Parents' Guide to

Growing Up Online

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Engrossing documentary looks at teens' online behavior.

Movie NR 2008 60 minutes
Growing Up Online Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 11+

Based on 1 parent review

PBSFanFromChile
PBSFanFromChile Parent of 11-year-old
February 3, 2017
age 11+

The very best of #FrontlinePBS, a production of 'GBH in Boston.

Great programme made in Boston for PBS. Will Lyman is the eternal voice of FRONTLINE. Great episode. Available on http://www.ShopPBS.org Your purchase support your local PBS station.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Facebook, MySpace, YouTube: The world has clearly changed for teenagers. Technology rules, and childhood -- or so the insightful documentary GROWING UP ONLINE posits -- will never be the same again. Over the course of Rachel Dretzin's film (which originally aired on PBS as an episode of Frontline), parents, tweens, teens, scholars, teachers, and security experts make sense of the Internet's impact on growing up. Is it really rife with bogeymen waiting to pounce and pitfalls that could determine -- no, ruin -- kids' future? Or is online life more about what you make of it?

Is It Any Good?

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

This informative documentary, a must-see for both parents and kids, gets input from all of the issue's relevant players, adding experts into the mix to provide context. It addresses the greatest hits of Internet worries -- oversharing on social networking sites, Web sites that provide destructive information that troubled kids seek, predators -- and offers a helpful overview of what parents and kids both need to be aware of when going online.

While the material here is must-see for parents, the filmmakers take a fairly broad approach to their topic, highlighting many worst-case scenarios that may be disheartening. The experts make a point of saying as much, but their voices are secondary to parental worries. Not that there's nothing to fret over: Make no mistake, the Internet can be a minefield, especially when teens aren't given clear guidelines and straightforward information. But sometimes, there's less to fear than you might think. (For more on this important topic, be sure to check out Dretzin's follow-up film, Digital Nation.)

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about their online habits. Is there a difference between how adults and teens approach the Web? How does the film approach subjects like sexting?

  • What do teens think about being connected 24/7? Do they know how to protect their privacy?

  • Is this depiction of the challenges that lurk on the Web accurate or sensational (or something in between)? How does it make you look at the Web?

  • Do you think childhood has changed because of the Web?

Movie 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.

See all recommended movie lists

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