40% Canadian Children Exposed To Inappropriate Content on TV

The Netflix "Just for Kids" section lets parents and kids find a broad selection of great TV shows and movies that are age appropriate for children 12 and under. (PRNewsFoto/Netflix, Inc.)

29 Mar 2012 14:00 Africa/Lagos

More Than 40 Per Cent of Canadian Children Have Been Accidentally Exposed to Inappropriate Content on Television

Netflix Study Suggests Content Concerns Prevent Parents From Letting Their Kids Select TV Programming

TORONTO, March 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- According to new research from Netflix, 61 per cent of parents would like to give their children the ability to select their own programming, but 67 per cent worry about what they're watching.

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The research, conducted by Ipsos-Reid on behalf of Netflix in Canada, takes a look at Canadian families' television viewing habits to understand how parents and children watch television together and alone.

The research reveals that parents are rightfully concerned about what their kids are watching. More than 40 per cent of kids have been accidentally exposed to something on TV that scared them or have seen commercials that were not suitable for them. Some kids have even seen a movie alone that required an adult present. On the other hand, the majority of parents admit that they find themselves watching children's programming even when their child is not in the room.

To help parents and kids find a broad selection of great TV shows and movies that are age appropriate for children 12 and under, the Netflix "Just for Kids" section lets Netflix members scroll through content that's selected especially for them. Using an easy-to-navigate system, TV shows and movies are organized by genres like superheroes, princesses, and dinosaurs, and feature clear and simple descriptions of the plot of each title. As always, there are never any commercials on Netflix.

"Canadian kids are watching an average of 69 minutes of programming alone," said David Watson, Director of Product Innovation, Kids and Family, Netflix. "The Netflix 'Just for Kids' section within the Netflix website ensures parents don't have to worry about what their kids are watching, when they're watching TV on their own or with friends."

The survey also reveals some interesting facts about what's important to parents when watching TV with their children:

Nearly 70 per cent of parents worry about what their children are watching on TV.
Three out of four parents are worried about the advertising their children are exposed to and four out of five parents say watching programming without commercials is important.
Three-quarters of parents find it important not to be restricted by traditional TV scheduling.
The overwhelming majority, 89 per cent, say it's important to be able to choose from a large selection of programming;
Letting their children select the TV shows and movies they watch together is important for 86 per cent of Canadian parents;
When it comes to selecting their own programming, 72 per cent of parents say their child typically asks for the name of a TV show or movie while 34 per cent say their child references a character instead; and
Parents' desire to give their children more discretion over what they watch increases as their child gets older, but the concern about what their children watch does not decrease.

The Netflix "Just for Kids" section is currently available in Canada on PC, Mac, Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation 3, and Apple TV devices. Other devices will follow this year.

Survey Methodology
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos-Reid poll conducted between March 20-23, 2012, on behalf of Netflix. For this survey, a sample of 1,013 parents of children aged 12 and under from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had the entire population of parents in Canada been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error and measurement error.

About Netflix:
With more than 23 million streaming members in the United States, Canada, Latin America, the United Kingdom and Ireland, Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) is the world's leading internet subscription service for enjoying films and TV programmes. For about US$7.99 a month, Netflix members can instantly watch unlimited films and TV episodes streamed over the internet to PCs, Macs and TVs. Among the large and expanding base of devices streaming from Netflix are the Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and Sony PS3 consoles; an array of Blu-ray disc players, internet-connected TVs, home theatre systems, digital video recorders and internet video players; Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, as well as Apple TV and Google TV. In all, more than 700 devices that stream from Netflix are available. For additional information, visit www.netflix.com. Follow Netflix on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Netflix, Inc.

CONTACT: Kiel Hume, +1-416-969-2807, khume@environicspr.com, or Nicole Tuschak, +1-416-969-2712, ntuschak@environicspr.com, both of Environics, for Netflix

Web Site: http://www.netflix.com

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