You are reading a story to your child and suddenly the phone beeps to announce a new WhatsApp message. What do you do? Do you automatically reach for your smartphone or do you read the message later when the child is asleep?
Such situations probably exist in every family. When the little son then reaches for the smartphone, it is said: “That’s not for you yet!”.
Be aware that parents and also other adults have an important role model function for children. Children experience how you, as their closest caregivers, deal with digital media and orient themselves to this. This is how children learn how the world works and how to behave in certain situations. Your behavior therefore has a major impact on how your child uses media themselves. By actively setting an example of what good media use can look like, you help your child learn to use smartphones and the like independently, sensibly and consciously.
Especially for younger children, parents are number one. It is particularly important for babies and toddlers to recognize your attention through direct eye contact and to establish a good bond. When dad is constantly looking at his smartphone, it’s not possible. Children, even at a young age, notice this. The older children get, the more they emulate you. In toddlerhood, they reach for daddy’s smartphone or speak into a brick that has a similar shape. They realize early on how important this device is for adults or older siblings.
Create a good basis for a reflective approach to media right from the start. Keep the smartphone on silent in your pocket when you play with your child, so that they don’t get the impression that the smartphone is always more important. Later, your child may behave the same way. If it does get pulled out, explain to your child why.
There are certainly moments when the smartphone is needed to take a nice photo of your offspring. Capture beautiful moments with the camera! But think about how often that has to be. After all, your child would rather look you in the eye than constantly at the smartphone in front of your face.
Spending time together with media is also part of family life. Introduce your child to media slowly and choose age-appropriate content. However, such media experiences should always alternate with media-free times.
In all of this, be aware of your role as a role model!
Kids photos are great! They show without big words how colorful, funny, exciting and chaotic everyday life with children can be. Thanks to smartphones, beautiful moments can be captured easily and quickly and shared with family and friends. In a few seconds, the cute snapshot of your baby with the first porridge on her face is over Instagram and WhatsApp shared.
What parents find cute and share with the world can have quite unpleasant consequences for children (later on). Even if you as a parent like all the photos of your child, put yourself in your child’s shoes! You probably don’t like yourself in every photo either. Froma children’s rights perspective, photos of children on the Internet are questionable, because too often they are posted without their consent. Just like adults, children have a right to privacy (Art. 16, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child) and the right to their own image, and thus the freedom to decide for themselves in principle what and how much they reveal about themselves.
Do not underestimate the fact that information and images are quickly spread online and can be found easily and indefinitely. Although a photo is deleted from a profile, post, story, status or blog, the images can continue to circulate. Others can copy them, take a screenshot, distort them and distribute them further. Images of children can be misused by strangers, everyday photos can be sexualized or unflattering images can increase the risk of cyberbullying. This makes it all more important that you, as adults, deal consciously and considerately with your child’s personal rights on the Internet.
No, it doesn’t have to mean that! Children are part of our society and therefore they should be visible – also in the digital world. The decisive factor is how children are portrayed: In which situations can you see your child in the photo? Can you see the face clearly? Who can see photos when you post them? If you follow a few rules, there’s nothing wrong with sharing a child’s photo while preserving your child’s privacy rights. Not to be forgotten is the child’s right to participation (Art. 12, UN CRC), which is why it is important to involve children in an age-appropriate way and obtain their consent. The German Children’s Fund also provides comprehensive information about children’s photos on the internet. In its unbubble format, ZDF also addressed the topic of children’s photos on social media, with various people presenting their points of view and exchanging arguments for and against. We have summarized specific guidance on publishing children’s photos by age group. In the links below you will find the appropriate text for your child’s age.
Disputes are part of child development. Children and young people learn how to deal with conflicts and find solutions. However, digital media can lead to arguments getting worse. Cyberbullying is affecting more and more children and young people. This makes it all the more important to raise your child’s awareness of respectful online behavior and to help them deal with online conflicts. In this article, we explain what you can do as a parent.
Cyberbullying means that people are insulted, exposed or threatened online, for example via apps such as TikTok, Snapchat, WhatsApp or Instagram.
