Use Common Sense (Media)

Greetings!

I know that many parents have concerns about the amount of inappropriate stuff that children are exposed to day after day through books, television, movies, games, and other things. How can parents and teacher keep up with everything that comes out and know if it is appropriate for our children?

There is a website called Common Sense Media - www.commonsensemedia.org . A parent, teacher, or caring adult can log on to the website and check out reviews of books, television shows, movies, games, and apps which can help parents make informed choices. Not only are the books reviewed, they also give ratings. A Green Circle means that the content is age appropriate; Yellow Circle is the caution button. This says, “Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids”. The Red Circle means that the material is not age appropriate for kids that age.

One way to search is to click on your child’s age, and then use the other filters to find good choices. For example, I set the age level filter to eight years old, then I filtered movies. I wondered what would come up. Not far down the list the animated movie “Brave” was listed. The review says “Mother-daughter princess tale has some very scary scenes”. The movie has a green circle and the age recommendation is 8 years old and older and there are four out five stars. There is a video clip of the movie which includes a longer review also. I could also have filtered even more, but stopped at just the age and media for this demonstration.

Parents can also type in the name of a movie or other media and get instant information without having to scroll multiple pages. I typed in the name of a movie that is playing now in theaters called “Identity Thief”. The previews that are shown on television depict this as a comedy that could even be a family movie. The review from Common Sense Media gives it two stars out of five with a yellow circle and an age level of 16 years. The one line review says “Great stars can’t rescue uneven, sometimes violent comedy.” This one also has a video clip review with it.

There is much more on this site. Click on the top bar to find reviews, top picks, best for learning, videos, blog, educators, and About Us. The videos section has videos to educate parents about a multitude of subject areas. A few titles I saw are “Violence in Media Really Matters”, “Boys and Body Image”, “Girls and Body Image”, “Texting Tips for Parents”, “Protecting Kids’ Privacy Online”, and other advice videos. The videos are also available in Spanish.

When I first heard of Common Sense Media, I heard that many families use the website to make decisions about the media they purchase or view. If a child wants a particular game for his or her handheld device or if he wants to go see a particular movie, the parents say, “Let’s see what Common Sense Media says about it.” They look it up and use the age recommendations to help decide if the material is appropriate. I think this is a smart way to go.

Check out Common Sense Media and then let the parents of your students know about it.
I hope you have a great week.

Audrey