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Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team
In This Guide
You'll Learn:
Before We Begin:
Xfinity Kids Zone is an extra free service included with your Comcast Xfinity HD subscription.
Xfinity Kids Zone provides access to streaming movies, shows, and live TV that has been deemed age-appropriate by Common Sense Media to be kid-safe for 12-and-under children.
Children can sort by kid-friendly themes such as "Talking Animals", "Superheroes", and "Princesses", sort and find their favorites easily, and even by their favorite characters.
Common Sense Media is a non-profit organization promoting and advocating for education and the safe use of technology and media by children.
You can read more about their mission and work at https://www.commonsense.org/.
It is vitally important to understand what all Parental Controls can't do, first, to make sure there's no false expectations or ideas on what these technologies will provide.
Parental Controls Are Not Parental Replacements
There is no better Parental Control than you. Being involved in your child's life, both on and offline is the single best way to ensure they're making healthy choices that are best for them. Like any other aspect of your child's life, your guidance is invaluable to help them grow to be responsible adults.
Parental Controls Are Not Magic
Parental Controls, in virtually all cases, rely on very simple yes-or-no questions. While this can be powerful, it cannot account for gray areas, or if a child is more or less mature in some area of their development. No computer can guess your wants and needs for your child. At the same time, no computer can tell when your child is ready for more responsibility. Only you can.
Parental Controls Do Not Grow Automatically
Most Parental Control options have no way to tell the age of your child; physically, mentally, or emotionally. A computer cannot determine when your child is ready for a new, more adult topic to be introduced to them. Meaning, you will need to make changes regularly to any and all Parental Control options you set. As your child grows, so too must the rules you setup. Expect to return to any settings you make on a regular basis.
Parental Controls Are Not Perfect
No Parental Control system is perfect. They are a series of rules you put into place with an expectation of them being followed. Much like any other rule, your child will test their boundaries and cross them from time to time. This isn't the 'fault' of a Parental Control feature, but rather a simple facet of growing up. As with all things, it presents an opportunity for you to discuss a situation and guide your child down the best path.
There are areas where Parental Controls are great tools to help you in guiding your child to make better choices.
Time Limits
You can setup rules to limit screen time, to help enforce a bed time or curfew, or just to limit 'screen time' that your child uses their mobile phone or computer.
Monitoring and Tracking
You can review the information your child accesses and follow your child's footsteps online. In the case of smartphones with built-in GPS, you can even check-in on where your child is provided they have their phone with them.
Content Limits
Based on rules you setup, you can restrict access to some content, or make it more difficult for your child to access such content. While no system is perfect, this can provide some layers of protection for your child from accidentally accessing questionable content.
You will likely need to use multiple different Parental Controls to achieve the results you want.
The TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board created the TV Ratings, or the TV Parental Guidelines, to help parents determine if a program is suitable for their child to watch by outlining the show’s target audience and possible content.
The TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board is a single group, and only provides opinions on content. They are there to help give you an overview of the themes present in a television program, not make decisions what is best for your child.
These ratings along with content descriptors appear in the top left corner of the TV screen during the first 15 seconds of each TV program and, on some TV channels, after every commercial break.
All Children
Intended for children ages 2 to 6 and is not designed or expected to frighten.
Older Children
Intended for children ages 7 and older. Best suited for children who know the difference between real life and make-believe. Contains mild fantasy or comedic violence. Some content could frighten younger children (under age 7).
General Audience
Intended for all ages. Contains little or no violence, no strong language and little or no sexual dialogue or situations.
Parental Guidance
Intended for younger children in the company of an adult. Possibly contains some suggestive dialogue, infrequent coarse language, some sexual situations or some moderate violence.
Parental Caution
Intended for children ages 14 and older in the company of an adult. Possibly contains intensely suggestive dialogue, strong coarse language, intense sexual situations or intense violence.
Mature Audience
Intended for adults and may be unsuitable for children under 17. Possibly contains crude indecent language, explicit sexual activity or graphic violence.
For further information, you can always check www.tvguidelines.org from any web browser.
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) created the Film Ratings to help parents determine if a film is suitable for their child to watch. Ratings are determined by the Classification and Ratings Administration (CARA), via a board comprised of an independent group of parents.
The MPAA is a single group, and only provides opinions on content. They are there to help give you an overview of the themes present in a television program, not make decisions what is best for your child.
These ratings appear on all advertising materials for films, such as posters, movie trailers or online ads, on home video titles, such as DVD and Blu-Ray covers, and are listed in theaters and online streaming services when films are released.
A film rating badge shows the following information:
General Audience
This program is designed to be appropriate for all ages. This rating indicates a film contains nothing that would offend parents for viewing by children.
Parental Guidance
Parents are urged to give parental guidance. This film may contain some material parents might not like for their young children.
Parental Caution
Some material may not be suited for children under age 13. May contain violence, nudity, sensuality, language, adult activities or other elements beyond a PG rating, but doesn’t reach the restricted R category.
Restricted Audience
This rating is for films specifically designed to be viewed by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for children under 17.
Adult Audience
This rating is applied to films the MPAA believes most parents will consider inappropriate for children 17 and under. It indicates that the adult content is more intense than in an R rated movie.
For further information, you can always check www.filmratings.com from any web browser.
The Parental Control PIN on your Xfinity X1 cable system is available to make it more difficult for your child to exit Kids Zone on their own. Instead, they would need your PIN to do so.
You do not need to set a PIN to use Kids Zone. Without setting a PIN, Kids Zone is still available, but it can be exited by simply selecting exit — with or without an adult around.
If you don't want to use a PIN, just skip this step!
Make sure you remember your PIN. If you forget your PIN, you will need to contact your cable provider to have it reset.
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