Children today grow up with media as a matter of course. This makes it all the more important to protect them from unsuitable content and at the same time support them in using media safely and independently. Legal regulations, technical options and child-friendly offers help with this – as do discussions within the family.
The Basic Law states that the state must protect the personal rights of all people. In the case of children and young people, this includes protecting them from the influence of media that could be bad or dangerous for their development. The precise regulations for the protection of minors in the media are laid down in various laws, primarily in the Youth Protection Act and the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media. Both stipulate how media offerings must be designed and presented in order to pose as little danger as possible to children and young people.
There is also the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which sets out internationally what rights children have and what protection they need to grow up well and safely – including in the digital space. Children not only have a right to protection, but also to participation and involvement. They should be involved in decisions that affect them according to their age. This also applies to media use. It is therefore important to develop rules together with children and to take their perspectives seriously.
Ultimately, you as parents decide what is best for your child. When it comes to media use, you decide when your child is allowed to use which devices, which apps and content are permitted and which time limits apply. The legal requirements and age labels provide you with guidance – and help you to make informed decisions.
Age ratings have been around for a long time: movies are rated as of a certain age by default, as are DVDs and streaming content. Personal rights of all people and certain online content must also be labeled – this is required by youth media protection. The age categories range from “approved without age restriction” to “from 6”, “from 12”, “from 16” and “not rated for minors”.
It is important to note that age ratings are not educational recommendations. “Approved for ages 12 and up” does not mean that a game or movie is particularly suitable for all 12-year-olds. It merely means that the content does not impair or endanger the development of this age group.
In the family, age labels can be a good opportunity to talk to your child about content: What does he like about it? What might be unsettling or overwhelming?
Age labels not only serve as a guide, but also as a basis for technical protection functions. As soon as children start using their own devices – such as their first smartphone – it becomes more difficult to keep an eye on all content. Parental control apps or filter programs can help parents to monitor media use.
These programs filter content that is harmful to minors, but do not offer one hundred percent protection. On the one hand, because content on the internet is constantly changing. Secondly, because risks such as contact with strangers or problematic communication between users are more difficult to filter. You should therefore use filters as a supplementary tool, not as the sole solution.
Tip: If you come across content that is harmful to minors or illegal, you can report it to the FSM Complaints Office.
Not only content, but also the design of apps and devices is regulated by law – especially when it comes to data protection. Children, young people and adults must be able to protect their data and decide for themselves what information they wish to disclose.
On smartphones, for example, you can control which data an app is allowed to access. If your child gets their own device, take a close look at the data protection and security settings together and decide together which settings make sense.
Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and the like must also give their users the opportunity to find out what happens to their data and to make their own decisions. You should also discuss this with your child and adjust the settings together.
In addition to legal and technical protective measures, there is a wide range of helpful offers:
You can use all of these protection options, recommendations and aids to discover the media world together with your child. Talk about your experiences, try things out together and reflect on what works well and what doesn’t.
Your child will gradually learn to navigate the digital world safely – with your support, but also increasingly independently.
