June is Ratings Awareness Month, so it might be of interest to
find out just how aware parents are of media ratings regarding
sex and violence. They report that "Sixty-five percent of
parents say they "closely" monitor their children's media use,
while just 18% say they "should do more." This may help to
explain why since 1998 the proportion of parents who say they
are "very" concerned that their own children are exposed to
inappropriate content - while still high - has dropped, from 67%
to 51% for sexual content, from 62% to 46% for violence, and
from 59% to 41% for adult language." Some of the key findings: -
Parents' use of the TV and video game ratings has stayed
virtually the same since 1998 at about 50%, while use of music
advisories has gone up (from 41% to 52%), and use of movie
ratings has declined (from 86% to 77%). - Among parents who have
used any of the media ratings, the proportion who say they find
them "very" useful has increased over the years, from 43% to 58%
for video game ratings, 45% to 5