Behind the Common Sense Media ratings system

What's age appropriate for a 15 to 17-year-old?

The way our kids consume and create media profoundly affects their social, emotional, and physical development. That's why, when we make assessments about age appropriateness, we rely on developmental criteria from some of the nation's leading authorities to determine what content and activities are best suited for each age and stage. Below you will find the developmental guidelines we use in establishing our age ratings and recommendations. But even as we rely on experts, we know that all kids grow and mature differently. Our age-based reviews and ratings are a guide -- but ultimately, you're still the expert when it comes to your kids.

What's going on at age 15-17

Cognitive development: At this age, teens are able to formulate intellectual and philosophical arguments, and they can synthesize information and apply concepts across different disciplines. Expect them to form firm, independent beliefs around moral subjects -- and make impassioned arguments to defend those beliefs -- even though at this age their opinion often outstrips their experience. Although they can understand and put into perspective horrible acts such as murder, rape, and hate crimes, they're still susceptible to images and messages that "normalize" things like sex, drinking, and acting out.

Social and emotional development: Lots of identity exploration goes on at this age, leading to some real insecurity as teens try on different personas. Friendships can become intense, and first love interests often develop. Older teens pull away from their parents and require greater independence -- and increased physical independence (traveling alone, driving, etc.) leads to increased social independence. (Rebellion is a way of life, often taking place through music or media selection.) Kids this age can be very secretive -- often they have nothing specific to hide, but they do have a desire to make mistakes or triumphs on their own, away from parental eyes. Some may develop anti-social behavior and explore risky practices -- drinking, drugs, eating disorders, etc. On the other hand, at this age, teens also understand civic engagement and can begin to understand broader ethical and moral concepts about their place and role in the world.

Physical development: Teens are one big bundle of hormones at this age, and huge changes in body shape and size occur as they mature physically. By this age, most girls are fully developed, and boys also experience growth spurts, grow facial and body hair, and experience strong sexual urges. Physically, many kids become less active unless they're involved in sports -- leading many teens to gain weight and lose health.

Technological/digital savviness: At this age, teens operate on their own when it comes to technology. They have an increased desire for privacy, and while ideally teens will give their parents access to their social network and blog pages, it's really an individual family's decision about whether parents have access to teens' online activities. Either way, at this stage the key thing for adults to emphasize is the importance of responsible and respectful online and mobile behavior. It's also essential for kids to learn to self-reflect before they self-reveal -- especially since nothing is ever really private online (even with privacy settings, which should always be at the most restrictive levels). Some posturing is normal, but photos with drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, or sexual situations aren't OK. (Neither is geo-location, for both safety and privacy reasons.) Unprotected information -- like posts on Twitter -- is public and searchable, and it lasts a long time. Other important tips:

• Kids must respect others' privacy in both words and images.
• Multitasking is normal, but if grades dip, parents need to establish rules around IM or music during homework.
• Teens who are driving should be subject to hard-and-fast rules when it comes to talking or texting while behind the wheel. Don't do it -- ever.

What's age appropriate at age 15-17

	Educational value: Teens can handle difficult situations grounded in history and real experience and will glean lessons from the examples.
	Positive messages: By the middle of high school and beyond, teens are capable of being exposed to many things that weren't age appropriate for younger kids. They can distance themselves from challenging material and think critically about it. That said, they're still forming their ideas of what adult life is like, so content that showcases anti-social behavior should be addressed.
	Positive role models: Toward the end of high school, teens start really understanding civic responsibility -- to their friends, to their community, and to the world. And ethical standards really develop at this age -- both in life and online. Choosing media with excellent role models encourages teens to think beyond their immediate circles and the small dramas that exist therein. They should also be encouraged to be role models themselves by standing up for others in online or mobile cyberbullying situations.
	Violence and scariness: At this age, "alpha dog" and "queen bee" behavior isn't unusual, but things can get dangerous when that tendency is paired with verbal or physical threats -- the way it's so often depicted in the media. The violence that teens see in games, on TV shows, and at the movies needs discussion so that they don't "pose" violently in real life. It's especially important to talk about violent content now that it's so much more difficult to shield teens from it. But adults should still try to keep teens away from anything that pairs sex and violence (unless it's portrayed as destructive, with a clear pro-social message). And while it's almost become a rite of passage for teens to watch super-violent, scary R-rated films, that doesn't mean they won't be frightened. While teens aren't going to emulate the horrible behavior in these movies, they are still teens, and nightmares aren't beyond possibility.
	Sexy stuff: Many teens this age are becoming sexually active (everything from kissing to, for some, intercourse) and are very focused on sexuality -- and since it acts as a super-peer, the media normalizes fantasy and age-inappropriate sexual behavior. While sexual desires and experimentation are normal, teens should be careful to keep their sexual lives private online. Explain how sexting and taking and posting sexual pictures is a recipe for real trouble. Also, online pornography may become tempting, so it's important for parents to talk with older teens about their own values regarding sex. Teens can comprehend a variety of different sexually charged scenarios -- from rape to raunchy comedy -- but they need to hear adults' guidance and values.
	Language: Most media for older teens regularly employs racy language and cursing -- which isn't surprising, since teens this age are separating from their families and establishing themselves as independent young adults, and they often use language as a way of doing so. Explain your own family's value system around language; if you don't want teens using four-letter words, you'll either need to restrict access to media like R-rated movies and online games (which can be quite difficult) or make your opinions known. And no matter what the house rules are, teens should be reminded that their texts, tweets, posts, and emails can always go beyond their intended audiences -- so hate speech and demeaning language are never appropriate.
	Consumerism/commercialism: This age is a great time for adults to talk to teens about geo-location services. "Checking in" to places via cell phones or other mobile devices gives advertisers personal information that they use to manipulate teens into buying things. Teens can also be empowered with media literacy tools to understand advertisers' tricks of the trade, and adults can point out product placement in movies, TV shows, and games. Make sure that teens don't click on free online contests or giveaways -- both of which are omnipresent on teen sites -- since they scrape personal information that can be used to target teens with ads (some are also are full of spyware and malware).
	Drinking, drugs, and smoking: Talk to teens about how cigarettes, alcohol, and other drugs are portrayed in movies and on television. Point out the differences between fictional glamour and reality. Many teens start smoking in large measure because they see their media role models making it look desirable, so they need to hear the truth.
	Online privacy and safety: Teens live much of their lives online and on their mobile phones. They should take personal privacy -- as well as others' privacy -- very seriously. They should be careful to always use the maximum privacy settings on sites they visit, change their passwords regularly, and stay away from downloads that potentially carry malware and spyware (pornography and gaming sites are particular offenders).