There are different roles: the victims, the active bullies, but also the silent bystanders and assistants who join in. Many children and young people take on several of these roles, sometimes without realizing it. Cyberbullying can take many forms:
As digital content can be stored and redistributed, a single post can have long-term effects. Attackers can often hide behind their anonymity.
There are many reasons why children and young people bully others:
New technologies such as deepfake software have exacerbated cyberbullying. Young people sometimes use them out of curiosity or to deliberately expose others.
Bullying has been around since before the invention of the internet. But whereas in the past a child could come home after school and switch off, today children and young people are constantly connected to each other. Conflicts from school continue in class chats or on social media platforms. This is why cyberbullying can have serious consequences. Children who are bullied online often feel helpless and abandoned. In the long term, it can lead to anxiety, sleep disorders, depressive moods or even suicidal thoughts. Statistics show that almost half of young people have already experienced cyberbullying. According to the JIM Study 2024, 11% of young people have experienced cyberbullying directly in the last month.
When children and young people communicate with each other, there are always times when insults are used. This does not have to be bullying, but is often just a joke. They use it to test how far they can go. However, this limit is different for every child.
Parents can do a lot to ensure that their child communicates respectfully and is safer online:
Good prevention starts early. Parents should talk to their children about how to use the internet competently before they become active on social media. For primary school children, there are programs such as the learning offer Genial digital run by the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk, which teach media skills in a fun way. The cyberbullying first aid app from klicksafe helps young people to deal with conflicts online.
Schools can also help by setting clear rules against (online) bullying and providing information. Parents can, for example, encourage teachers to integrate digital learning modules or videos from the Wake Up Initiative, including those from the FSM, into lessons.
If your child is affected by cyberbullying, you should remain calm and make it clear to them that it is not their fault. You can then take the following steps together:
Cyberbullying is a serious challenge for children and young people. However, parents can do a lot to empower their children, educate them and stand by them when problems arise. Make use of the support services, stay in contact with your child and advocate for a safe and respectful online world.
They are among the most popular online formats for children and young people: Challenges. In the #FortniteDanceChallenge, for example, people film themselves performing the dances of the characters from the game Fortnite game. Or in the #PutYourFingerDownChallenge , they sing along to excerpts of ten songs and lower a finger for every song they know.
Challenges are available on almost all social media platforms. They are particularly popular with TikTok. Challenges can be fun and get attention for a specific cause. However, it can sometimes be dangerous when younger people in particular try to imitate certain challenges.
This internet phenomenon probably became known through the Ice Bucket Challenge, in which participants poured a bucket of ice water over their heads to raise awareness of ALS. The trend served a charitable purpose. Other challenges also have a positive intention. In the #ChalkYourWalkChallenge, people paint colorful sidewalks to leave a friendly message for others and thus promote a sense of community.
Some challenges are purely for entertainment, such as imitating dances and songs. In the #BoredInTheHouseChallenge, participants film themselves or their pets doing (humorous) activities. The clips are accompanied by the corresponding song. People take on various skill or fitness challenges, record the whole thing on video and then upload it to social networks. The #PlankChallenge is about increasing the number of push-ups you do every day.
Challenges are often provided with specific hashtags. The idea behind this is to post your own interpretation of the challenge and also publish the video under the hashtag. These videos go viral within hours and are shared and imitated by users all over the world. Companies also use hashtags to raise their profile among young people.
Adolescents find it exciting to compete with others and imitate things. This does not have to happen in a video, but can also be in everyday life, at home or at school. They sing together in the schoolyard or try to imitate a dance challenge.
Certain challenges can give young users a strong sense of community and belonging. Through likes and comments, they give each other feedback and make contact with each other. Recognition and thrills are also reasons for young people to take part in challenges.
Challenges are an integral part of many social media communities and are also taken part in by influencers. This encourages their young followers to join in and follow the trend.
Not every challenge is harmless. There are also dangerous and risky challenges. If young people are encouraged to imitate, but are not aware of the danger, this becomes a problem. Some challenges call for tests of courage. Others encourage them to eat things that are not meant to be eaten. Or the aim is to lose weight and be as thin as possible.
