Common Sense Media website is the perfect online companion for parents

– by Sasha Silvester, Sooke, Passionate mother of a 10-year old girl and a 6-year old boy

Overview

• Usage: tool to assess resources (websites, books, movies and more) for children
• Cost: free
• Accessibility: Online, and available as an app
• Recommendation: High

Review

Click to visit the Common Sense Media website

Hello Soookies, I am excited to give a quick overview of the Common Sense Media website that became my go-to tool every time I consider new movie or books for my kids.

I have been using this website for the last three years and I am impressed with the quality and the quantity of its information. The site is relatively easy to use and comes as an App for people on the go. Common Sense Media is free to use and driven by the parents and educators in attempt to provide honest reviews on books, movies, games, websites, apps and TV shows. The titles are reviewed based on positive messages and role models, violence, sex, language and consumerism and use of substances. Both parents and kids provide their opinions and each title is rated  as an age category per messages it carries. I find the reviews are a spot-on and provide me with a quick overview of what each title is about.

Common Sense Media helps me make an informed decision if the book or a movie I consider will reflect my values and if not, whether I can use it as a teaching moment to point the discrepancies out.

Besides the reviews I also use this site for recommendations on books and movies that I can tailor to the age of my children. The database of the site is big, but there are still some titles that they do not carry and then I find I am annoyed as I have to try and glean the same information from generic reviews on Internet.

I highly recommend this site as a tool for parents who want to be informed consumers and to stay diligent regarding the messages that our kids are bombarded with from the media.