Unmasking “Common Sense Media”

The “Parent Preview” site which I had for so long used and trusted is exactly the opposite of what it claims to be.

Thank you to Allie, an author and mother, for this piece about an issue she’s faced with Common Sense Media. I recommended them in my book ‘Stolen Youth’ and have received important criticism like Allie’s about the current direction of the site. - Bethany

As a mom of young children, I rely on various resources to help me make informed decisions about the content my family consumes. I am raising my kids with a traditional worldview, so I have to be vigilant. It feels like every other day I hear of a new book or show sneaking alternative sexualities and gender identities into children’s content. No thanks!

Enter Common Sense Media. This website claims to provide reviews and age-appropriate ratings for movies, TV shows, books, etc. The reviews cover content such as violence, language, sexual content. Totally my jam.

I used to recommend this website to everyone. I would use it almost weekly. I especially appreciated the parent reviews section, in which parents get to give their own takes.

But over time, I started to notice a shift.

The “official reviews” from Common Sense Media became shorter and vaguer. Content warnings that I considered important were mysteriously absent, especially in the “sexual content” realm. I noticed the left-leaning bias at play. For example, here is how Common Sense characterizes the infamous lesbian kiss in Disney’s Lightyear:

“Positive diverse representation includes a Black lesbian supporting character who discusses her partner (and later wife) in a way that makes it clear that everyone supports her identity and relationship. This is a milestone for Disney-Pixar, which has only hinted at this type of representation in previous films.”

Red flags all around. But somehow, it got worse.

When Barbie came out, I was disappointed with the messaging in it. I knew parents who took their young girls to Barbie, only to feel ambushed with cynical feminist ideologies. Since I so often turned to Common Sense Media in the past, I wrote a review on the site to help other parents make their own informed decision about the movie.

It said:

Parents should be aware that this isn't the fun, lighthearted movie it is advertised as. The first 30 minutes are fun, and then it becomes all about sexism and the patriarchy. Also of note is that Barbie's sidekick is trans. Another scene shows little girls bashing barbie dolls' heads on a rock while shouting that they aren't mothers. It was... odd.

To my surprise, my review almost immediately disappeared into the digital abyss. I was baffled. I figured it must have been because I mentioned a character was trans. Maybe that was against some guideline. So, I wrote another review. This one said:

Very political. I am not sure I am allowed to mention one particular hot-button political issue this touches on, as my last review got deleted for mentioning it. It has to do with sexuality and gender identity. There are several mentions of patriarchy and a scene where little girls are bashing their barbie's heads and saying "we are not mothers"

This review quickly became the top-rated review on the site. Even though Common Sense Media’s “official review” raved about the movie, the parent reviews were overwhelmingly negative. The Common Sense audience was NOT HAVING Barbie’s crap. Common Sense Media might be biased, but at least the parents were getting their perspectives represented.

Until they weren’t.

A week later, I checked to see if my review had managed to stay up.

It was gone.

And so were nearly all of the negative reviews.

Before this mass censorship, of the top 10 Barbie reviews, about 8/10 were negative.

As of the moment I am writing, of the top 10 reviews, only 3/10 are negative.

I felt a sense of betrayal and anger. Why was my review hidden without warning or explanation? How could this site, which “aimed for transparency,” hide the opinions of so many parents?

I wasn’t going to let this blow over. I’ve been working on embracing my inner “Karen” when something is unjust. So, I emailed the company asking what happened to my review, along with all the others. They responded:

Our current system allows all visitors to the site to flag any reviews they see. The flagged reviews are then held offline for review.  However, we're unable to find any reviews under your username…”

They then asked me to confirm my username.

I replied with my username as well as a screenshot of the review in question.

A week later, I got this response:

Hi,

We have not heard back from you regarding your username and will be closing out this case due to inactivity. If you still need assistance, please email us again.

I sent two follow up emails, re-sending my username and the screenshot of my reviews, which, over a month later, are still not visible.

They never replied. And weeks later, I know they never will.

Because they were caught in their scheme. They collect these “flagged” reviews and hold them offline permanently if they don’t fit their agenda, even when the reviews have broken ZERO standards. Sure, they’ll keep a few negative reviews, to make it appear as if they aren’t censoring people.

But in reality, they are curating their parent reviews to make it appear as if the “negative comments” are in the minority rather than the majority.

How many reviews have been hidden?

How many reviewers never bothered to check back or notice?

How many people have been persuaded to let their kids see a movie that they otherwise wouldn’t have?

I have a message directly for you, Common Sense Media:

As parents, we deserve access to diverse perspectives and honest reviews that reflect a range of opinions. It’s not about left or right. It’s about ensuring our kids are exposed to content that is appropriate for their age and maturity. You may pretend to be on our side, but we see you for what you are. Frauds. I, along with many others, will never use your site again.

Luckily, there are much better parent preview alternatives out there. My absolute favorite is PLUGGED IN reviews (pluggedin.com) from the organization Focus on the Family. I haven’t found another review site with their level of detail and sincerity.

Other sites include Kids-in-mind.com and parentpreviews.com – although I haven’t used them as often.

In the end, what’s most important is helping our little ones grow in a principled and wholesome environment. As parents, we’ll always find a way to make that happen, regardless of the speedbumps sites like Common Sense Media put in our way.