Behind some dangerous challenges are so-called hoaxes. These are made up stories that are spread as a challenge. Children and young people are encouraged to engage in risky activities because something bad will supposedly happen otherwise. In the end, the hoax challenges themselves are dangerous. Read more about this in our article on chain letters.
Networking with like-minded people, proving something to themselves or getting attention are reasons why young people get involved in dangerous challenges.
To counteract dangerous challenges, TikTok deletes clips with dangerous content or blocks certain search terms. However, videos are often tagged with modified terms such as challenge instead of challenge or underscores are added to avoid blocking.
Some challenge content is harmful to minors, for example when it involves pain, disgust or horror. Social media providers occasionally delete dangerous content, but that doesn’t stop other risky challenges from trending. On YouTube and TikTok it is forbidden to post such challenges. On TikTok, users receive an immediate warning when supposedly risky challenge videos appear in their feed. There are also educational videos about it.
Keep an open mind about fun, harmless, or even helpful challenges. You may also want to take on such challenges together with the whole family.
A life without Benjamin Blümchen, My Friend Connie and the Grüffelo is unthinkable, especially for younger children. You probably remember your own favorite cassettes or radio play CDs from your childhood. As a modern variant of the classic listening media, there are nowadays so-called listening boxes. But what exactly can Tonie, Tigerbox and Co. actually do?
Listening boxes, also called music boxes, are available from various suppliers. Depending on the manufacturer, the prices differ, but are mostly under 100, – €. When you buy a box, stories are often included. However, if you want more audio stories or songs for your child, there may be subsequent costs.
The boxes all work on a similar principle: they are child-friendly and usually designed like a cube. Above all, they are easy to use. Colorful pens or figurines in the form of animals that you plug into the audio box, or connect via Bluetooth, can play all kinds of stories. You can also get creative yourself and record (your own) stories.
Listening boxes are specially designed to meet the needs and motor skills of younger children and are designed not to break quickly. The few functions are easy to perform, so your child can operate the box independently. Selecting and starting stories themselves, pausing, stopping or exchanging them as needed – the young users can do all this on their own. Children as young as about two years old can operate the devices intuitively. This can boost your child’s self-confidence.
Some boxes offer the possibility to set a time limit. This will help your child stick to agreed upon listening times.
Audio boxes can be used to play audio games and music, whether for entertainment or to learn new things. If the stories are stored on animal figures or similar, these figures can also be used as toys.
Find out about the different listening boxes to decide which one is right for your child. What is the right shape? Are the stories stored on some kind of USB stick or does the box always have to be connected to the Internet? How much do new stories cost?
Research what age the stories you want to listen to with the box are appropriate for. Since your child can also use the listening box on his or her own, an age-appropriate selection is especially important. Also inquire about the data protection of the respective box: What private data is collected? How is the personal information of the users protected?
We present the most popular boxes in more detail on the Parents’ Guide: Tigerbox, Toniebox and Hörbert.
An audio box does not replace the togetherness of your own reading aloud: Regularly take the time to read to your child from their favorite book or listen to the audio stories from the box together.
Digital games are a popular pastime among children and young people. People also like to play via the Internet. There are various game sites on the net where children can play, some for free and some for a fee. Beim Spiel allein oder im Team werden verschiedene Fähigkeiten gefördert, aber vor allem sogenannte Multiplayer-Spiele bergen auch Gefahren wie Mobbing.
Many games portals that are particularly popular with children and young people, such as spielaffe.de, are financed by advertising. This is the only way they can offer the games for free. In return, children are confronted with many advertisements and links to external partners. Not every child is able to distinguish advertising from the actual content of the website and may thus unintentionally end up on other pages.
Play monkey is not made specifically for children. Not all games are suitable for every age of child, but still achievable. One problem here is that games that are offered online do not yet have to be provided with an age rating.
Younger children in particular are likely to be overwhelmed by the wide range of products and the many colorful pictures and buttons on spielaffe.de. The chat with other users is only possible after prior registration – but you can also play without registration. The section with information for parents and children on how to use the site safely is hard to find – at the very bottom left.
Even if Spielaffe does not collect data directly, data is collected and passed on via the integrated external pages, such as Facebook. The situation is similar at spielzwerg.de and spielkarussell.de. When registering, parents are not asked whether they agree that their children who are not yet of age can play here.
