Should I Let My Child Watch this Movie?

I recently discovered a website called Plugged In, a site sponsored by Focus on the Family with the tagline, “Shining a light on the world of popular entertainment.” The website offers parents information about current movies, videos, movies, TV shows, and video games, allowing parents to make an informed decision about whether or not to expose their children to a particular movie, game, or show. For example, the movie reviews begin with a pretty extensive plot summary, followed by a description of “positive elements,” “sexual content,” “violent content,” “crude or profane language,” “drug and alcohol content,” “other negative elements,” and a “conclusion.”

What I have appreciated about the site is that each section lists the concrete instances of the element, letting parents decide for themselves whether or not they would be comfortable with their children hearing off-color jokes or seeing a character with enhanced cleavage, for example. This also allows parents to be prepared for what their children will see, giving them the opportunity to discuss these elements with their children before or after viewing. In a culture where many children’s movies are not as innocent as they may seem, this type of resource is invaluable!

In addition, Plugged In offers reviews of adult movies, which is great since my husband and I have had a difficult time finding movies that we feel comfortable watching. There is so much trash when it comes to modern-day media, but often it is hard to tell this by reading a quick plot summary. There is nothing more frustrating than ordering a Netflix movie for the weekend, only to find that we have to turn off the movie after 15 minutes because it is so inappropriate!

Have you found other helpful resources when it comes to media?