Thirty years ago, Congress decided that parents deserved a way to monitor what the entertainment industry was beaming into their homes. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 recognized that children are influenced by what they see on television and that the entertainment industry has a role to play in helping parents navigate their children’s media consumption.

That law led to the creation of the television content rating system we all know today: TV-G for episodes appropriate for all ages, TV-PG for when parental guidance is suggested, TV-14 for content suitable for teens but not younger children, and TV-MA for episodes inappropriate for minors. The rating system is especially concerned with protecting kids: Children’s media is classified as either TV-Y, meaning suitable for all ages, or TV-Y7, meaning it may frighten children too young to distinguish between reality and make-believe.