Common Sense Media

Check Out Your Kid’s Viewing Habits

• What: Common Sense Media
• When: 18 months to college
• Why: Get ratings by parents for parents
• Where: CommonSenseMedia.org

Looking for suggestions for shows and movies for your kid? Run out of ideas for what to watch? Get the lowdown on almost any show, book, app, or games at Common Sense Media.

This independent, non-profit website rates movies, TV shows, apps, and almost anything else electronic. Their extensive library of reviews offers kid and parent opinions. Their categories include lots of topics, both positive and negative, that matter to parents when choosing programming for their child. Their list includes educational value, positive messages, positive role models, violence and other scary stuff, sex-related scenes, foul language, drinking, drugs, smoking, and even consumerism. 

Each review suggests an appropriate starting age, as well as details for each of the categories specifying content, and an overall summary of what parents need to know. No matter how old your child, you can use this website to make smart choices for their electronic exposure. 

Need more ideas? Common Sense Media can make recommendations based on lots of different filters, from category to age. Next time you need a suggestion for family movie night, look no further than this unbiased resource to choose something right for your values.