Whether in books, series, films or audio stories – children learn role models through the media. This is because children identify with characters that they like. Classic images are often conveyed, such as those of strong heroes and beautiful princesses. Children are guided by these role models in order to develop their own personality.
From primary school age at the latest, gender becomes increasingly important for children’s identity. In many children’s films and series, girls and boys are still portrayed differently. Studies such as the MaLisa Progress Study (2021) show: Male characters continue to be more visible than female characters in children’s television. This is particularly clear in the case of animal, fantasy, robot and machine characters – they are still predominantly portrayed as male. At the same time, there are positive developments: The proportion of female characters in German children’s television has increased and stood at 44 percent in 2020. However, when the media tell similar stories over and over again – the brave boy saves everyone, the girl is mainly beautiful or caring – this can restrict children.
Trans and non-binary people have only rarely appeared in children’s films and series to date. For the most part, children’s media continue to tell stories about girls and boys within a binary gender role model. International studies such as the See Jane 2024 study show that LGBTQIA+ characters make up only a very small proportion of popular children’s television, at one to two percent; non-binary characters are almost invisible. Yet diverse characters can help children to understand that there are different ways of living gender, family and identity.
Many media offerings also remain one-sided when it comes to the portrayal of bodies and roles. Female characters are more often shown as young, slim, beautiful or caring. Male characters appear muscular, strong and athletic and more often experience adventures or explain the world. In family stories, women are still more likely to be shown bringing up children and doing housework, while men appear more often in professional or public roles. If children and young people repeatedly see one-sided images of beauty and bodies, this can make them feel insecure – especially if they perceive these images as “normal” and compare themselves to them. Studies show: This can increase dissatisfaction with their own bodies.
Occupations help children to imagine their own future. They are also guided by characters from books, series, films or audio stories. In many stories, however, professions are still stereotypically distributed: Women are more likely to look after children, family or care. Men solve problems, experience adventures or act as experts.
This can give the impression: Some professions are more suited to girls, others to boys. But the world of work today is much more colorful. A mother can be an engineer, doctor or scientist; a father can be an educator, carer or househusband. Such examples are important because career aspirations are often influenced by role models from an early age. In addition, technology and digitalization are constantly giving rise to new professions that have hardly featured in children’s books and series to date. If a boy still wants to be a firefighter or a girl a ballerina, that is of course perfectly fine.
In many picture books, families consist of a woman, a man and one or two children. Fathers often only appear as a secondary character. However, the traditional mother-father-child model, in which the mother looks after the children and the father goes to work, is only one of many family types today. Many children have several caregivers who look after them. These include, for example, the new partners of the (separated) parents. Rainbow families with queer parents are also rarely depicted in children’s media. And where are the adults who are not in a relationship but still like to look after their friends’ or family members’ children?
If you notice any questionable gender portrayals, feel free to address them: Who gets to be strong in the story? Who cares? Who decides? In this way, children learn to question role models.
Children need different role models. A diverse range of media shows them different ways in which people can live, feel and act. Stories that break down typical role models encourage children to accept themselves and to be open, tolerant and respectful towards others. We have put together some media tips for you that show diverse gender roles and different family forms:
Diverse families
I am me: self-image and gender identity
Out of the gender pigeonhole
Strong friendships and diverse role models
You can find more media recommendations in this article and, for example, at Regenbogenfamilien München and PINKSTINKS. If you would like to know more about gender in children’s media, we recommend this brochure for parents on dealing with gender roles.
Not every child needs a smartphone with internet and apps right away. For younger children, a push-button cell phone can be a good first step: children can make calls and write messages without having to be online all the time. Many families experience this as a relaxed introduction because children learn to take responsibility for their own device, for example charging the battery, being reachable, looking after the device and adhering to rules.
Some families use a shared family device or an older smartphone belonging to the parents as a test phase, which is only used at certain times. Many children are already familiar with digital media via tablets or family devices. Their first smartphone is therefore usually not their first contact with media, but the next step towards greater independence.
You can find out more about how to assess your child’s maturity in our parent check-in “My child is getting their first smartphone – what should I look out for?“.
If you want a smartphone, it doesn’t have to be the latest or most expensive model. A solid, used or refurbished smartphone that is regularly updated is a good place to start. For many children, the smartphone is a status symbol, but parents do not have to fulfill the desire for a specific brand model.
