How To Protect Your Family From Harmful TV
Is your family being exposed to inappropriate TV programs? The television rating system designed in 1997 was supposed to help people monitor the viewing habits of their families. But, does the system really work?
According to the rating guidelines, all programs except news, sports, and premium channel movies are required to display an on-screen rating. The rating system can be a very useful tool if you understand it and recognize its flaws.
Television ratings have been divided into six categories. For the sake of your family, you must educate yourself on the requirements of each category so that you can determine which programs are appropriate for your children.
➢ TVY – Appropriate for all ages of children. So innocent it wouldn’t even frighten a small child.
➢ TVY7 – Appropriate for children ages seven and above. These programs usually include mild violence.
➢ TVG – Appropriate for both adults and children. They usually contain limited or no violence, no strong language, and no sexual content.
➢ TVPG – Parental Guidance is suggested. The program may have some violence, crude language, or sexual content. It also may have an overall theme that is too mature for young children.
➢ TV14 – Parents are strongly cautioned when letting children under 14 view these programs. They may have mature themes, violence, sex, and strong language.
➢ TVM – For mature audiences only. Due to their overall mature content, these programs are meant for adults only.
The rating system has some major flaws. One is that programs are only required to show the rating at the beginning. So, if you tune in mid-show, you won’t know the rating of the program you’re watching. Second, the ratings are inconsistent because producers are allowed to rate their own shows. Thus, the producer’s interpretation of the guidelines may vary from your own. Finally, the TV rating system designates age groups for which the program is appropriate. But, unless it contains an “extra-defining content rating” you can’t tell specifically what offensive items it contains. Watch for content ratings of V for violence, S for sexual content, L for strong language, D for sexual dialogue, and FV for fantasy/cartoon violence.
Many newer TV’s are equipped with the “magical” V-chip, which helps monitor what is being viewed. But, if the ratings are skewed because of one of the mentioned flaws, your family may still be viewing shows you would categorize as inappropriate. Most watchdogs suggest the V-chip not be trusted to screen out all inappropriate programming. Adult supervision is still the best screening device. You can visit www.fcc.gov/vchip/ for more information on this subject.
Deciding what shows your family watches is a challenge. Think about your family’s reaction to specific content. For instance, if your older children are unable to handle strong language, you may need to steer them toward programs rated for younger children. Programs need to be chosen based on the maturity level of the viewer, not the chronological age. For assistance in choosing appropriate programming visit www.tvguidelines.org.
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