3 resources to help you decide if screen content is safe
At varying levels of involvement
We’ve all been there: our kid comes up to us and says “hey! Can I download this?!” In that moment we may freeze, we may just say yes or no out of desperation, but we also may not know how to determine if it’s safe
Here are three resources you can try:
Common Sense Media provides reviews for thousands of movies, shows, books, apps, games, and even some YouTube channels. I love how granular their reviews are, but you do have to pay to have full access (or use an education account)
Watch someone play the game. YouTubers and streamers play thousands of games- if it’s new and popular, chances are someone is playing it for an audience. Even searching for the name of the app or game and “overview” or “parents guide” on YouTube will give you tons of results you can casually review when you have time.
Ok stick with me on this one…play it yourself!
I know, this one isn’t everyone’s favorite, but it is a great way to get an idea not only of what your child is interested in, but how the game or app works.
Plus, if you think you can’t figure it out, remember that your child hasn’t played it either, and it’s great to model for them how to figure things out.
My favorite thing about trying the game first is I can set up parental controls or settings exactly how I want, before my child ever gets access.
This way, I know the app or game is safe and my child doesn’t even know what they may be missing out on.
Plus, if we can’t do that kind of review all the time, we can do it when we have the capacity and utilize another resource at other times.
Do you play games or apps your kids ask for? Share in the comments!
I played a lot of Mario Odyssey after my kids had already been playing it a while. Their other favorite games are Lego DC Super Villains and Lego Star Wars. I read about them before I bought them on discount but I didn’t play them. Playing the Star Wars game made my 8 yo want to watch more movies but he’s only watched three so far.