Another important aspect of parenting is being involved
with your kids. No amount of technological monitoring can substitute
for your involvement. One form of involvement is being aware of what
your children are doing. Whether it is going to the movies, watching
TV, or playing video games; there are resources for a parent to know
at a glance what type of content the entertainment their children are
viewing has.
Movies started the ratings trend back in the 60’s.
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) decided that it was
better to rate a movie for age appropriateness rather than to tell a
film maker what they could and couldn’t put in a movie. A modern
movie rating can not only tell you what age range a movie is appropriate
for, but what kinds of content the movie has in it. Thus if you feel
strongly against violence, you know not to let your 16 year old watch
a movie that is rated PG 13 for violence, even though the rating may
say it wouldn’t scar your child. Another thing movie ratings do
is keep kids out of adult movies. Children can’t even get into
R rated movies without a parent, and they can’t get into NC 17
movies at all. For more information about movie ratings check our ratings
page (link) or the MPAA website.
Movie ratings worked so well TV followed suit. It took
some three decades before Congress mandated that the FCC and television
networks rate their programs, but now every TV show has a rating symbol
in the corner at the beginning. Many programs run the same rating symbol
after commercial breaks as well. The ratings are different from their
movie rating companions, mostly because the limitations for broadcast
television are different from film. There are also more divisions in
TV age ratings, such as Y, Y7, and 14. These ratings indicate that there
is a difference between a TV show you’d show your toddler, and
what you’d let your 10 year old watch.
It may surprise you to know that video games embraced
an age rating system before television did, and that they did so without
congressional mandate. In 1994 the Entertainment Software Ratings Board
(ESRB) was created. Software ratings range from EC for early childhood
games, to AO for adult only games. More importantly for parents, the
ratings will tell you why the game is suggested for the age range that
it is. Whether its violence, dialogue, adult themes, or suggestive language,
the box says what the game entails, which allows you to make a better
decision on whether it is appropriate for your child. For more information
on game ratings visit our game ratings page (link) or the ESRB’s site.
Knowing the rating of the shows, movies, and games your
children are playing is a good start, but it’s not nearly enough.
Spend time watching TV, going to movies, or even playing video games
with your children. This will give you an opportunity to discuss the
things your children are watching with them. This involvement is the
most important aspect of parenting, and ratings are just a means to
help you with it.
