Digital Smarts - Television Rating System Found Ineffective

Researchers have found that the TV Parental Guidelines that were put in place in the 90’s are not accurate for most programs on television today. According to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics, violence is prevalent across shows, regardless of rating. TV-Y7 rated shows, intended for kids age 7 and older, had similar levels of violence as TV-MA shows – shows that are rated for mature audiences only. Most people don’t realize that the networks or media divisions of companies like Netflix put the ratings on their own shows. Some suggestions from experts for parents include watching media with their kids and talking about risk behaviors they see in media such as alcohol use, smoking, sex and violence.