Information for Parents

The Vampire Diaries

The Vampire Diaries

Common Sense Media Age 15

Parents Need To Know

Positive Messages
The central conflict pits a good-hearted vampire against his evil vampire brother -- and his own baser instincts. But underage characters also drink without clear consequences and make references to casual sex.
Positive Role Models & Representations
Violence
Violent conflict (including vampire attacks and hand-to-hand combat that involves people throwing each other into buildings and out of windows, etc.) is part of every episode -- and so is blood. Characters also experience life-altering moments of violence, including death.
Sex
Some heated kissing between teens and references to casual sex and seduction. Characters equate the term "hooking up" with actual intercourse, with no emphasis on practicing safe sex.
Language
Occasional use of words like "crap" and "ass," along with descriptive terms such as "tranny mess."
Consumerism
Some advertising (for Bing) appears on the screen during the show, and characters from the series are appearing in commercials that air in conjunction with the show.
Education Value
Ease of Play
Privacy
Most of the main characters (including the heroine) drink alcohol socially on occasion, even though they're underage. Some drink to the point of being drunk, although there are rarely any consequences for their actions. Some characters smoke cigarettes, and one character has a serious drug problem, although he attempts to get clean over the course of the series.
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