears. In some cases, they offer this evaluation based on parents’ ratings as well kids’ ratings.
Why They Rate Something ON, IFFY, or OFF for an Age
Right below their ratings you will find a Content Grid with icons that highlight specific content concerns—both positive and negative—along with in-depth explanation on the rated content. See recent rating of the hit movie, Rio, below:
No matter how much we limit their exposure, our kids are influenced by the media they see, hear, and interact with. That’s why at A Room Of Their Own, we want you to know about ways you can decide on the media you want to expose to them.
