How Media Rating Systems Work in Canada

“Age-appropriate” gets thrown around a lot. For movies, shows, games, and apps, it’s supposed to be a label that puts parents at ease: those two words affirming things will be safe for their little ones. If something is rated G for general audiences or EC for early childhood, it’s tempting to just assume it will be OK to let your kids watch or play.

But you and the rating reviewers might have very separate philosophies when it comes to what’s appropriate for your kid. That’s why rating systems are decent guidelines, but it can be important to ask yourself who’s doing the content-critiquing and whether you need more information.

For a lot of us, movie ratings were our initial exposure to these kinds of ratings—our first R-rated film an important rite of passage. Each province has its own legislation for who is allowed to be in the theatre, with or without adult accompaniment. There are technically six classification offices—Wikipedia does a good run-through of how the jurisdictions break down. To see how ratings are determined, you can check out individual provincial sites like the Ontario Film Review Board.

In most regions, a G movie is one suitable for “general audiences” (i.e. all ages), whereas PG ones require “parental guidance” because some of the material may be inappropriate for young audiences. Beyond these blanket ratings, other advisories can be given. For example, the Manitoba Film Classification Board uses “Not Recommended for Young Children” when plots include the death of a family pet or images a little too intense for preschoolers.

Rating systems are decent guidelines, but it can be important to ask yourself who’s doing the content-critiquing and whether you need more information.

Television shows are rated differently from the movies. Instead of the government, TV classification is done by the industry itself through its Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC). Developed in the late 1990s with categories like C (“programming suitable for children ages of two to seven years”), the rating system can be used in conjunction with the V-chip—a parental control found on most TV sets, even though it doesn’t seem to get used all that often. (For a good overview on how it works to block TV shows, read this explainer on How Stuff Works. The CBSC also has a good FAQ on the V-chip.)

Video games are pretty similar. Rather than provincial oversight, the industry has the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) working as a self-regulatory organization, assigning content ratings for computer and video games—from “Early Childhood” and “Everyone” to “Mature” and “Adult Audiences.” In Canada, ESRB ratings are enforced by film ratings boards in many provinces, but most stores still implement them even where they aren’t actually required to by law.

For apps and games on iOS tablets and phones, there are four age rating tiers in Apple’s App Store: 4+, 9+, 12+, and 17+. The first category is supposed to be appropriate for all, without any “objectionable material.” Apps that have “mild or infrequent occurrences of cartoon, fantasy, or realistic violence and infrequent or mild mature, suggestive, or horror-themed content” are given a 9+ rating, and it just gets more intense from there. Last month, Google announced it would be introducing its own similar age-rating system for Android apps and games, and will also be reviewing apps before they are published. The ratings will come from the results of content-related surveys completed by Android developers for both new and already-existing apps.

Watching your kid’s shows with him or her, or playing an app together, can do more than provide you with peace of mind that you’re comfortable with its content

All these rating systems provide a decent, general sense of a movie, show, game, or app’scontent, though there are criticisms they tend to be a little lenient when it comes to violence or scary imagery—everyone knows of a cartoon that scarred and scared an unsuspecting preschooler. However, it’s important to remember these programs are big picture, and don’t tend to catch the more subtle things. A lot of G-rated movies free of nudity, drug use, and bad language might still be problematic when it comes to racial/cultural stereotypes or depiction of gender roles, for example. (And this isn’t limited to older movies.) Or some non-violent apps may still be inappropriate for little ones because of security issues or chat capabilities.

Alongside an ever-changing list of parenting blogs, Common Sense Media does a good job of reviewing movies, games, and apps. (They also clearly define their parameters, so you know what they mean when they say they feel something is right for a five-year-old.) The U.S.-based non-profit goes beyond simple plot or game-play recaps, delving into an app or show’s possible educational value, positive role models, and talking points.

Still, when it comes to ratings, it might be best to think of every movie, show, game, or app as being PG for parental guidance. Granted, this is not always possible, but watching your kid’s shows with him or her, or playing an app together, can do more than provide you with peace of mind that you’re comfortable with its content.

It can spark further discussions with your children about what they have just seen (and how it may or may not apply to their real lives), and it can give you an opportunity to reassure them if they have concerns or to answer them if they have questions. And, as anyone who has talked at length about Breaking Bad or compared strategies for Tetris knows, watching shows together or playing the same apps can be social bonding in itself, and a way to have excited discussions over plot points or character development or cool moments. Besides, a lot of this G-rated stuff is pretty great, even for adult audiences.

Do you always check out the ratings for a movie, show, app, or a game? What programs or games do you enjoy with your kids?