Select Region
Let's Get Social!


Common Sense Media Rolls Out New Character Ratings System

Common Sense Media Rolls Out New Character Ratings System


Common Sense Media launches a new ratings system evaluating character strengths and values in youth media at South by Southwest media conference in Austin this week. 

At a South by Southwest education panel discussion in Austin this week entitled “Can Media Teach Character Strengths and Life Skills?,” experts, academics, and entertainment producers discussed the scope of messages kids soak up in our saturated, digital media environment. Common Sense Media, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to helping families and educators navigate the media and technology landscape, announced today its new ratings system for TV shows and films that portray positive characters and strong values. 
 
 
According to a 2015 Common Sense Census, tweens and teens spend anywhere between six and nine hours a day with media. In another Common Sense survey, parents cited their top concerns regarding their kids’ media consumption as impairing their emotional and social learning. 
 
By promoting and “highlighting storylines that focus on important character strengths, we can harness the power of media to help parents address their top educational concerns,” said James P. Steyer, CEO and founder of Common Sense in a press release. “We hope this initiative provides parents with the information to make educational media choices.” 
 
 
A multidisciplinary advisory council of academics, educators, and Hollywood executives, as well as surveys of parents and grandparents were consulted when choosing which character strengths to promote. Those character strengths are: integrity, compassion, gratitude, self-control, empathy, humility, teamwork, courage, curiosity, communication, and perseverance. 
 
The results of Common Sense media’s rating of over 600 movies and TV shows will be available on its website, along with a discussion forum for parents. Common Sense is also involved with content producers and providers about including more storylines that incorporate the 11 character strengths in mainstream youth-oriented media. This initiative is funded by the John Templeton Foundation and the Bezos Family Foundation.
 
 
 
 




More Health Articles:

Latest News:

Family Activities:

Have a Laugh:

Catherine Patwell

Author: Catherine Patwell is a student of journalism and Italian at Hunter College. When not studying, she is running along the Hudson River, reading cookbooks, or plotting her next travel adventure. Catherine currently resides in Manhattan. See More

Featured Listings:

St. Patrick Youth Community

St. Patrick Youth Community

Smithtown, NY St. Patrick's is a wonderful place for children and young people to be together, have fun, to learn and grow. We are a community where there is someth...

St. Paul School

St. Paul School

Valley Cottage, NY For over 50 years, St. Paul School has been providing a supportive environment designed to stimulate sound judgment, critical thinking, acquisition of...

Portledge School

Portledge School

Locust Valley , NY Portledge School's inclusive community inspires students to realize their potential, learn critical academic skills, develop moral courage, and prepar...

Whitby School

Whitby School

Greenwich, CT At Whitby, each child's natural curiosity is encouraged, guided, and enriched by our inspired teachers in a supportive atmosphere that is conducive to...