Also helpful are:
A device that uses the same operating system as the parents’ smartphone is often practical. This makes it easier to set up security settings, screen time or family functions together and to help quickly in the event of problems. Some families also agree that older children will contribute to purchases or repairs. This makes many children more aware of how they use the device.
A prepaid card can be useful for the first smartphone. This means there are no additional costs and children learn how to use a fixed amount of credit. However, if the credit is empty, your child may not be able to contact you.
With a contract, there are usually fixed monthly costs, often with a telephony flat rate and a lot of mobile Internet. However, in-app purchases or additional data volume can result in additional costs. Younger children in particular can quickly lose track. Contracts are therefore more suitable for young people with some smartphone experience. Settings such as cost limits, third-party provider blocks or a limited data volume help to avoid unexpected bills.
Not only the device is important, but also the secure setup. Sensible basic settings are, for example:
For the first smartphone, blocked contacts or children’s versions of apps can also be useful. Regular updates keep the smartphone safer.
Technical protection functions support but do not replace supervision. Therefore, keep talking to your child about apps, chats and content. Also talk about what your child can do if something seems strange or unpleasant online. A jointly agreed media usage contract can help to make rules on usage times, mobile-free times and behavior in chats transparent for all family members.
Can’t find an answer to your question? Ask your personal questions about your child’s media use directly and conveniently via Messenger service via WhatsApp or Threema.
Replying to a message, scrolling through social media or looking something up – for many parents, the smartphone is a natural part of everyday life. At the same time, many ask themselves: Is my baby getting too little attention as a result? The important thing to remember is that it’s not about perfection, but about conscious use.
In the first few months of life, your baby learns primarily through interaction with you. Eye contact, voice, facial expressions and your reactions help him to understand the world and feel safe. When you respond to your baby’s signals, it experiences: “I am seen and understood.” This happens in many small everyday moments when feeding, changing, carrying or playing. Babies do not need constant entertainment. Short moments of shared attention are often enough.
If you frequently look at your smartphone, shared moments can be interrupted:
This usually happens unconsciously. Babies cannot yet understand why the shared moment suddenly ends. When adults look at their smartphones, their facial expressions and reactions are often less attentive and attuned. Frequent interruptions can unsettle babies, especially if they occur regularly.
The smartphone does not have to disappear completely from everyday family life. Short periods of cell phone use are normal and generally unproblematic. Especially with a baby, many parents use their smartphone to keep in touch with other adults, search for information or switch off briefly. Stressful days, distractions and interruptions are also part of everyday life with children. Parents don’t have to be constantly available or attentive. It is crucial that there are always conscious moments of closeness and attention.
Even babies experience the place that smartphones and other media play in everyday family life. When screens are constantly present, this quickly becomes the norm. This makes it all the more important to consciously organize times together without media.
If you notice that your smartphone often distracts you or that you feel less connected in everyday life, small changes can help. Fixed moments without a smartphone are often enough to experience time together more consciously.
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.
Violent videos, inappropriate content or advertising: many parents worry about what their child could come into contact with in digital media. This often results in the desire to keep children away from smartphones, tablets or televisions for as long as possible. However, as digital media is present in many areas of life today, contact with it can hardly be avoided.
Many parents want their children to grow up without digital media for as long as possible. This is often based on the desire for a carefree childhood with lots of exercise, free play and direct contact with other people.
The development of basic skills is particularly important for young children: learning to speak, discovering the world around them, building relationships and gaining their own experiences. Some parents therefore fear that digital media could take up too much space in everyday life too early. Concerns about unsuitable content, advertising or excessive screen time also play a role.
Children experience at an early age that smartphones, tablets and televisions are taken for granted by adults. They see how messages are read, videos are watched and photos are sent. Children also encounter media outside the family with friends, relatives or later at nursery and school. By primary school age at the latest, digital media becomes a part of everyday life for many children. Children are curious and want to understand what is happening on screens. Especially when media is so present in their environment.
When parents try to ban media completely, it is precisely this ban that makes media particularly appealing to children. Furthermore, children only learn how to use media safely if they can gain experience. This is because media literacy does not come automatically, it develops step by step. Children have to learn to understand content, ask questions and categorize experiences. Discussions with parents play an important role in this. This is why many media education concepts do not aim to shield children completely, but to accompany them during their first media experiences.
