Having their own tablet can be exciting for children: playing games, reading books, getting creative or using educational apps. However, many parents ask themselves: when is it worth giving them their own device – and when is the family tablet enough?
A shared tablet makes sense in the early years. Your child can try out content while you accompany, explain and restrict what they see and do. One family device is often enough to gain initial experience with apps, videos or games and to reflect on media use together.
It makes sense for your child to have their own tablet if they want to use media independently on a regular basis, pursue their own interests or use learning apps that require personal accounts. For children from around 6 to 7 years of age, having their own device can be useful if you clearly regulate and supervise their use.
The decisive factor is not the age, but the maturity of your child: Can they follow the rules? Do they know how to surf the net safely? Can they
A tablet for children should be robust, intuitive to use and not too expensive. Simple devices with a sturdy casing and a child-friendly interface are good entry-level options. Check whether educational apps, audio books or creative tools are useful and whether in-app purchases and advertising can be deactivated.
Whether it’s a family or personal device: define usage times, content and rules together. Parental controls, family accounts and parental control apps help to control media use. Reflect together:
Having your own tablet can promote digital independence if you accompany them: Explain functions, try out educational apps together and talk critically about advertising, algorithms and content. In this way, your child learns to use media consciously and reflectively.
Can’t find an answer to your question? Ask your personal questions about your child’s media use directly and conveniently using the messenger service via WhatsApp or Threema. You can find more information here.
“Just ask a chatbot!” – This is a tip that parents now often hear when it comes to quickly searching for information or support with tasks. ChatGPT has long since become part of everyday life not only for adults, but also for children and young people. We provide an insight into what the tool can do, how it works and what you should look out for.
ChatGPT is an AI-based chatbot that analyzes texts and writes them itself. It can answer questions, provide ideas or summarize longer texts in natural language and often with astonishing precision. The AI has been trained with huge amounts of data from books, websites and conversations and mimics human communication. ChatGPT can also be integrated into other services, such as WhatsApp or Instagram.
The free version uses the GPT-4o-mini model with training data up to around October 2023 and can also access the internet to a limited extent. The Plus version has comprehensive internet access and offers additional functions.
Question: I am planning my son’s birthday. Can you help?
ChatGPT: Sure! How old will your son be and what does he particularly like? Then we can collect ideas for games, decorations or food.
Question: He’ll be nine and loves dinosaurs.
ChatGPT: How about a dinosaur treasure hunt in the garden? You can hide little figures and draw a map. Or bake dino cookies – would you like me to find you a recipe?
With “Family Pairing”, OpenAI offers the option of linking parent and child accounts in order to offer underage users more protection. The aim is to show
ChatGPT is easily accessible, fast and versatile. It can write creative texts, answer complex questions and communicate in several languages. For many children, it feels like they are talking to a real person. The tool encourages creativity, language comprehension and structured thinking, while supporting digital independence.
Children and young people use ChatGPT for example for:
OpenAI emphasizes:
Try it out together: Test ChatGPT together. Then discuss which answers are useful or problematic. This will help your child learn how to deal critically with AI.
Use the family pairing function: Check the settings and activate protection mechanisms if necessary.
Encourage critical thinking: Explain that ChatGPT does not provide “truth” but recognizes patterns. Answers can be wrong or contain prejudices.
Keep an eye on data protection: Do not disclose any personal data together, i.e. no names, addresses, telephone numbers or photos. If your child uses ChatGPT via WhatsApp or other apps, discuss the fact that additional data is shared there.
For school: ChatGPT can support learning, for example to explain difficult terms simply or to summarize texts. However, it should not be used for homework. Make it clear to your child: AI is a tool that can support learning, but cannot take over.
Keep the conversation going: Encourage your child to speak up if they feel uncomfortable or receive inappropriate content. AI can be exciting, but should always be used consciously and critically.
