Media Watchdog Group Releases Family Entertainment 'Safe List'
by Allie Martin
December 3, 2003
(AgapePress) - There is a tool for parents who want to be sure their children receive family-friendly DVDs and video games this Christmas. The Parents Television Council has released a list of recommended DVDs and video games for parents shopping for entertainment gifts this Christmas season. Melissa Caldwell with the PTC says there was not a glut of family-friendly games and movies to consider.
"The vast majority of entertainment products that are coming out this time of year unfortunately are not appropriate for family audiences," Caldwell says, "but we were able to find at least ten movies that were rated either G or PG and that have a pretty well-established track record for providing family-friendly entertainment, and ten video games that were pretty safe."
The PTC representative says it is vital for parents to be aware of what games their children are playing and what movies they are watching. She notes that this is especially true considering the fact, as indicated by surveys, that many parents are unfamiliar with the ratings systems used for films and video games.
The list is a way to help parents understand the relationship between the rating, content, and suitability of entertainment products. "If you have an idea going into the store of what video games are rated and what's appropriate, it makes your job a little bit easier," Caldwell says.
The PTC list identifies several G and PG-rated films (General audiences and Parental Guidance suggested) and E-rated video games (for Everyone) that are free from offensive content, including such movies as Finding Nemo, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and The Music Man, and games such as "Dora the Explorer," "Wheel of Fortune," and "The Hobbit."
