Movie or game night! But which movies, series or computer games are suitable for the whole family? What does the age rating on the cover or before playing the digital content actually mean? Age labels are intended to protect children and young people from problematic content, but they are not age recommendations. This article explains the differences and shows how parents can make good decisions for their children.
In Germany, there is a system for assessing whether media could be problematic or harmful for a young audience: Age rating or age labeling. It is carried out by various institutions:
All of these checks look at whether media content contains violence, sexuality, drug use or discrimination, for example, or has a lasting frightening effect. The age rating changes depending on how this content is presented. In the case of games, usage risks such as in-game purchases and chat functions are also taken into account in the rating. If a film or game is not approved for a certain age, this means, for example, that it is intercepted by youth protection filters or may only be shown on television from a certain time. The age of visitors is checked in cinemas or at the point of sale. In addition to the age rating, additional information is often published that provides information at a glance about the reasons for an age rating, such as “violence” or “drugs”. On DVDs and Blu-rays, the colored stickers indicate the age rating.
Media content is checked to see whether it could impair the development of children and young people. The aim of age ratings is to protect young people from traumatizing or frightening content. There is no pedagogical assessment behind it: The content is not checked to see whether it is interesting or recommendable for young users!
A recommendation, on the other hand, is nothing more than a ‘good tip’. We get recommendations from friends and neighbors, from the radio – or from educators who check media offerings to see whether they are appealing to children, easy to understand and valuable in terms of content.
As anyone can make a recommendation, it is important to question whether it is well-founded and credible. In the case of private recommendations, it helps to assess the person. In the case of articles or websites, you should know and question the authors. Good sources include:
Every child is different and processes stressful moments differently. It therefore makes sense to combine different sources of information regarding age ratings and recommendations.
If you as a parent adhere to the age ratings, you significantly reduce the risk of your child experiencing lasting impairment. In addition, recommendations from reputable sources improve the selection of good media offerings.
Ideally, parents should also see for themselves: watch the movie beforehand, find out about the game on YouTube or even try it out for yourself. After all, you know your child best and know what they like, what is too much for them or what they are afraid of.
You should also make use of the services offered by the self-regulatory bodies, which publish a wealth of information, explanatory texts and additional information on the labels issued.
And above all: keep the conversation going! Talk to your child about their media experiences. Listen and show interest in the movies or games they love – but also in the ones they don’t like. This way, nothing stands in the way of an entertaining movie or game night with the whole family.
