Filter Movies to Protect Kids: 5 Simple Tips from VidAngel You Need to Know

This is a guest post from VidAngel, a company dedicated to empowering viewers with the ability to customize streaming according to their values. Discover more about VidAngel and its mission at the end of this article.

In today's world, where streaming services provide easy access to a variety of movies and TV shows, safeguarding our children from inappropriate content has become more challenging than ever. That's where VidAngel comes into play.

We understand the importance of filtering movies to shield ourselves and our families from potentially harmful material and creating a safer entertainment environment. Here are 5 simple tips to help parents get started.

Tip #1: Understand the growing challenge

As technology advances, the range and accessibility of content have expanded as well. This provides a wealth of educational and entertaining options. But it also opens the door to content that may not be appropriate or aligned with personal standards. 

Did you know offensive content in today’s movies has increased at a staggering rate of nearly 800% since 1980? 

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The first swear word in a studio film was in 1939’s Gone With the Wind. Nowadays, our movies average 43 swear words an hour. 

According to Netflix’s Jennifer Nieva, 60% of Netflix subscribers watch kids and family content, but surprisingly less than 1% of Netflix’s original content is designated as G, and 6% are classified as PG. Of the original Netflix content, 62% are rated MA. The adult-only content on Netflix outnumbers the family-friendly content 10:1.

Related: How Do Kids Find Porn? Top 10 Ways in 2023

Tip #2: Get to know VidAngel's expertise in filtering

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VidAngel understands the importance of striking a balance between enjoying a wide range of content and ensuring it aligns with viewers’ family values. It empowers parents to customize movie and TV content based on those values and the age of their children. VidAngel allows you to select what offensive language to mute and what inappropriate scenes to skip. With a click of a button, you can take out nudity, sex scenes, profanity, blasphemy, violence, and gore before you even press play. 

VidAngel's filtering technology is designed to provide viewers with a customizable and family-friendly viewing experience. It works by allowing users to select specific language and content elements they wish to filter out from movies and TV shows.

For example, if you want to eliminate profanity from a movie, you can navigate to the 'Language' filters and locate the option to remove specific words. You have the flexibility to choose how many or how few of these words to exclude.

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Whether for family-friendly viewing, or simply minimizing unwanted content, filtering offers us the freedom to make the choice about what we allow in our homes, and maximizes the streaming content families can enjoy with their existing subscriptions.

Related: Swimming Upstream: How to Share Your Family's Media Standards with Other Parents

Tip #3: Understand why filtering matters

There are many reasons to safeguard kids from offensive content. Here are just 4:

1. Age-Appropriate Content: Filtering movies ensures that children are exposed only to content suitable for their age, reducing the risk of emotional distress and confusion.
2. Maintain Family Values: Parents work hard to instill their family’s values in their children. Filtering allows parents to reinforce those values and ensure that the media aligns with their beliefs.
3. Build Trust: By using filtering tools, parents can foster trust with their children, showing that they care about their well-being and safety.
4. Minimize Risk: By filtering the content that comes through our homes, we avoid the possibility of inadvertently exposing children to objectionable content. By using filters, all members of the household can avoid any uncomfortable movie scenes. 

Tip # 4: Support open dialogue

Filtering isn’t just about muting scenes; it’s also about sparking conversation. It provides an opportunity for parents to discuss media choices and content with their children, promoting healthy communication.

Parent Child Role Play Script:

Parent: Well, you know how we watch movies and TV shows, right? It's something we enjoy as a family, and it's a great way to be entertained. But not everything we see on the screen is suitable for all ages.

Child: Yeah, I get that. Like, some movies have really scary stuff.

Parent: Right, that's a good example. Scary scenes can be too intense for kids, and they might give you nightmares or make you feel uneasy. But there's more to it than just scary things. Sometimes, movies and TV shows have scenes with bad words, violence, or inappropriate behavior.

Child: Oh, you mean like when people are mean to each other or use bad language?

Parent: Exactly. Those kinds of scenes can influence how we think and act, especially when we're young and still learning about the world. We want to make sure that the media we choose to watch is positive, teaches us good things, and doesn't make us feel uncomfortable.

Related: Are You Missing These 5 Easy Teaching Moments to Protect Your Kids from Pornography?

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Tip #5: Use VidAngel for a relaxing family movie night

VidAngel can transform a typical family movie night into a fun, stress-free experience by ensuring that the content is both entertaining, family-friendly, and aligns with your values. With VidAngel's customizable filtering options, parents can relax knowing that their children will not be exposed to inappropriate content. This peace of mind sets the stage for a more enjoyable movie night where everyone can have fun without concerns about uncomfortable or offensive scenes.

Here is a list of family-friendly movies that are perfect for a cozy family movie night, made even better with VidAngel's filtering capabilities.

Comedy

Grab the popcorn, dim the lights, and get ready to LOL without any worries. With VidAngel, you can turn those "not-so-family-friendly" jokes into side-splitting humor that even your grandma would approve of!:

• The Lost City
• Jumanji: The Next Level
• The Little Rascals
• Here Comes the Boom
• Back to the Future
• Lyle, Lyle Crocodile
• Matilda
• Paul Blart: Mall Cop
• Yes Day
• Penelope
• Dolittle
• Thunder Force
• Coming to America
• Uncle Buck

Action/Adventure

Unleash your inner adventurer! VidAngel lets you embark on thrilling journeys minus the sailor's language. No more cringing; just action.

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
• Smurfs: The Lost Village
• Shrek
• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
• Sea Beast
• Madagascar
• How to Train Your Dragon
• Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
• Dora and the Lost City of Gold
• Uncharted
• Top Gun: Maverick

Kid flicks

Take a journey to the world of imagination and wonder with the little ones. VidAngel transforms animated tales into wholesome adventures, ensuring your kids are enchanted without any unwanted surprises.

• Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
• Sing
• Kung Fu Panda
• Despicable Me
• Leap
• Puss In Boots
• The Angry Birds Movie
• Megamind
• Trolls
• Hotel Transylvania
• The Secret Life of Pets 2
• Shark Tale

Family favorites

For those cozy nights with the entire clan, VidAngel ensures that family movie time remains a haven of happiness. Say goodbye to awkward questions and hello to family movie bliss!

• A Million Miles Away
• Uncharted
• The Karate Kid
• Yours, Mine & Ours
• My Spy
• Nanny McPhee
• Imagine That
• Peter Rabbit
• Zookeeper

Fantasy

Enter the realms of dragons, wizards, and epic quests. VidAngel gives you the power to shape these fantastical worlds into adventures that spark the imagination, minus the fantasy f-words.

• Spider-Man: Homecoming
• A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting
• Jumanji
• Sherlock Gnomes

Especially for teens

We get it, teens want their independence, but you want them to stay grounded. VidAngel bridges the generation gap by letting you tailor those teen flicks to align with your values, while they still think they're making their own choices.

• Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
• Wednesday
• Sixteen Candles
• Soul Surfer
• Jurassic Park
• Spider-Man: Far From Home

Protect personal values

In the era of limitless digital content, it's crucial to stand up for and protect personal values. Companies like VidAngel and Defend Young Minds empower parents to make informed decisions and create a safe digital environment for their families. By filtering movies and engaging in open dialogue, we can ensure that our children enjoy the benefits of modern entertainment while preserving their innocence and well-being.