Many of the games offered on such portals also work with outdated gender stereotypes. There is often a category “girl games”, where you can find games about household or beauty. None of the three websites are displayed directly in a search with the fragFINN child search engine. Websites that are otherwise harmless for children can be found via fragFINN.
Despite all the risks, children and young people like to use these sites – certainly also because of the large selection of games. Try to understand your child’s fascination with these sites and show interest without ignoring the dangers. Help your child recognize advertising and agree on rules for using such sites. Install ad blockers and check out what educators have to offer and what they think. Online services such as the initiative Gutes Aufwachsen mit Medien (Growing up well with media ) or the Seitenstark community offer help here. You can find pedagogically valuable offers via fragFINN, among others.
Grand Theft Auto (GTA for short) is a computer game series very popular among young people. The first-person shooter is only released from 18 years – so not suitable for children and teenagers.
GTA V (5) is the latest version of the popular game series. In the fall 2021 three older parts of the GTA series (GTA 3, GTA Vice City, GTA San Andreas) were released for PC and newer consoles (
Switch
,
Xbox X/S
and
PS5
) re-released.
In all parts of the series, the player takes on the role of a criminal and has to complete missions and tasks in a fictional city. The character moves through a vast, open 3D world and has to commit a bank robbery or steal a car, for example. Through the First-person perspective and the realistic graphics immerse players particularly deep into the world and can feel the game is very real.
The game is also available as online multiplayer (
GTA Online
), where players move together in the world and communicate with each other.
communicate
can.
Among 14 to 17 year olds, the GTA among the most popular games. The game is very exciting, because gamers can do almost anything in the game and always have to complete new, very different tasks. The competitive nature and playing together with other “like-minded people” in the online multiplayer mode makes gamers stick with it. For
GTA Online
there is regularly new game content that can be downloaded, such as new missions or vehicles.
Young people can experience new things in computer games. This also includes the fact that they can test and cross boundaries here – in a fictional world without consequences. With such a game, some teenagers already feel older than they actually are. They prove to themselves and each other that they can already play such a game and endure the content, even if they are actually still too young.
The game sometimes depicts violence very drastically, even without it being necessary for the gameplay. Particularly problematic are Violence and Torture scenes and the questionable portrayals of women. For this reason, the USK comes to a Age rating of 18 years. Minors are therefore not allowed to be sold or given access to the game. Despite or because of this clear regulation, young people try to play the game and may come into contact with content and presentation that is not suitable for their age. The consequence can cause anxiety, abut also a permanently distorted image of women, for example. its.
Grand Theft Auto is one of the most successful games worldwide and is considered a cult game in the gaming scene. Since GTA V ‘s online mode is only available if you have Purchased the game and accordingly has proven his age, the provider is not obliged to take any further protective measures. As a result, retailers, online game stores and, ultimately, you as a parent are responsible for this.
Although not every child is equally and differently developed, parents should consider the Age ratings take seriously. These are determined by experienced examiners in controlled test procedures. When accessing games online, make use of the technical setting options, e.g., in the
Game console
.
Of course, it is impossible to completely avoid the possibility that your child may come into contact with the game through friends or other means. Talk to your child about first-person shooters and computer games if you know they are being used. Content and its impact should also be discussed and it should be made clear that not everything corresponds to social reality.
Peer pressure can also make your child eager to try the game. Confer with other parents and consider join with them a joint course of action.
Do you know Let’s Plays? These are videos in which people play games, for example on YouTube show. The Twitch.tv platform, which is very popular with children and young people, works in the same way in principle, except that here you can watch live how others play. For young gamers, the portal is a must.
Twitch is the largest livestreaming portal for streaming and watching games. The site is similar in principle to other video portals. Users can visit channels or the stream of a particular digital game. In doing so, they do not have to register.
Only registered users can broadcast the game they are playing live to an audience. They usually use webcam and microphone to comment on their own game at the same time. The chat function allows players and viewers to communicate with each other in real time. A game is often watched by more than 10,000 people. Those who have enough viewers can place advertisements. The proceeds from this will be split between Twitch and the streaming gamer. Individual channels can also be subscribed to for a fee, and there is an option to donate money to a gamer during the livestream.
