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La La Land: The big winner at the Golden Globes you might actually feel comfortable taking your fa
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Ryan Gosling, left, and Emma Stone pose in the press room with the award for best performance by an actor and actress in a motion picture - musical or comedy for "La La Land" at the 74th annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) - photo by Herb Scribner
Its no secret that La La Land cleaned house at the Golden Globes on Sunday night.

The original musical movie, which stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as star-crossed lovers, secured seven victories at the Golden Globes, winning in all the categories it was nominated for, according to BBC News.

La La Land became the winningest film in Golden Globes history with all of the victories, The Huffington Post reported. Previously films like Doctor Zhivago (1965), Love Story (1970), The Godfather (1972), One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (1975), and A Star is Born were tied with five total award victories.

More domination may be on the way as the film received 11 nominations for the British Academy Film Awards, which is the U.K.s version of the Oscars, according to Time.

But La La Land is more than just a film that sweeps award shows. Family movie critics said the movie is rather clean, good enough for adults and older children who seek family-friendly entertainment.

See, the film is mostly about love and creativity, according to The Washington Post, which is a change of pace for modern films, which are often packed with violence and sexuality.

In fact, La La Land takes an unoriginal storyline that tried and true boy meets girl narrative and flips it into something new and fresh, according to Common Sense Media.



Though the film does delve into heartbreak, a sometimes dark territory for lovers, its painted in vibrant colors and brightness, something also fresh for moviegoers of today. In fact, Common Sense Media gave the film three stars for its positive role models and positive messages categories.

The splashes of color may be a central part of the theme, too, providing a positive message about how to handle life that parents may want to share with their children.

You need light to find the darkness and the darkness to appreciate what's bright. La La Land will take your breath away and break your heart, even as it helps you find an even deeper capacity for love, according to Common Sense Media.

The movies cleanliness sat well with some moviegoers, too. Viewers said that film could have been rated PG had it not been for the swear words.

Loved this movie and was pleasantly surprised by how relatively clean it is! wrote Marie463, a commenter on Common Sense Media. Although it would certainly be fine for little ones to view (keeping in mind the few cautions listed in the main review above), it likely would not keep their attention for long. I honestly wonder if the few swear words were inserted mainly to help lift this movie out of the PG realm.

However, The Washington Posts review said the film contains some themes that may be harder for younger audiences to interpret, like underemployment, feeling lost in the early years of your career, questioning your abilities and fighting to stay in the moment while searching for your purpose.

The film also includes some light social drinking, characters kissing and waking up in bed together and one of use of F-word, according to the Post.

The movie does include crude gestures and verbal conflicts that sometimes spin out into heated arguments, according to Parent Previews, but does not extend beyond domestic dispute.

Still, it seems reviewers are sure that the film bordered the line between PG and PG-13, and could have come close to the former rating had it not been for those swear words.

Even better, this sensory treat is relatively clear of content concerns, according to Parent Previews' review of the film. In fact, were it not for the singular use of a sexual expletive, along with the aforementioned finger gesture (which is seen again in flashback), this movie would be PG material. It is obviously implied that Mia and Sebastian are living together (we see them in bed a couple of times), but sexual depictions are limited to kisses and hugs.

This is a welcome change for modern hit movies. A 2013 study published in the journal Pediatrics found PG-13 movies has contained just as much or more violence than R-rated films since 2009.

In fact, in 2012, there was more violence in PG-13 films than R-rated movies. Most of the violence surrounded gun use, according to the study.

To find this, the study looked at 945 different movies that represented the top 30 grossing films from 1950 to 2012.

Researchers said that its likely the increase in violence appeals to young viewers.

We predict that youth will be more interested in acquiring and using guns after exposure to gun violence in films, said Brad Bushman, a co-author of the study, according to Deadline. Its shocking how gun use has skyrocketed in movies that are often marketed directly at the teen audience. It appears sex scenes are more likely to result in an R rating than scenes of violence.

Both parents and researchers have expressed concerns over the climb in violence, and the nature of PG-13 movies themselves. In fact, critics have also wondered why the PG-13 rating even exists because some content involved in those movies are dark enough to be rated R.

Critics like Vultures Kyle Buchanan point to films like X-Men: Apocalypse which features decapitations and slit throats, according to Pacific Standard, and only got a PG-13 rating when it was worthy of the R-rating.

But movies like La La Land point to a more colorful future. And it seems the Motion Picture Association of America, which comes up with the movie rating system, may soon change its tune, assuming parents do their part to speak out for more family-friendly films.

MPAA vice president of corporate communications Chris Ortman told Pacific Standard that changes will come as the culture shifts.

This system has withstood the test of time because, as American parents sensitivities change, so too does the rating system, he told Pacific Standard. Elements such as violence, language, drug use and sexuality are continually re-evaluated through surveys and focus groups to mirror contemporary concern and to better assist parents in making the right family viewing choices.
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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