Today I added Common Sense Media to my list of websites for information and action. The organization is a not-for-profit organization based in San Francisco. According to their mission statement, they are “dedicated to improving the media and entertainment lives of kids and families.” They review and rate movies, TV shows, websites, video games, music and books – helping parents make informed decisions about what is and is not appropriate.
A year ago, I wasn’t recommending this site to anyone. I’d been aware of the organization for a few years and was always suspicious of their motivation. When I looked at the website, I felt as if they were actually advertising the movies, shows and music. With such a sleek website, I wondered where all their funding was coming from. To me, they were making it too easy to slip into the notion that screen entertainment was the only form of entertainment and that pop culture was to be worshipped. This bothered me especially in their section for the youngest kids. As Common Sense Media grew, and more and more parents across the country were turning to them for information, I cringed at some of the messages being sent, and worried about what was not being said.
In November, I had the chance to pose my questions and concerns to the CEO and founder, Jim Steyer. He was presenting at the NAEYC (National Association of the Education of Young Children) conference in Dallas, and I was there presenting as well. Jim is a talker, no doubt, but he listened respectfully to my publicly posed questions and concerns. Other educators and parents applauded in agreement when I raised the specific concerns about his website’s handling of media and young children.
Jim conceded the point, acknowledging that Common Sense Media did not consider the specific developmental needs of these young children when designing this portion of the site. He defended his funding, and described situations when he has turned down money from groups and corporations who wanted Common Sense Media to change their unfavorable reviews. The site is sleek, he explained, because Common Sense Media knows they are competing in a world where expectations for good web design are high. They are working hard and spending resources to capture and retain their target audience: parents.
Jim welcomed my input and I was ready to share more ideas. As the months passed, I emailed his staff some of my concerns and suggestions. When I look at the site today, I see many of these ideas (links, etc) incorporated into the site. Most importantly, alternatives to screen entertainment are getting more publicity. There are suggestions for family contracts to limit screen-time, research about the potential health concerns associated with too much TV, questions about appropriateness of advertising to children and ideas for managing screen entertainment. A recent article about the Transformers movie actually included ideas for your family entertainment – instead of taking them to the movie! In Dallas, Jim explained that consumerism is a major concern of his – he is a father of four – and that comes through much more clearly now in the website.
Movies, TV shows, etc are reviewed through a number of lenses: violence, sex, messages, drugs, role models and also consumerism. With each review, there are also suggestions about what issues families can talk about in relation to the movie, show, song or book. For example, a recent song review contained this advice: Families can talk about why some people value appearance over character. What are the potential pitfalls of having a relationship with someone who looks great on the outside but treats others poorly? Is it possible to develop a romantic interest in someone based on his or her personality?
The site has many opportunities (through reviews and community discussions) to add your own thoughts – or even catch up about what kids (especially tweens and teens) and parents are saying about the latest movie, TV show, video game, website or book.
I still have more ideas I want to share with them, but for now, I can feel good about saying, “Check out Common Sense Media.” In the media ocean parents struggle to navigate, Common Sense Media makes a worthy compass.