Name: Parents Television Council
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Family Tech Tip: What You Need to Know About Social Media Algorithms

Written by PTC | Published November 14, 2023

Facebook and other social media companies become addictive because they provide a “social validation feedback loop.” Every time the user gets a notification that someone has liked or commented on one of their posts, they get a little hit of dopamine – the chemical in the brain most closely associated with feeling good. Social media companies ensure that kids get a regular supply of dopamine hits by using algorithms to increase engagement and keep kids locked on social media for hours at a time

Families Need Not Subscribe

Written by PTC | Published October 6, 2023

We know that families want to watch TV together. Streamers know it, too. It’s an easy, affordable, low-stress way for families to spend time together, and according to one survey, 62% of respondents said that watching TV together as a family helped them bond. Yet less than 20% report watching TV with children under the age of 18.

Why is that?

HBO’s Full-Frontal Assault on Families!

Written by PTC | Published September 29, 2023

In case you hadn’t heard about it before now, “Naked Attraction” is ostensibly a dating show – but really, it’s just a flimsy excuse to show naked bodies on screen for titillation and shock value.

Graphic sexual content as close as your teen’s phone

Written by PTC | Published September 22, 2023

Programming like Sex Education was conceived not only to exploit the growing teen market but also to drive a wedge between parents and their kids. Teens and, unfortunately, even younger children are being influenced by Netflix and other entertainment companies. In essence, they are being counseled: “You can’t go to your parents with your questions. But you can go to us via your TV, computer, or other electronic device.” This is a real danger.

Tell Congress to Act NOW To Keep Children Safe Online!

Written by PTC | Published September 15, 2023

More and more parents, grandparents, educators and concerned citizens are asking for guardrails around social media borne out of a growing recognition of the toll social media has taken on the mental health of a generation of children. Eight out of ten youth mental health specialists say social media is fueling a mental health crisis.

Your representatives need to hear from you.

Does Your Family Have a Screen Time Safety Contract?

Written by PTC | Published September 8, 2023

To help you, we’ve developed a “Screen Time Safety and Cyber Kindness Contract” that you can print out, review together and sign. It is my sincere hope that this will be a help to you in establishing and enforcing household rules about technology.

“Dahmer” Producer Coming to Disney?

Written by PTC | Published August 21, 2023

On top of all the other questionable programming decisions Disney has been making over the last few years, this one tops them all.

News outlets are reporting that Disney is hiring Ryan Murphy away from Netflix as soon as his $300 million development deal with Netflix ends.

Streaming Media’s Favorite Word

Written by PTC | Published March 7, 2023

In his song “Anything Goes,” Cole Porter mused, “Good authors, too, who once knew better words now only use four-letter words writing prose… Anything Goes.” The same can be said for today’s TV writers, who now regularly deploy the “F-bomb” to replace most of the vocabulary more creative script writers once used.

The Mental Health Toll of Social Media

Written by PTC | Published January 12, 2023

On-Screen Child Exploitation: A Tale as Old as Time?

Written by PTC | Published January 4, 2023

Although the public has grown increasingly uncomfortable with such depictions since the 1970s (as demonstrated by the public backlash against Cuties on Netflix), studios still haven’t gotten the message – they are firmly entrenched in the business of sexualizing children for entertainment.

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