Preteen girl looking at a cell phone with her parents

Family movie night? There's an app for that

Download our new mobile app on iOS and Android.

Parents' Guide to

A Starting Point

By Debbie Gorrell, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Conversation starter has balanced views, some mature topics.

A Starting Point Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

Community Reviews

age 2+

Based on 1 parent review

Privacy Rating Warning

  • Unclear whether personal information is sold or rented to third parties.
  • Unclear whether personal information are shared for third-party marketing.
  • Unclear whether this product displays personalised advertising.
  • Data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • User's information is used to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Unclear whether this product creates and uses data profiles for personalised advertisements.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

This resource offers an exciting way to start conversations with older teens while offering balanced views of important topics, but don't expect a lot of depth. It's mainly an opinion-based platform that doesn't dive deep into fact-based learning. However, it serves its intended purpose of engaging users through balanced discussions relevant to individual rights and duties of citizenship.

Teens who are interested in particular topics will likely find the Starting Points section most helpful. Here, the information is clearly organized, and it's easy to find politically balanced talking points. The Counterpoints section is also well organized, but users can't pause or rewind the videos. The Daily Points section has a wide selection of videos that don't seem to be organized in any particular way. Topic buttons across the top of the home screen confuse matters even more. Overall, though, it's pretty easy to navigate. Most importantly, it encourages teens to think about all sides of issues, which is important for the critical thinking needed for digital citizenship.

App Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate