Parents' Guide to

iCarly

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Interactive show raises social media issues for tweens.

TV Nickelodeon Comedy 2007
iCarly Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 151 parent reviews

Iva D.
Iva D. Adult
January 26, 2021
age 18+

Racist script

I'm so disappointed in this show. The casual racism and profiling is disgusting. The scene with the polish kid who calls into Carly's Internet show has a terrible fake accent, that the girls then mimcik, badly. And then turn off saying something about lets stick to ppl who speak our language. I almost spat my breakfast out. My kids are now banned from this show. Should be a safe place. How dare you fill kids heads with that sort of prejudice. How this has been allowed for a young audience is beyond me.
3 people found this helpful.
eejaypea
eejaypea Adult
December 27, 2020
age 9+

Loud and lacking in moral worth

Unlike older Nickelodeon shows (Sister Sister, Sabrina, etc), this show has little to no moral substance, and is full of loud violent attempts at humour. The Sam character often lashes out physically when annoyed, which always receives a laugh despite being inappropriate. Jokes are also made about an older women forcibly kissing a young man (teen?) in one episode, and when he asserts that she forced herself on him, she says "Don't pretend you don't love it". Using sexual assault as humour is very worrying, and it's a "joke" which certainly wouldn't be made if the genders were reversed.
2 people found this helpful.
See all 151 parent reviews

What's the Story?

ICARLY centers on Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgove), an opinionated young teen who lives with her artsy 20-something brother, Spencer (Jerry Trainor), while their father is abroad with the military. Carly stumbles into Internet fame when a video of her and her sassy best friend, Sam (Jennette McCurdy), gossiping about their peers is accidentally posted online and accessed by thousands of fans, who demand more of the hilarity. From off-the-wall stunts to their personal musings about teen life, Carly, Sam, and their friend/producer Freddie (Nathan Kress) are never lacking inspiration for their show.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (151 ):
Kids say (636 ):

iCarly gives tweens the opportunity to step outside reality and live vicariously through the colorful characters' lives. Few rules exist for Carly and her friends, due mostly to the absence of a credible authority figure, and they've achieved stardom by taking their personal views to the uncensored airwaves. In other words, theirs isn't a lifestyle easily emulated by viewers, but the fact that the show makes it so appealing is good reason for parents to do a reality check, reminding kids of the dangers of cyberbullying in particular.



That's not to say the show is all bad, though. Much of it is laugh-out-loud funny, it boasts a colorful cast of characters (thanks to a very talented cast) and it reflects the technological nature of modern social interactions. Tweens will relate to the characters and their realistic issues with friends, family, and school, and parents will be relieved to know that there's little content that's worrisome for their kids.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the Internet. What kinds of things can you see online? Is it good or bad to be able to access so much information and content? How does the Web affect your relationship with other people?

  • What are some of the dangers associated with Internet use? Has anyone you know ever been bullied or otherwise mistreated online? How? What did they do?

  • Remind your kids that they should never say anything online that they wouldn't say to someone's face, and make sure tweens understand your rules for using the Internet, especially regarding uploading videos and providing personal information to any website. For more on Internet safety, click here.

TV Details

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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.

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