It can happen that children or young people come across content online that depicts violence. When scrolling through social media, on video platforms or when such videos are shared in group chats in Messenger. This may involve fights, abuse, accidents or drastic images from war zones. Such content can frighten and disturb children or young people. It also violates the right to one’s own image of the person concerned and may even be punishable by law.
Under no circumstances should such content be redistributed. This prevents even more people from seeing the content. If the content is illegal, publishing and redistributing it can even have criminal consequences.
We can also encourage young people to do even more by not ignoring such content, but actively reporting it. Look together to see where the report function can be found on the platforms used, such as Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok or YouTube. According to the terms of use, violent and cruel content is not permitted and should be deleted. Messages or people can also be reported on WhatsApp.
The online advice platform for young people Juuuport even offers a separate reporting option for young people, e.g. for violent videos, extremism or hate speech. The internet complaints offices FSM, eco and jugendschutz.net then take care of these complaints.
Violence also plays a role in fictional media content, such as films, series or games. Content that is easy for older children, teenagers and adults to process can frighten young children. This is why there are age restrictions for depictions of violence in the media, which are regulated by the protection of minors in the media. The age labels of films or computer games show you as parents from what age the content shown is suitable.
However, children and young people can also come across real depictions of violence online. An experience report from Juuuport clearly shows how differently young people deal with violent videos online and can make it easier for you to start the conversation.
Talk to your child about possible negative experiences online. Show them the reporting and blocking functions on the relevant platforms and discuss how algorithms select content. Also explain how to ‘maintain’ or reset this content to keep your child’s online experience safer and healthier. Talk about what it means when photos or videos have a ‘sensitive content warning’ and what your child should do if this happens. Also find out about the legal regulations for the protection of minors in the media and about technical protection options via apps and settings for your child on devices or in individual services.
Can’t find an answer to your question? Ask your personal questions about your child’s media use directly and conveniently using the messenger service via WhatsApp or Threema. You can find more information here.
WhatsApp is the most popular messenger, even among children and young people. Almost everyone uses it to send messages, make calls or share status updates. It is important for parents to know the functions, risks and developments, especially since AI functions have been integrated into the app.
WhatsApp is a free messenger that is registered via the cell phone number. Contacts must be shared in the address book on the smartphone so that messages, photos, videos,
Self-deleting messages that disappear after seven days and photos or videos that can only be viewed once are particularly practical. Chats can be locked with a code or fingerprint. Group administrators can delete messages from others, making it easier to moderate content.
The search function helps you to quickly find specific messages, links or media across all chats. This makes Messenger easier to use, but can also tempt you to bring up old conversations or private content that was actually forgotten.
Since the integration of Meta AI, an AI has been supporting users in formulating messages, summarizing long chats and suggesting emojis or answers. It can also answer questions, similar to a chatbot. The use of these functions is optional; users decide for themselves whether they want to use them. Channels on which
WhatsApp is quick, easy and always available. Young people use it to stay in touch, discuss homework or simply to belong. They share impressions of their everyday lives via status messages and profile pictures, similar to Instagram.
The new channels make WhatsApp even more attractive. Young people follow influencers there and receive trends, challenges and tips directly in the app. Having your own channels encourages creativity and organization, but can also increase the desire for reach or recognition.
The AI functions are also fascinating: An automatic writing assistant that suggests texts saves time and seems practical. However, young people should understand that this AI is not a neutral conversation partner, but learns from their input.
The read confirmation (“blue checkmark”) can create pressure to reply immediately. Large groups, such as
Another risk is data processing by Meta. WhatsApp collects a lot of information: Contacts, profile and location data, device and usage information. This can be used for personalized advertising or to train the AI.
The integration of meta AI brings additional challenges. Many users do not know what data the AI processes or stores. Emotional bonds can also develop with chatbots, especially when children talk about personal topics. Such conversations often seem human, but they are not.
Influencer channels can show content that is unsuitable for children. Advertising, idealization and one-sided portrayals are common, often without clear labeling.
WhatsApp belongs to the Meta Group. The provider emphasizes that chats are end-to-end
According to the provider, Meta AI should make it easier to use and deliver personalized results. At the same time, this means that the AI learns from the user’s data. Parents can check whether the AI functions are active in the settings. On some devices, this is only visible to users under 18. Use can be restricted or rejected if the device and app allow it.
Children under the age of 16 may only use WhatsApp with parental consent. Talk together about responsible use: What information can be shared? Who is allowed to see messages?
Discuss risks such as bullying, inappropriate or dangerous content (e.g. pornographic material), “fake news” or emotional attachments to AI chatbots. Encourage your child to get help if they have unpleasant experiences.
Set the data protection settings together. Pay attention to your child’s privacy and give them the freedom they need. The privacy check (Settings ” Privacy ” Privacy check) shows at a glance which settings are active and who is allowed to see what. You can find step-by-step instructions at www.medien-kindersicher.de.
Your child should only allow contacts that they know in real life. Discuss the responsible use of your own channels and influencer content. Be a role model for respectful communication yourself.
Explain that AI answers are not always correct and do not replace real conversations. Keep the conversation going and show interest in your child’s digital world – without mistrust, but with awareness.
If you are looking for messengers with stronger data protection, you can use signal, Threema or NYZZU to avoid them.
Does this sound familiar to you? You’ve done a lot of reading, had lengthy discussions, installed elaborate parental control programs on your children’s devices – only to find that YouTube is still on all night long. This is because the tricks for circumventing FamilyLink and the like sometimes spread faster than head lice in the school playground and online. And leave us parents rather perplexed.
FamilyLink or Apple parental controls, JusProg or Kidgonet – when children start to use media independently, parents often worry a lot about usage times and safety. The solution is often technical restrictions such as parental control apps that set time limits or filter content. However, after a while it often turns out that although the apps and settings allow you as parents to sleep peacefully, they are hardly an obstacle for your child to surf as they please. They reinstall apps or open a browser that cannot be recognized, click on links and detours to YouTube or simply change the time or time zone on the device. Some children even install VPN services, use camouflage apps or create guest accounts on their devices to hide themselves from the unpopular parental control settings.
This raises many questions for parents. How good are child protection programs really? How can rules be enforced? And above all: how can children be well protected when using media if the apps can be bypassed?
For children, bypassing the parental control settings is of course a challenge and almost a sport. Anyone who has been annoyed a few times that screen time has ended at the worst possible moment may be looking for ideas to trick them. And children and young people are quick to find them. The internet, especially YouTube, is full of ideas and instructions on how to circumvent and trick the limits, locks and settings.
Many of these “detours” can be prevented by you as parents by making the settings of the parental control programs more rigorous or by allowing less creative freedom on the child’s device. For example, you can assign admin rights so that your child cannot download or install anything without your consent. You can assign parental PINs to many devices and accounts so that only you can change the settings. There are now also tested and very secure parental control settings for games consoles, which you can use to set the usage rights and times so that there is little scope for ‘detours’. For example, the USK has tested the parental control programs for the Xbox and Switch and found them to be suitable and safe.
Not only games, apps and devices can be secured, you can also set up your router to be childproof – and much more. You can find step-by-step instructions at medien-kindersicher.de.
But of course, youth protection should not be a race for technical possibilities. It is better to take a two-pronged approach to media education. Youth media protection solutions are still a useful tool for protecting children from difficult or dangerous content. However, families should never rely solely on technical filters. And not just because no filter can guarantee one hundred percent protection. Children grow into media worlds and they not only need to be protected from excessive demands at a young age, but above all they need to learn how to use them well and competently.
It is therefore much more important to accompany children in their media use than to install restrictions:
If your child uses media in a reflective, competent manner and with trustworthy parents at their side, the question of whether app restrictions need to be circumvented secretly may even be a thing of the past. You can find more tips for everyday family life with parental control apps in this article.
