Being a modern-day parent can be a lifesaver, especially when you have the iPad to lean on for entertainment. Unfortunately, the same iPad that you count on to keep your kids occupied when you can’t give them the attention they need is also the gateway to some seriously violent kid shows and other bad TV shows for children.
And even if you’re not one of those parents who use the iPad to babysit your kids, there’s a good chance they’ll find out about the most inappropriate kids’ shows through their friends anyway. Thankfully, you can count on us to fill you in on the shows your kids shouldn’t be watching.
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6 Popular Shows That Are Not Child-Friendly
Squid Game
We know what you’re thinking. Is Squid Game appropriate for kids? After all, there’s a good chance your kids are talking about it on social media or in school. But the truth is that while the TV show, which has a rating well above 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, is one of the most popular TV series now streaming, it’s one of the most dangerous TV shows around.
The TV show features hundreds of contestants competing in a children’s game for money, but with deadly stakes and consequences. It’s bloody. It’s gory. It’s violent. So, we’re not going to sugar-coat it. While others lump Squid Game with other violent kid shows, the truth is it’s not a kid show at all.
You
A show about a stalker isn’t necessarily ground-breaking. But when the show is actually told from the point of view of the guy doing the stalking and (sorry for the spoilers) the murdering, you’re dealing with an entirely different animal. Making matters worse is that women all over the planet seem to love Joe Goldberg, the lead character on the show who clearly lacks a moral compass.
As one of the most inappropriate kids shows on Netflix, anyone under 18 should definitely stay away from You and choose something more appropriate.
Sex Education
When a TV show has the word sex in it, kids are bound to be drawn to it—especially for curiosity’s sake. While not as raunchy as some other TV series, Sex Education does contain scenes with nudity and sexual relations. And the conversations about sex are very matter-of-fact (and they happen often).
There’s a reason why Sex Education is rated for mature audiences, so keep that in mind before letting your kids tune in.
Big Mouth
Do your kids love cartoons? Then they might be intrigued by Big Mouth, which is about a bunch of adolescents going through puberty. But with characters like Hormone Monsters and topics like masturbation and sexual arousal tackled in over-the-top ways, we’d rank Big Mouth high on the list of bad TV shows for children.
Sure, it doesn’t rank among the most violent kid shows, but it’s definitely something you need to know about.
The Boys
At first glance, The Boys, which airs on Amazon Prime, seems like a pretty cool superhero show. Kids who love the Marvel Cinematic Universe might think The Boys is right up their alley. After all, the TV series features a cast of superheroes. But The Boys is arguably one of the most dangerous TV shows.
The Boys features sex, drugs, violence, profane language, corruption, and a lot of stuff that you probably don’t want your kids to see. Parents describe the series is grotesque and super vulgar. And we think that’s kind of an understatement. Definitely don’t let your kids watch The Boys.
Euphoria
Everyone loves a good teen drama — especially teenagers and pre-teens. After all, being able to watch something that you can identify with is often helpful when trying to navigate high school. But Euphoria isn’t your run-of-the-mill teen drama. It’s not Saved by the Bell. It’s definitely not Degrassi. And it for sure isn’t 90210.
Instead, the show centers on a teenage girl dealing with addiction and the usual challenges associated with coming of age. However, there’s a lot of sex, drugs, and even sexual violence. It’s littered with controversial subjects, like slut pages, a drug dealer trying to settle payments with sexual favors, and more. Bottom line? Definitely don’t let your kids watch this.
Stop Them From Watching Dangerous TV Shows With Viewing Restriction Settings
If you don’t want bad TV shows for children making their way onto the screens in your home, it’s important to take advantage of the built-in parental control features offered by your favorite streaming services.
On Netflix, you can set Viewing Restrictions from the Profile & Parental Controls section. You can even set the maturity rating for the shows and movies you want to allow for a specific profile.
Netflix lets you create multiple profiles so that you can leave your adult profile unrestricted while making sure they can’t see the bad stuff.
Get a Monitoring App and See What They’re Watching
Let’s be frank. Kids are incredibly tech-savvy. Even if you set parental controls through Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, your kids will find a way to bypass those restrictions.
In fact, they might choose to download those inappropriate shows for kids through a 3rd party app, bypassing the need to use the streaming services you pay for.
So, how can you find out if they’re watching violent kid shows and other content you don’t approve of? A parental control app like Eyezy can help. Not only can you block apps you don’t want them to use, but you can also see what sites they visit, what they’ve searched for, and what’s saved on their phone.
And here’s the best part — Eyezy lets you see what they’re saying in their social media chats with a cool tool called Social Spotlight. So if they’re having a conversation about Squid Game on Facebook Messenger, you can read their conversations. And not just on Messenger. We’re talking text, Instagram, Snapchat, Kik, WhatsApp, and more.
It gets even better. You don’t have to sit there and monitor their conversations. Just set a Magic Alert for any phrase and Eyezy will notify you if they use that phrase in chat. So if you’re worried about them watching Euphoria, you’ll know right away.
Talk to Your Kids About These Shows
If you’re worried about bad TV shows for children, talk to your kids. Tell them why Squid Game and The Boys aren’t appropriate for kids, and let them know that they can revisit these shows when they’re older. There’s a chance they might actually listen. And if not, have a monitoring app as a backup.
