By now you have figured out that we are extremely choosy about what kind of content we are willing to share with our children. We thoroughly vet the movies, shows, apps, and games that our children are viewing and consuming, but did you ever wonder how we find the best of the best?
With literally millions of applications just a click away from our children’s eyes, how do we sift through the noise to find the joys? This week, Wonder Bunch Media lets you in on our trade secret. Who do we trust to test the media we allow on our home’s devices?
Common Sense Media
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/
Monitors Media Families Consume, Honest Reviews and Summaries
We’ve all been in that awkward spot where a children’s movie, show, or app starts down a path we weren’t ready to take with our children. This stealth mature content sneaks into even G-rated material, and it can seem to come out of nowhere. Common Sense Media takes the time to watch, listen, and play before your child ever has access to the content, and updates their page with reviews from other families as well.
The technical research takes you down to the letter of the law, explaining what content is occurring in the material. The parent reviews allow for a more human touch, explaining the impact other parents felt the content provided.
CSM will give you a heads up about any kind of content you might be interested in monitoring, allowing you a say in when and how your child consumes any potentially mature material. Their service covers a range of potential trigger warnings, from violence to mature language, talk of death, or even gross-out humor. This app allows parents to make the decision on how and when to introduce these topics, rather than having them thrust upon unsuspecting children and forcing a conversation your family may not be ready for.
School Psych 101
Apps(weebly.com)
A breakdown of educational apps, price, and benefits
There are countless apps hoping for real estate on your child’s device, but who has time to download and sample each one? SchoolPsych101 has created a thorough roster of apps, and divided them by audience. If you’re an educator trying to reach a student, a parent seeking resources, or simply searching for a fun educational game for your little one, this page takes away the guess work.
The site itself is a wealth of knowledge, from mental health support connection to resources for military families. The page is run by elementary school psychologist and children’s mental health expert, Amanda Hessel, and is corner-to-corner compassion and caring for children and young adults.
AppAdvice
https://appadvice.com/appnn
As old as the App Store itself, AppAdvice has been on the scene since day one, monitoring the store’s more than 1.5 million apps. They divide these apps into categories you can browse, using filters to edit out content, ads, paywalls, or in-app purchases. You can peruse lists of superlatives likes “Best App For Reading Support” or “Best App for Introducing a Sibling.” If there’s a Best-Of you can think of, AppAdvice has already curated it.
AppAdvice doesn’t just break down apps by category, but has a team of testers employed to download and sample every app featured on the site. The app is then thoroughly reviewed and shared in an honest and unbiased platform. This work is done by a real person, and none of the lists or reviews are auto-generated.
We’ve mentioned our respect and admiration for AppAdvice when we partnered with AppsGoneFree, a service of AppAdvice, and we were drawn to them for a reason. The work they are doing to sift through the noise pollution and app-overload has saved us more than a headache! It has saved us time searching for appropriate apps, money from unexpected paywalls, and exposure to inappropriate advertising. We are huge fans of AppAdvice for their transparency, and for their diligent research.
Parents Like You
We know we say it a lot, but we couldn’t do what we do without you doing what you do. We rely so heavily on advice from other parents, whether we’re asking in a Facebook group or receiving your reviews on our apps, we are grateful for your input on the safety and value of kids’ content.
We know that there isn’t an algorithm in the world that can take the place of a parent’s judgment. That’s why whenever we are curious about how children use their apps, what parents find beneficial, and whether they’re worth the cost — both financially and time-wise — we go to the source. Parents like you who know and care about their children’s needs and habits.
Thank you for trusting Wonder Bunch Media for fun apps and stories your children can grow with. If you have any advice for us, questions about our apps, or topics you’d like us to cover, send us an email at Hello@WonderBunch.Com.