Many parents ask themselves this question at the beginning of the vacation weeks. The answer is not so easy to give. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Appropriate screen time depends on your child’s age, stage of development and needs – so it’s an individual decision. Talking to other parents can help, but no two children and families are the same and media rules can vary accordingly.
Set rules for screen and media time depending on what media your child uses and how well they can handle it.
Shared media use and conversations about the experiences will help you to assess this well. The form of use should also play a role: So how does your child spend their time? Are they finding out about a topic that is currently of particular interest to them? Are they playing games, watching series or endlessly scrolling through social media feeds? Are they alone?
Media offer us the opportunity to inform ourselves, to be inspired, to interact with others, to distract ourselves from our hectic everyday lives – but they can also stress us out or even burden us. Especially during the vacations, it can be good to take a break from the often packed and tightly structured daily routine of school, sports clubs or music lessons. Using media can help your child relax and stay in touch with friends. However, a balance is important, such as playing indoors and outdoors, sports, arts and crafts or spending time with friends and family.
Media rules are more likely to be accepted if they are made together with your child. Talk together about what media and content your child uses, when, how and why. Also think about your own media use, as parents act as role models. Establish common media rules for the whole family. Deviations during the vacations or at weekends are okay! Rules must fit your child’s development and needs as well as your everyday family life so that they can be adhered to.
You can find out more about media rules and screen time in these Elternguide.online articles and videos:
https://www.elternguide.online/regeln-fuer-die-mediennutzung-in-der-familie/
https://www.elternguide.online/medienregeln-fuer-schulkinder/
https://www.elternguide.online/der-staendige-streit-um-medienzeiten-ab-wann-ist-es-zu-viel/
https://www.elternguide.online/wann-ist-viel-zu-viel-zwischen-sucht-und-extremer-mediennutzung/
Can’t find an answer to your question? Ask your personal questions about your child’s media use directly and conveniently using the messenger service via WhatsApp or Threema. You can find more information here.
Your child’s first smartphone is an important milestone in their life. Parents ask themselves many questions beforehand: When is the right time for the first smartphone? Which device is suitable and what else needs to be considered?
There is no universal rule that recommends a certain age as appropriate for the first smartphone. The move to secondary school is often taken as an opportunity to equip children with their first smartphone. As parents, you know best whether your child is ready for a smartphone. Your child’s maturity, skills and media experience are more important than whether they have reached a certain age. This checklist from klicksafe can help you decide.
It is a good idea to buy a smartphone with a sturdy case and/or protective cover to get started. A device with intuitive, simple operation makes sense. This way, your child will quickly understand the smartphone’s functions and find it easier to use. It doesn’t have to be the latest and most expensive model; a solid, used model is suitable for beginners. It is advisable to keep an eye on price and performance.
Not all smartphone functions and apps are suitable for young users. A device with options for parental controls and family sharing, such as screen time and app restrictions, is therefore recommended. Select age-appropriate apps and adjust the app settings. Regular updates and secure, up-to-date software are also important. You should also be familiar with the device. This way, you can be a reliable contact person for your child and provide reassurance. Test the smartphone together with your child to make sure it is suitable. Accompany your child as they take their first steps and explain the potential risks to them.
You can find out more about your first smartphone here.
Ask your personal questions about your child’s media use directly and conveniently using the messenger service via WhatsApp or Threema. You can find more information here.
Chatting via Messenger, playing games together or taking part in social media trends – media enable us to be in contact with others. Children and young people face many challenges when communicating online. On Elternguide.online, we explain how you and your family can deal safely and competently with communication risks online.
When we write messages via Messenger, we don’t just use letters, we also like to use emojis. However, care should be taken to avoid misunderstandings. Chatting, posting and gaming is fun. However, being constantly available can overwhelm children and young people, lead to digital stress and the fear of missing out(FOMO). Be aware of your role model function and, if necessary, make technical adjustments together to regulate media use.
Whether through online gaming, video chats or social media – it’s easy to meet new people on the internet. Contact with strangers can be risky because we don’t know the person’s intentions and don’t know who is actually communicating with us. Is it really the same age gamer friend? When paedophile criminals write to children or young people to initiate sexual contact, this is known as cybergrooming. If supposedly private images such as nude photos are used to blackmail someone, this is called sextortion.
Sometimes communication with friends and acquaintances can also become problematic. Among young people, there is a risk of cyberbullying, for example, via chat groups. Sexting, the sending of revealing messages and images, can be problematic in relationships. It is helpful if rules are agreed on how to deal with messenger chats. Discuss this with other parents and your child’s teachers. Talk to your child about being careful with their own data, such as nude images. Explain to them how they should deal with insults and nasty comments and make them aware of reporting points.
AI applications have long since arrived in the everyday lives of children and young people and automatically accompany them when they use search engines, messengers and social media. They chat with chatbots such as MyAI on Snapchat, enter into intimate relationships with AI contacts or use programs such as ChatGPT or MetaAI to collect ideas or find solutions. In doing so, they encounter challenges such as misinformation, problematic content and data misuse as well as the difficulty of distinguishing between human and machine communication. Talk to your child about the opportunities and risks of AI tools and make safety settings in the apps together. Promote your child’s critical thinking and encourage them to question answers from chatbots, check information and understand AI as a tool – not as a substitute for their own services or real friendships.
The internet is not always a friendly place. Trolls and haters launch attacks under the guise of anonymity and deliberately provoke people in comment columns. Online hate speech can spoil the fun of posting videos and photos online. Thinking carefully about what you post or share is the first step to a safe browsing experience.
Forming their own opinion is one of the developmental tasks of children and young people. During the orientation phase, they can be susceptible to simple answers and radical positions from extremists. Whether on social media, in forums, chats or in online games – children and young people can come across extreme opinions and conspiracy myths everywhere online. Make it clear to your child why they should not trust all content online. Show your child how they can check information and familiarize them with the various reporting points on the internet.
Many gamers play games together, even if they are sitting in different places. When gaming, communication takes place via a headset or the chat function within a game. It is not always clear who is talking to you on the other end. If possible, players should block other people’s contacts. Gamers sometimes use harsh language, known as trash talk. If insults and conflicts escalate, this can lead to hatred among gamers. Keep in touch with your child about their favorite games and use technical youth media protection solutions.
You can learn even more about communication risks and how to deal with them in these posts:
Many apps cost nothing at first glance. Only when you take a closer look do you often realize that you have to pay in order to use them properly and have fun. Children and young people in particular can easily fall into cost traps, especially with games apps. We explain what parents should look out for, what risks there are and how in-app purchases can be controlled with a view to protecting and involving children.
Costs can arise not only when downloading an app. Many apps initially appear to be free, but certain functions, levels, virtual items or special benefits can only be unlocked against payment, such as accessories for avatars. Often a virtual currency is also offered, which must first be purchased via credit card, PayPal or prepaid cards in order to progress in the game or unlock extras. If you are not careful, you will only see how expensive the game has really become on your next mobile phone contract or credit card bill.
Providers often advertise a so-called premium version within the free app. This offers additional functions or game content and can be understood as a paid full version. For children, the free app looks like a test – and the inhibition threshold for spending money is low.
Children and young people react sensitively to rewards and progress in games. Apps such as Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite or Brawl Stars make targeted use of this: With just a few clicks, game characters can be embellished, levels can be unlocked faster or virtual coins can be collected. Virtual currencies seem abstract and are difficult to link to real money, so children often don’t even realize that they are spending real money – on things that have no real equivalent value.
Loot boxes are particularly critical: they contain random rewards that children perceive as small surprise gifts. The random effect can lead to them repeatedly investing money in order to receive the “right” reward. In games such as EA Sports FC (formerly FIFA), children can draw soccer stars in so-called packs; whether a favorite player is included is decided solely by chance. In Brawl Stars, children also open boxes that contain random power-ups or new characters. Such mechanisms are similar to gambling and are particularly problematic and tempting for young players.
