Managing Your Child's Media Use

Between online sites, social media, apps, shows, channels, and video games, there's a lot of media out there. Some of it might not be appropriate for kids, depending on their age and maturity level.

The good news is that there are tools that can help. Things like parental controls, media ratings, and learning why certain content appears can help you manage what your child sees and does online. It’s also important to stay involved with your child’s media use and have regular talks about it.

Guiding Your Child’s Online Activity

The goal isn't to watch your child's every move online. Instead, it's to help them learn smart and healthy habits.

Email & Social Media Accounts

Most service providers don’t let kids get email accounts until they’re 13. Sometimes kids have school-issued accounts set up for them, often between ages 8 and 12.

Many social media sites require kids to be a certain age before they can have their own account. To check your child's social media activity, consider setting up your own account and following your child's pages.

Parental Controls

Most smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, streaming platforms, and home routers have built-in parental controls that let you set guidelines for media use. You can make screen time limits for kids, restrict content, and control downloads and purchases.

Remember to check devices given to kids by their school because they may allow access to distracting games or platforms. Adjusting settings at the start is easier than adding limits later.

Monitoring Media Use

Besides built-in parental controls, some apps and programs can monitor social media activity and browsing history, and send alerts about concerning content or language. These can be especially useful with younger kids. For teens, first talk with them about what you’re monitoring and why. When they understand your reasons, they may be more likely to come to you if something goes wrong.

Regular Check-Ins

No amount of monitoring can protect kids from everything, and they can often figure out how to get around restrictions. That’s why parental controls work best when paired with regular talks about online safety. If problems — like cyberbullying or sexting — come up, use them as teaching moments for kids about media use and protecting their reputation.

Understanding Media Ratings

TV & Streaming Content Ratings

TV and streaming content ratings can help you decide whether a movie or show is appropriate for your child. The ratings often appear in TV and cable program guides and in the corner of the screen for a few seconds when the show starts. Some streaming services also use ratings (or similar guides).

Not all programs and channels offer the rating system. For those that do, the ratings are:

• TV-Y: The program is suitable for all children.
• TV-Y7: The show is aimed at kids 7 years and older (kids who can tell the difference between make-believe and real life). It may contain "mild fantasy violence or comedic violence" that can scare younger kids.
• TV-Y7-FV: The program has fantasy violence that may be more intense than in shows with a TV-Y7 rating.
• TV-G: The show is OK for a general audience (all ages). It’s not aimed specifically at kids, but it contains little to no violence, little or no sexual dialogue or content, and no strong language.
• TV-PG: Parental guidance is suggested for the program. It’s intended for younger kids who are with an adult. It may have an inappropriate theme for younger kids and contains one or more of the following: moderate violence (V), some sexual situations (S), occasional strong language (L), or some suggestive dialogue (D).
• TV-14: Parents are strongly cautioned. The content is meant for kids ages 14 and older who are with an adult. It contains one or more of the following: intense violence (V), intense sexual situations (S), strong language (L), or intensely suggestive dialogue.
• TV-MA: The show is designed for adults and may not be suitable for kids under 17. It contains one or more of the following: graphic violence (V), strong sexual activity (S), or crude language (L).

Ratings Aren’t Perfect

Many TVs, streaming services, and cable providers have settings that let you block programs with certain ratings. Keep in mind that telling kids they can't watch something may make it more appealing.

Also, broadcast news, sports, and commercials aren't rated, although they may include violence and sexual content. That's why it's important to stay involved and try to know what your child is watching.

Video Game & App Ratings

To see which video games and apps are appropriate for certain ages, check the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating categories. The ESRB also has content descriptors to help explain why a game or an app received its rating. Examples include substances (like alcohol and drugs), violence, nudity, and strong language.

Apps may also have age ratings from the device maker or app store, which can differ from ESRB ratings.

Influence of Algorithms

Once kids are online, they’re often at the mercy of algorithms (AL-guh-ri-thumz), programs that track what people click on and watch, then suggest more of the same.

This can be a problem if your child stumbles onto content about unhealthy topics like extreme dieting, self-harm, or other risky behaviors. Even viewing that content once can cause the algorithm to show more of it.

Steps You Can Take

• Talk to your kids about algorithms, so they understand why they may see certain posts, articles, and videos.
• Show them how to reset their recommendations if unhealthy or upsetting content shows up. (Search online for the platform name and “algorithm reset” for how-to steps.)
• Explain that some search terms can lead to harmful content. For example, searching for fitness tips could lead to videos about extreme exercise or risky dieting. Teach kids to notice when a feed feels like it's pushing somewhere unhealthy.

What Else Should I Know?

Parental controls, ratings, and regular talks can help, but it’s important to be a good role model too. When you practice smart media habits yourself, your child is more likely to develop them.

These online resources also can help:

• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offers a Family Media Plan tool, which lets you set household rules for media as a family.
• Common Sense Media provides parent-friendly reviews and age guidance for shows, movies, video games, and apps.

If you have any questions about managing your child’s media use, talk with your doctor.