The games most frequently shown on Twitch are also otherwise very popular, e.g. Fortnite , Leagues of Legend , Counterstrike and Minecraft . eSports events are also broadcast on Twitch. Most of the content on Twitch is from users, but there is also professionally produced material. Besides the main theme of games, other content is also shown on Twitch. There are streams for programming, drawing, crafting and many other everyday things.
On Twitch, young people can share their computer gaming hobby with others and experience it live from a different perspective. They can interact directly with their gaming idols and improve their skills in a particular game. For gamers it is interesting, because they can show their skills and also earn money.
Those who have access to the Internet can also use Twitch, since no registration is required to watch. Therefore, children and teenagers can watch streaming of games that are not yet suitable for them according to the age restriction. According to the terms and conditions, the offer can only be used from the age of 13 and then only with parental supervision. However, this becomes relevant at most when registering for your own streams or interacting with gamers. There is no check to see if the age entered during registration is correct.
Your child may encounter violent, scary, and sexualized content. For this reason, the Jugendschutz has classified the platform as unsuitable for children and young people.
Advertising on Twitch is difficult to detect. This is also due to the fact that more and more gamers are becoming influencers. Young users often do not recognize personal game recommendations as advertising.
The integrated donation function should also be viewed critically. When viewers transfer money to their favorite players during the livestream, the gamer comments on it at the same time. This kind of personal feedback can tempt younger users in particular to donate money using their parents’ PayPal account details.
Since users who only watch livestreams do not have to register, there is a risk, especially among young streamers, that (strange) adults will make contact and that cybergrooming will occur.
Twitch Interactive, Inc. has existed since June 2011 (at that time still under the name Justin.tv) and has been part of Amazon since 2014. So there is an interest in collecting user data to make personalized advertising. The privacy policy is available in German and states exactly how and for what purpose the service collects personal data. The safety instructions are also available in German. Twitch offers a reporting function so that people who violate the community guidelines in the stream or chat can be reported by other users. After review by a moderation team, inappropriate content will be deleted.
As soon as a video is clicked in which a game with age restriction is played, there is a notice. However, this can be easily clicked away.
Because of the risks mentioned, you should accompany your child when he or she uses the service, or at least talk to him or her about it regularly. Talk to him about the platform and look at it together. Research the age ratings for each game and stick to them. Also, make your child aware that as a streamer, they should not post personal information as Twitch can share it. Use the option in the settings to disable communication with strangers.
Your child also admires one or more YouTube stars and would love to watch videos all the time? Then we have a few tips on how to regulate YouTube usage in your family. Note that not every tip is appropriate for every age of child.
In all linked articles you will find more information. These can be helpful if you want to share YouTube with your family.
Telegram is a messenger service like WhatsApp , Signal Although the messenger is considered relatively privacy-protected compared to others, Telegram has come under criticism for spreading fake news and conspiracy narratives.
Telegram is a free messenger service that advertises particularly high security and speed. Anyone who wants to use the app must register once with a cell phone number by calling or texting. Afterwards, an account can be used across an unlimited number of devices. It is also possible to create a user name.
Telegram offers features like other messenger services: sending (and editing) images, videos, audio files and emojis. It can also be used to conduct surveys. Another special feature of Telegram is the creation of public groups and the subscription to (thematic) channels: Messages can be sent to an unlimited number of users, but only the channel creator and the administrators are allowed to write.
In so-called “secret chats”, messages are not stored on the provider’s servers. This is to prevent messages from being intercepted and read in any form. The “self-destruct function”, with which a message automatically disappears from the sender and recipient after a set time, also contributes to this.
As with WhatsApp you can get in touch with others quickly and free of charge via Telegram. Especially the exchange in groups makes Telegram interesting. For older teenagers, contact with like-minded people in Telegram groups could also be exciting and problematic at the same time.
Despite encryption and secret messages, the app has some pitfalls: The end-to-end encryption ensures that messages can only be read by the chat participants, but must first be activated. In addition, all communication content, with the exception of secret chats, is permanently visible to the operator and is stored on its servers.