There is also social pressure: those who progress faster or fail less often have an advantage in the game and can assert themselves better in front of friends. These psychological mechanisms make in-app purchases particularly appealing.
Parents can do a lot to protect their child from cost traps. It is important that you discuss the topic with your child and make clear agreements. In addition to technical settings, you should sensitize your child to cost traps and gradually give them responsibility in dealing with money in the digital space.
Since 2023, USK age ratings have included additional information on online risks such as in-app purchases, loot boxes and chats. This information can be found on game packaging, in app stores and in the USK title database. This makes it easier for parents to recognize which games are age-appropriate and where particular caution is required.
If your child has already made in-app purchases, you should first check whether refunds are possible in the app store. It is also worth carefully documenting any unclear debits and taking screenshots. It is then advisable to contact the provider directly – especially if subscriptions or purchases were not clearly marked. If the problems persist or occur repeatedly, consumer advice centers offer additional support and legal advice to protect families from further cost traps.
When entering the world of media, parents ask themselves many questions: “Do the little ones even need it? At such an early age? And should children be encouraged to consume media now?” Because the world doesn’t stand still and children can’t escape digitalization in their everyday lives, guidance is important right from the start. Parents should support children responsibly and sensitively in their first experiences with media.
This parents’ evening aims to provide practical advice and easy-to-implement tips. Educational media recommendations will be presented – from child-friendly apps to age-appropriate, fun and learning-promoting offers such as radio plays, games or videos – to ideas and instructions on how children can design and produce media themselves.
We would like to support you in taking a well-informed and relaxed look at the media world: quite critical and at the same time self-determined and capable of taking action.
Take the opportunity to be there live and ask your questions to our experts – we will be on hand to exchange ideas and provide valuable inspiration for everyday family life!
Date: 13.11.2025 | Time: 5 to 6 pm
Procedure: (Media educational) input (approx. 30/40 minutes) and subsequent open exchange
Speakers: Sophia Mellitzer and Frank Findeiß (JFF)
Moderation: FSM e.V.
Platform: The virtual parents’ evening is realized via the “Zoom” tool.
Privacy Notice: Zoom is a service of Zoom Video Communications Inc. which is based in the USA. We use Zoom via the German operator WTG. The WTG server is located in Europe. Furthermore, within the Zoom service we have chosen the configurations with the highest data and security protection.
Please also take note of our privacy policy.
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He should have blue eyes, a sporty figure and please be funny and sensitive. The perfect boyfriend can now be conjured up very quickly with just a few clicks, at least virtually. AI can be used to create platonic or romantic relationships with a seemingly flawless counterpart – so happiness in love without any heartache?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly becoming part of our everyday lives. As a search engine, practical support for everyday problems – and now also as a substitute for personal relationships. When chatting via Snapchat and WhatsApp, there are AI contacts in the address book with whom you can chat just like with a human counterpart. Apps such as Anima, Replika or Romantic AI go one step further. Here, artificial friends can be generated according to your own wishes. Users can design their own appearance and character via a selection menu and put together friends or romantic partners as they wish. The chatbots can be contacted at any time and users can write, speak and sometimes even make video calls with them.
A friend, exactly as you want it – for many adults, but also for children and young people, this sounds tempting. And at first glance, a self-generated chatbot has many supposed advantages: The chatbot is quick and easy to create and immediately ‘ready for action’ – much faster than a friendship or romantic relationship can be established in real life. An AI bot is always available, always has time, a sympathetic ear and seems to understand (almost) everything. Unlike real friends or partners, the bot never gets annoyed, bored, jealous or angry, but is exactly the counterpart we dream of.
