Worried about content? V-chip to the rescue
America got a built-in baby sitter starting in 1999 when all televisions sold that were larger than 13 inches had to contain a V-chip (the “V” stands for “violence”) that allows parents to choose the level of programming they want in their home — and the programming is not restricted strictly to violence since parents can select codes that include sexual content, as well. There are currently six rating that the FCC have defined and they look like this:
- TV-Y is appropriate for all children and contains zero violence or sexual content
- TV-Y7 is considered acceptable for children 7 and older
- TV-G is appropriate for general audiences and contains no sex, violence, or inappropriate language
- TV-PG suggests parental guidance be present
- TV-14 is suitable for individuals over 14 and contains some sex or violence (or both)
- TV-MA is suitable for mature audiences only and may contain graphic violence or sexual content (or both)
The V-chip decodes the rating assigned to any broadcast and compares it to the code that has been applied by the parent, thereby either blocking signals or letting them through.