Because of its subscribable channels and groups, Telegram is popular and criticized in equal measure. Institutions such as newspapers can use it to send out regular updates. But these groups also bring together people who exchange and spread right-wing ideas or other extreme opinions among themselves. Also listen to an episode of the youth podcast “What’s up…?”.
As with similar apps, contact risks such as sexting, cyberbullying and the spreading of so-called fake news cannot be ruled out. Registering with a username poses a particular risk: This is public, so that even people who do not have the cell phone number can contact you. The messenger also requires access to the address book and contacts are permanently stored on Telegram servers.
The Russian provider advertises data protection and privacy. In addition to the encryptions, there is, for example, the option to secure the app with code or fingerprint. Telegram is also open source, which means that anyone can see how the app is programmed and how the security measures work. The app is also to remain free of charge and advertising at all times.
Before you register, you must also agree to the Terms of Use. These require a minimum age of 16. In addition, the users undertake not to use the service for sending spam or cheating, not to promote violence and not to publish illegal pornographic content. However, it is unclear whether and how compliance with these conditions will be verified.
Before your child uses a messenger like Telegram, you should talk to him about communication rules and possible dangers. Consider beforehand what speaks for Telegram or whether another service would be better. If it is to be Telegram , refrain from registering with a public username.
Names like Lisa and Lena, Melina Sophie or Julien Bam come up often at your house and you know for sure that they are not friends of your child? Then your son or daughter probably has a crush on an Internet star or influencer.
Young people in particular often spend several hours a day on social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram or TikTok. In doing so, they look at videos and photos of people they don’t know personally, but about whom they nevertheless know a lot and on whom they orient themselves. These so-called influencers report on their supposed everyday life in pictures or videos and deal with topics such as fashion, beauty or gaming. Influencers often have a presence on multiple social media platforms. Athletes, models and pop stars are also active as influencers.
Fans or followers or subscribers communicate with their stars: they answer surveys, respond to calls, such as challenges, or like and comment on posts. So they feel like they are somehow connected to the influencers.
The most famous influencers have an enormous reach from thousands of followers to an audience of millions: the twins Lisa and Lena have as more than 15 million subscribers on Instagram and over 10 million followers on TikTok. YouTuber Bianca “Bibi” Heinicke from BibisBeautyPalace has 5.9 million subscribers and Julian Bam 5.7 million.
Adults often miss out on this trend. For many young people, influencers are role models and have a great influence on them – hence the term influencer. They are often the same age as their fans or just a few years older and appear to act naturally, so that their followers trust them and seek advice as if they were their big siblings.
Companies have recognized the value of influencers and use both the platforms and their stars for marketing purposes. In the photos and videos of the Instagramer one sees directly or also only “incidentally” products like beauty articles or clothes of certain brands. Companies also often use influencers to boost the credibility and popularity of a brand. What looks like a personal recommendation from a famous influencer is often advertising.
The boundaries between one’s own opinion and advertising are blurring and becoming difficult to discern. This is mainly because not all influencers mark their posts with “advertising” or “advertisement”, even though this is actually mandatory. It is unclear whether the influencer bought the product in question himself or was paid to hold it up to the camera.
Children and young people don’t necessarily realize this or take a less critical view of it, as they want to emulate their online idols and are easily influenced by them. For example, if influencers dress a certain way, kids and teens associate those brands with their stars and want to dress the same way.
It seems so easy to succeed and make money as an influencer. That’s why many children and young people want to become YouTubers or influencers themselves. But the photos and videos posted don’t show the work behind a life as an influencer.
Young followers are not only influenced by topics such as fashion and lifestyle. Influencers portray themselves in certain ways, often embellished by filters and poses. They are mostly pretty, slim, athletic and successful. You have to look hard on social media for role models who don’t look perfect and ideal. Young people hardly ever come into contact with it. You can read more about this in our article Diversity and Role Models in Social Media.
Social media platforms are also used to inform and express opinions. That’s why influencers who want to politically motivate young followers or even convince them of their extreme views also cavort there. If your child begins to take an interest in social issues such as environmental protection or equal rights as a result, this is certainly a positive thing. But there are not always good intentions behind it: Quite inconspicuously, certain influencers, e.g. in a cooking video, influence their audience by interspersing derogatory comments about certain groups of people or persons that actually have nothing to do with the video content.
