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I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that is is getting harder and harder to find family friendly movies, not only for kids, but adults too. My husband and I have made a commitment to guard our eyes and ears from the slew of inappropriate movies/TV shows/songs/books that seem to dominate much of American culture these days. I have to tell you, that it isn’t easy. There are hardly any movies/TV shows that we feel very comfortable watching. Movies and games that were once intended for children are now loaded with sex, language, and violence. In my very honest opinion, it is very sad. We do not have children yet, but for those of you that do…I can only imagine how difficult it is to guide and raise them in our media centered world. I wanted to share with you a few services that will hopefully help you to make good choices for your family.
The first is Plugged In Online. Plugged In Online is a Focus on the Family publication designed to shine a light on the world of popular entertainment while giving families the essential tools they need to understand, navigate and impact the culture in which they live. Through their reviews, articles and discussions, they hope to spark intellectual thought, spiritual growth and a desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” I often visit Plugged In Online to read a review on a movie before heading out to the theater or renting a movie.
The second, Common Sense Media, is relatively new to me, but also sounds like a neat service. Common Sense Media the leading nonprofit organization offering free expert advice, ratings, and reviews — by age — of the latest movies, TV shows, video games, books, music, and websites. They are committed to creating a positive media experience for kids and families in a too much, too soon culture. Common Sense Mediadistributes a free weekly newsletter full of new reviews and valuable advice. They are also currenlty offering a free two week trial of Disney Digital Books when you sign-up for their newsletter.
So, what do you think? Have you used either of these services? What do you do to protect your family’s eyes and ears?
Chris & Charlotte says
My husband knows how to edit movies so he has a company called Clean Time Entertainment. He sells edited copies of tons of different Hollywood movies on EBay. If anyone is interested in any specific movies I'm sure he would post them for you to purchase! We don't watch R-rated movies so there are only a handful of those that we offer (ones that he watched as a silly teenager:) but it's great to clean-up all those PG-13s and let's face it, sometimes PGs! To protect ourselves and our family from junk on the internet we use a free filter called K9 Web Protection. Thanks for the great post, media really is a scary thing sometimes!
Chris & Charlotte says
My husband knows how to edit movies so he has a company called Clean Time Entertainment. He sells edited copies of tons of different Hollywood movies on EBay. If anyone is interested in any specific movies I'm sure he would post them for you to purchase! We don't watch R-rated movies so there are only a handful of those that we offer (ones that he watched as a silly teenager:) but it's great to clean-up all those PG-13s and let's face it, sometimes PGs! To protect ourselves and our family from junk on the internet we use a free filter called K9 Web Protection. Thanks for the great post, media really is a scary thing sometimes!
Anonymous says
Thank you for this post! My husband and I are very protective of our children with respect to the things they watch, the things they read, and the things they find on the Internet. It was only after an unfortunate incident with our oldest child (10 year old daughter) that we truly realized that our society is pushing our children to grow up much too quickly. Since that incident (involving an inappropriate website that she stumbled upon, all too easily, I might add) we've seen ourselves as the keepers of our children's innocence–never letting our guard down, always scrutinizing the things they come in contact with and not giving into societal pressure. With our constant guidance, we are hopeful that we can raise our children to be honest, moral, and respectful adults.
Jen says
I've been using Common Sense Media for the past year or so and have been recommending it to my MOMSnext group. The reviews are detailed and accurate. My favorite feature is the age recommendations from the site, parents/educators, and kids.
I haven't used Plugged In but have heard from many families who use it and love it.