As long as the public owns the airwaves, there’s a role for the F.C.C. in ensuring there are protections for kids and families.
The F.C.C. Needs to Help Kids and Families
Liz Perle is editor in chief at Common Sense Media, a nonprofit watchdog group that studies families and media.
Updated July 27, 2010, 4:51 PM
Our children are growing up in a complex world in which they spend more time with media than with parents or in school –– and most of that is TV. The “family hour” still theoretically exists, but DVRs, mobile devices and online streaming mean kids can see anything at anytime. The messages kids get from programming and ads have a profound impact on their development. In this environment, balancing the First Amendment rights of broadcasters and the concerns of families has never been more challenging. Addressing this challenge should be the role of the Federal Communications Commission.
It can be argued that the commission's “indecency” rules have become irrelevant now that families have tools to manage what kids see on TV. But it’s not that simple.
Not every family can afford these tools, and any parent who has felt the sucker-punch when something they thought was appropriate for their kids suddenly went off the rails knows they need to be able to count on some programming that won’t contain content kids aren’t ready to see. Sure, parents must shoulder the responsibility for knowing what their kids are watching, but asking them to do all the heavy lifting is unrealistic. There should be a partnership among government, parents and industry –– an understanding that some boundaries still need observing when it comes to our kids.
At Common Sense Media, our mission has always been and will continue to be “sanity, not censorship.” We believe all parents should have a choice and a voice about the media their kids consume and create. We recognize all families are different, and that for some, the occasional curse word is no big deal, or at worst, a teachable moment. But that’s not all families, and as long as the public owns the airwaves, there’s a role for the F.C.C. in ensuring there are protections for kids and families.