Don’t judge your child’s stars. You probably also had a crush on a star as a teenager that your parents thought was stupid. You don’t have to like your child’s influencers, but should try to understand what your child likes about them. Show interest and ask which people your child follows on Instagram and Co. Together, question what the influencer is showing in the posts and what could be behind it.
It is normal to look for role models when you are in the process of developing your own personality. Encourage your child to think about it and be available as a point of contact if he or she has questions.
Our colleagues from klicksafe have summarized the phenomenon of influencers in a video by #Elterninformiert.
Talking to others, talking on the phone with friends and family, writing or looking and smiling at each other – communication is a basic human need! Young people prefer to exchange information via apps and social networks on their smartphones. They share experiences and experiences and process them in this way. They learn to resolve conflicts without parental support, to form their own opinions and to defend them. Friendships are cultivated by being in constant contact with each other.
Messenger apps are the most popular for communication. Most often used WhatsApp but also alternatives such as the Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Signal or Threema have many installed.
Communication via smartphones is a matter of course for young people and takes up a large part of their everyday lives. The smartphone is always at hand and represents a kind of social meeting place. Both in one-on-one chats and in group chats, opinions, pictures, and videos are exchanged, arguments are had, and jokes are made.
Being connected to friends via messenger creates a sense of belonging for young people.communicating via it seems private. However, the groups are often so large that there is no longer any question of privacy. The more anonymous group chats become, the greater the risk that they will be misused to spread false news and manipulate opinions. Another danger is that photos can be stored and sent unnoticed on other people’s devices. As convenient as messengers are, they also harbor risks – especially because young people send a lot of messages every day. It can cause stress if your child feels like they have to respond to messages immediately or is afraid they’ll miss something if they don’t look at their phone.
However, young people do not always act socially when they communicate with each other in messenger groups. Since you do not see the reaction of your counterpart directly and you want to impress others, insults are not uncommon. Under certain circumstances, this can lead to cyberbullying.
Also via social media apps like Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok is communicated. Often, this type of sharing is limited to pictures and videos and liking or commenting. This communication is especially important when it comes to self-expression and recognition. Selfies are sent and you expect a positive reaction from your followers, who are mostly friends and acquaintances. However, stress or insults may occur here as well.
It is also common among gamers to exchange information while gaming – for example, via channels such as Discord and Teamspeak.
It is precisely via platforms that strangers can also write to young people in order to make closer contact with them. This can be harmless, but criminal, e.g. pedophilic intentions, can also be behind it.
As convenient as communication via the Internet is, potential risks should be known. Ask your child what channels they use and who they chat with. However, be mindful of his or her privacy and give your child the space he or she needs. Agree on security rules, e.g. which pictures and videos may be sent via which route. Advise your child to post certain photos only on private channels or groups. Be responsive to uncertainties and problems.
If you are concerned about the security of your child’s data, just compare the terms of individual messengers. What happens to the data there? Is the communication encrypted? Which messengers are considered secure? In the terms of use of many of these apps, an age of 13 or even 16 is required to sign up. If your child is under the age of majority, you must consent to its use. Perhaps discuss with other parents and consider working together to find a privacy-friendly alternative to WhatsApp can be installed.
With younger children, you can go through the Messenger settings together. Disabling read receipts takes the pressure off, so your son or daughter doesn’t have to feel like they have to respond to a message right away. Pay attention to who your child can chat with and show them the function to block contacts.
You can agree on rules for communicating with your child, setting a good standard for your child’s exchanges with friends.
Apps can help children learn, encourage their creativity, and give them a lot of fun. But which apps are best suited and how can you recognize a good children’s app?
Apps that have been programmed explicitly for children are particularly suitable as an introduction to online worlds: As a small, self-contained program, they offer clear content. Navigation is by finger movement or voice input. In many apps, care is taken to cater to a child’s penchant for repetition. Ideally, you should test and play through the app before your child uses it. Be specific about the applications you install for your child. Pay attention to whether advertising and in-app purchases are included, among other things. You can use test reports as a guide, e.g. from Spieleratgeber NRW.
