Remember the V-Chip? The thing in your TV that was supposed to block inappropriate content?
Yeah, nobody uses that anymore. But TV ratings are still the same ones from 1996.
Welcome to parenting in the streaming era.
- TV-Y = All children
- TV-Y7 = Directed to older children (7+)
- TV-G = General audience
- TV-PG = Parental guidance suggested
- TV-14 = Parents strongly cautioned
- TV-MA = Mature audience only
There are also sub-ratings like V (violence), S (sexual content), L (language), D (suggestive dialogue), and FV (fantasy violence).
Here's what's broken:
1. Autoplay doesn't care about ratings
Your kid finishes a TV-Y show on Netflix and suddenly something TV-14 autoplays. Great system.
2. YouTube isn't rated at all
The content most kids watch the most—YouTube—exists entirely outside this system.
3. Ratings don't match streaming categories
Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon all have their own content filters that don't quite map to TV ratings. "Kids profiles" work differently on each platform.
4. The same rating means wildly different things
Bluey is TV-Y. Some truly weird YouTube knockoff animations are also labeled TV-Y. Not the same thing.
Instead of obsessing over ratings, here's what works:
Set up profiles correctly
- Netflix Kids profile: Actually pretty good, limits content and disables autoplay previews
- Disney+: Kids profile works well, but some older Disney content has issues (looking at you, Peter Pan)
- YouTube Kids: Better than regular YouTube, but still needs supervision
Use co-viewing strategically
You can't watch everything with them (you have a life), but occasional check-ins reveal a lot.
Know the shows, not just the ratings
Bluey = genuinely great TV you'll enjoy too
Cocomelon = hypnotic and parents have opinions
Peppa Pig = fine but she's kind of a brat
The ratings won't tell you this.
We give you:
- Show-specific guidance that goes beyond a rating
- Community context - what are other parents watching with kids this age?
- Your family's patterns - based on your survey, we know your comfort levels
- Platform-specific tips - because Netflix and YouTube need different strategies
TV ratings are a blunt instrument from a broadcast era. Streaming needs a different approach.
Check out our guides on the best kids' shows by age, how to set up streaming parental controls, and YouTube vs. YouTube Kids.
Or take the survey and get personalized viewing recommendations.