Especially when children and young people are going through phases of loneliness, conflicts, problems or even psychological lows, chatbots may even be able to offer helpful answers and support – which is why some people are already working on using AI as an adjunct in psychotherapy. The visual design and verbal contact options can make the exchange feel very real and human and convey a good feeling similar to that of a friendship.
Nevertheless, it is not a good idea to replace interpersonal relationships with AI friendships and relationships in the future. After all, the seemingly perfect counterparts have limits – as well as pitfalls. For example, it initially seems tempting to have someone to listen to who never disagrees or expresses their own needs. However, the genuine, empathetic exchange and personality that characterize other people is quickly missing. There are also other critical points:
Talk to your child about these problematic topics and consider together which situations and topics an AI bot might be a good contact for – but also where there is a limit beyond which the ‘relationship’ becomes problematic. Make it clear to your child that security and data protection are important and that they have a right to them. Together, make sure that you do not disclose any personal data. Help your child to discover, build and maintain real friendships. Encourage your child to contact you at any time if they have any uncertainties or problems.
Who is allowed to do what with media and for how long? These issues come up in every family sooner or later and not infrequently cause stress and arguments. Rules on media use can help create a structure and avoid conflicts. These can be discussed by parents and children together and recorded in a contract. The online tool for a media usage contract presented here — an offer by klicksafe and the Internet-ABC — is suitable for this purpose.
The tool guides you step by step to the finished paper. You can choose from two age groups (6-12 years and 12+) and choose a title design, a mascot and a background. All the rules you select are automatically inserted like building blocks, so it’s easy to keep track of them all. Each module can be edited individually. Of course, you can also insert your own rules. At the end save the document, then it can be completed at another time. You can also create multiple contracts for different children.
Use the building blocks as a suggestion to start a conversation in your family about media use. Some possible rules you may not have thought about, others are already self-evident. Set priorities, because the tool offers very many ideas that do not all have to be implemented. There are several types of rules:
A contract is nothing more than written down rules that have been agreed upon. The advantage is that you can always look at it and remember it.
A special feature is that rules can also be set for parents. For example, parents can commit to not using the cell phone even at dinner, or to using adult media content only when children are not present. Because rules are easier for children to understand if everyone has to follow them and you set a good example.
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!
Whether on the way to school or online: Parents want their children to be safe. Parental control apps promise support in everyday digital life. They offer functions such as location monitoring, content filters and time limits. But how helpful are these digital tools really? And where is the line between protection and control?
Parental control apps are installed on the parent’s and child’s smartphone or tablet. Depending on the provider, they offer different functions:
Tip: Look out for privacy-friendly, ad-free apps – and avoid tools that access the camera, microphone or personal content without the child’s knowledge.
Data protectionMany apps transmit location data, messages or photos unencrypted to foreign servers – often without the child’s consent.
Intrusion into the privacyChildren – the older they get – have a right to privacy. Too much control can jeopardize the relationship of trust and affect self-esteem.
Normalization of surveillance: If children learn at an early age that they are being watched, this can affect their self-perception and autonomy.
Fake security: Technical control can be deceptive: If the device is off or the child has no connection, the app won’t work either. Trust, conversations and agreements are often more reliable.
Beware of in-depth monitoring: Some commercial apps offer far-reaching access options – for example to call lists, text messages, photos, social media activities or even the microphone. These functions are highly questionable under data protection law – and are only permitted if the child actively agrees. Such far-reaching intrusions into privacy can even be legally problematic.
Parents have a duty to protect their children (Section 1626 BGB). However, as children get older, their right to privacy and informational self-determination also grows. Excessive or secret surveillance can jeopardize trust – and may even be unlawful.
There is also a risk that sensitive data such as location or images will be stored and processed on foreign servers – often without transparency or effective protection.
Parental control apps can support – but not replace – what really counts: Relationship, trust and media literacy.
Tips for everyday family life:
Tip: Practical step-by-step instructions at medien-kindersicher.de.
The Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK) is the voluntary self-regulation body of the games industry. It is responsible for age rating reviews of digital games in Germany.
The USK is recognized as the responsible self-regulatory body under both the German Federal Youth Protection Act and the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media of the Federal States. In the area of the German Youth Protection Act, state representatives issue the statutory age ratings at the end of a USK procedure on the recommendation of independent youth protection experts. The USK also assigns age ratings for online games and apps.
The USK also supports companies from the games industry in complying with and further developing the protection of minors – for example through technical protection measures. It is also committed to media education, for example with offers such as elternguide.online and other information formats.
The games submitted for USK review are played through in their entirety by trained volunteer reviewers and then presented to an independent review panel. The review panel consists of four youth protection experts and one permanent representative of the supreme state youth authorities (OLJB). The youth protection experts come from academia, media education, church institutions and youth facilities, and have experience in working with media and with children and young people. After extensive discussion, the youth protection experts recommend an age rating. The OLJB Permanent Representative may adopt or appeal this age release. Subsequently, the USK receives the test result and communicates it to the applicants. If they also do not appeal, triggering a new review, the game will receive the legal age rating by the OLJB’s Permanent Representation to the USK.
In the online sector, the USK assigns age ratings within the framework of the international system IARC (International Age Rating Coalition). This is an association of the various organizations responsible for age rating worldwide, such as ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) in the USA, Mexico and Canada, PEGI (Pan European Game Information) in Europe, ClassInd (Classificação Indicativa) in Brazil, GRAC (Game Rating and Administration Committee) in South Korea, DGSC (Digital Games Self-regulation Committee) in Taiwan, ACB (Australian Classification Board) in Australia and the USK in Germany.
At IARC, the providers of online games and apps go through a detailed questionnaire on content relevant to the protection of minors. An age rating is then issued from the respective entries according to the specifications and criteria of the respective national self-regulation (for Germany, the USK). Regular random quality checks ensure that these age labels are reliable and correct. In all distribution platforms connected to this system, age ratings from the USK are thus available. The connected systems include the Google Playstore, the Nintendo eShop, the Xbox Store, the Sony PlayStation Store and Fortnite.
There are set criteria for the age rating of digital games. These guiding criteria support the review bodies in assessing the risk of games that are not age-appropriate for children and young people and help in the decision-making process. They are adopted and adapted by the USK Advisory Board, which is made up of various social groups. The Advisory Board is made up of representatives from churches and religious communities, media education, the Federal Ministry for Youth, the youth ministries of the federal states, the Federal Centre for Child and Youth Media Protection (BzKJ), youth organizations and the computer games industry, as well as representatives of USK members and youth protection experts.
The focus of the review is the presumption of impact, i.e. the assumption that certain content could impair or even endanger the development of children and young people. These include criteria such as the atmosphere in the game, violence or pressure to act. Since 2023, so-called “usage risks”, for example functions such as chats, in-game purchases or location sharing, have also been taken into account in the review under youth protection law and can have an influence on the age rating. More information about the USK’s guiding criteria can be found on the USK’s website.
The age ratings awarded are USK 0 (released without age restriction), USK 6, USK 12, USK 16 and USK 18 (no youth rating).
Since January 2023, the USK age rating labels have included additional information on the reasons for the age rating and the online functions available in the game. This allows parents to see at a glance which reasons have led to the label (e.g. “comic violence” or “pressure to act”) and which risks should be kept in mind when using media (e.g. “chats”, “in-game purchases” or “location sharing”). The notices can be found on the back of the game packaging, on the corresponding online platforms and in the USK title database.
In Germany, the Basic Law (Article 6) allows parents to decide for themselves what media content they make available to their child. However, parents should only give or allow their children to play digital games that are safe for the child’s age. The USK age ratings are a helpful guide. If parents also want to know whether a game is educationally suitable, they can find relevant information on many recommendation pages. An educational assessment on digital games is provided, for example, by the NRW Game Guide, which is funded by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