Be sure to establish usage rules for tablets or smartphones early on. Toddlers and children of kindergarten age should spend as little time as possible in front of a screen, and if they do, it’s best to spend it together with you. This will let you know how your child is getting on with the app, and whether he or she understands and can process the content. And you can answer questions. The older your child gets, the more independently he or she will be able to use mobile devices.
Often apps offer settings options for parents to restrict the usage time and access to certain content. Use such features, especially if you can’t stay with it all the time. Already during the download, pay attention to which permissions the app requests and deactivate them if necessary.
An overview of recommended apps for children is difficult due to the rapid changes on the web. However, you can find help at the German Youth Institute (DJI), at klicktipps or at SIN – Studio im Netz, among others. If you want advice on whether an app is suitable for your child, look for it at app-geprüft.net.
Whether on television, at the bus stop or on the Internet – advertising is part of our everyday lives. Even young children see commercials on TV or encounter it in the supermarket, where many products based around children’s media heroes like Elsa, Sandman & Co. are available for purchase. On websites and video platforms, older children and young people in particular come into contact with various forms of advertising: Influencers wear the latest sneakers in their videos, present a cosmetic product from their favorite brand, or unpack the game console they just bought in front of the camera in an unboxing video. Even in many game apps, there are ads that you have to click away to continue playing.
Media content for children must be designed in such a way that they can recognize advertising and their childlike inexperience is not exploited. This includes, for example, the clear separation of content and advertising. On television, there is a visual and audio cue at the beginning and end of the commercial. A children’s program must not be interrupted by commercials. On children’s sites on the web, advertising banners must be labeled and must not overlap content or interfere with children’s use of the sites. Also, not all products (such as alcohol) may be advertised to protect children.
Help your child recognize and see through advertising. With age, the understanding of advertising also increases. From around the age of 8, children understand that advertising is not intended to provide neutral information, but to encourage them to buy.
Especially when it comes to online advertising, younger children first have to learn that advertising is displayed at the same time as the actual content on a website.
Ads within game apps often pop up unexpectedly, which is why kids can accidentally click on ad content. When downloading free children’s apps, pay attention to whether they contain so-called in-game advertising. Decide if this is problematic for your child. You should pay special attention if advertising content in the game tempts you to move faster, if the advertising is not marked or separated from the game content, or if children are hindered while playing.
Older children and young people face the challenge of recognizing whether their idols are just presenting a product or whether they are concerned with real content. This is because videos by influencers are not always labeled as advertising, although this is mandatory if they receive money from companies for it. Watch videos and Instagram stories together, and watch together for hints of advertising and sponsorship in the content you share.
Talk openly with your child about the various forms of advertising in media. Only then can it learn to deal consciously and critically with advertising and the purchasing decisions it makes in everyday life. Think of your role model function as well.
Do you know it? It’s Saturday, seven o’clock in the morning: your child is already lively, while you would like to sleep a little longer. That’s when the tablet can jump in and keep the child occupied while you take another look around, right?
Yes and no! There are moments in everyday life when it’s just handy to have a little time and quiet while the child is busy with the tablet or cell phone for a while. It has fun with it and you can take care of other things meanwhile. In exceptional cases, this is certainly not a problem. It can be difficult when it becomes a habit.
Because: Children still need guidance in many things they are learning. This includes the use of media. What the accompaniment looks like depends on the age and completely individually on your child. Young children should not be left alone when watching something on a tablet or television. This way, you can witness what your child is watching and how he or she is coping with it. They can also share their media experiences with you and ask questions if they don’t understand something. This is important so that your child can process the content. What your child looks at or listens to should also be age appropriate. Keep media time low and give your child enough time to process his or her media experiences.
Older children already have more media experience and you as a parent can already assess how your child deals with certain content. Again, though, make sure you have age-appropriate offerings, limited media time, and at least be around when your child is using media. If you can’t sit with them, settings on the device and in apps can help prevent your child from accessing content that may overwhelm or even frighten them.
It is best when media is shared within the family, such as a weekly movie night. Media are thus part of everyday family life and are not misappropriated as chaperones. Because only you can pay attention!
