Appropriate Content

The content and media children consume plays a powerful role in shaping their understanding of the world, relationships, values, and even themselves. Whether it’s music, movies, games, or online content, these influences can have both positive and negative impacts, depending on the nature of what children are exposed to. For primary school-aged children, it’s especially important that the content they engage with is age-appropriate, developmentally suitable, and aligned with positive messages and values. Children at this stage are still learning how to process emotions, build social skills, and distinguish between reality and fantasy. 

We strongly encourage families to take an active role in monitoring and guiding their children's media choices. This includes checking classification ratings, previewing content when possible, setting screen time boundaries, and most importantly, having open and ongoing conversations. 

Creating safe and supportive media habits during these formative years not only protects children from potential harm but also lays a strong foundation for their wellbeing, self-esteem, and understanding of healthy relationships in the future. 

Music: It’s best to select songs with positive, age-appropriate lyrics and themes. Music that promotes kindness, confidence, fun, or learning is ideal, while songs with explicit language, sexual references, or violent content should be avoided. Many streaming platforms offer “clean” or kid-friendly playlists that are great options for this age group. Encouraging children to enjoy music that is uplifting and suitable for their stage of development helps support a healthy emotional and social environment.

Movies: It's important to choose films that are age-appropriate, with positive messages, gentle humour, and content suited to their developmental stage. Movie classification ratings, such as G and PG, are there for a reason. They help guide families toward content that is safe and suitable for young viewers. These guidelines consider things like language, violence, scary scenes, and mature themes. Choosing appropriate movies supports children’s emotional wellbeing and helps ensure their viewing experiences are positive and enjoyable.

Games: It's important to consider both the content and the level of supervision needed for primary school-aged children. Games like Minecraft and Roblox can be creative and educational when used in safe, controlled environments with privacy settings and adult supervision. However, some parts of Roblox and online games like Fortnite may expose children to inappropriate language, violence, or interactions with strangers. Games with cartoon-style action and no strong violence, such as Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, or Just Dance, are typically more suitable. Always check age ratings and monitor how children are interacting with games to help them play safely and responsibly.

Online Content / Social Media: Online content and social media use should be limited and carefully supervised. At this age, children are still developing the skills to navigate the risks of the online world, including exposure to inappropriate content, online predators, and cyberbullying. Most social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat have a minimum age requirement of 13 for a reason. They are not designed for younger users. Instead, children should engage with safe, educational websites, age-appropriate video platforms (such as YouTube Kids), and apps that encourage learning and creativity. Parental controls, time limits, and open conversations about online safety are essential for building healthy digital habits early on.

Sara Ljuboja

School Counsellor