For younger children in particular, it makes sense to use media together at first. Parents can select suitable content and explain what is happening on the screen. This creates shared media experiences that can be categorized and discussed.
This allows children to learn about media in a protected environment. Questions can be clarified directly and parents can react if children do not understand something or are frightened by content. It is not about trying out as many media offerings as possible. A small amount of age-appropriate content that is of interest to children and that they can understand is often sufficient. At the same time, other activities remain central: play, exercise, creative activities and conversations with family and friends. In addition to videos or games, children can also use media creatively, for example by taking photos or recording short stories.
Today, media is part of everyday life for many families. At the same time, this does not mean that it has to play a major role in family life.
For many families, a simple orientation helps:
In this way, children learn step by step to understand and use digital media responsibly.
A smartphone offers many possibilities: chatting, playing games, watching videos. Using it needs to be learned. The decisive factor is not the age of your child, but what they can already do and understand. This checklist will help you to assess this more accurately. Your child does not have to fulfill all the points. The more that apply, the better prepared your child will be. The checklist serves as a guide and does not replace an individual decision.
… has gained initial experience in using a smartphone
… masters basic functions and settings
… has basic knowledge of costs and advertising
… consciously selects apps and content
… consciously handles personal data and privacy
… behaves respectfully online
… recognizes risks and can deal with them
… observes rules
… can assess their own usage behavior
Go through the points together with your child. This will help you recognize what is already working well and where your child still needs support. If many of the points apply, a smartphone of their own can be a sensible next step, with clear rules and support. If many points do not yet apply, your child should continue to practise these skills, for example on your smartphone first.
Even if your child is well prepared, support remains important:
Having your own smartphone is not a one-off step, but a learning process that you shape together.
Children and young people are online every day – in class chats, playing games or on social media. They need guidance and support in their everyday lives so that they can navigate safely. Laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation or youth media protection regulations create important framework conditions. However, it is also crucial that children learn to use media safely and consciously. You will find many articles on our website to help you with this.
How much media time makes sense? What rules help in everyday life? And when does it make sense to have your own smartphone?
You can make clear agreements together and gradually give your child more responsibility. Your own behavior is also important here: Children are strongly influenced by how adults use media. Therefore, use media together as much as possible: watch content together, play games together or talk about it.
Personal data is quickly visible online. Many apps automatically collect information, even from children. This makes it all the more important to check the privacy settings together and handle data consciously. In the articles, you will find out which settings are important, where typical risks lie and how you can help your child to protect their data.
Children and young people can be confronted with stressful situations online, such as insults, false information or unwanted contact. The articles show how you can strengthen your child, recognize signals and react correctly in an emergency. Above all, it is important that your child knows that they can turn to you at any time.
Not all online content is suitable for children, especially on video platforms and social networks. Age ratings and technical protection measures can help, but are no substitute for guidance in everyday life. The articles will help you to better assess content and find a suitable approach together with your child.
A large proportion of media use takes place via messengers, social networks and online games. This can quickly lead to misunderstandings, conflicts or unpleasant situations. The articles show how communication works online and how you can help your child to act respectfully and safely.
AI chatbots, personalized content and new platform functions are now part of everyday life for many children and young people. The articles explain how AI works, where the opportunities lie and which risks you should keep an eye on.
This selection is an introduction. You can find many more articles on apps, games, social media and current trends on our website.
You may be familiar with this situation: your child has been playing Minecraft with friends and is suddenly talking about it all the time or asking for the game for their birthday. At the same time, you’re wondering whether it’s too early at the age of 6. This uncertainty is understandable. For many children, Minecraft is their first introduction to the world of digital games – but for parents, many questions arise at first.
Minecraft has a USK age rating from 6 years and is recommended by the NRW Game Guide from 6 years. It is a creative game in which children can build, try things out and implement their own ideas. It’s a great way for children to get to grips with digital worlds in a playful way. At the age of 6, it can be a good fit – the decisive factor here is your child’s individual level of development.
Minecraft has various spin-offs. These are games that are based on the Minecraft world but have a different gameplay. While the classic Minecraft as a sandbox game in a free game world is also suitable for children, Minecraft Dungeons (USK 12) and Minecraft Legends (USK 12) are aimed at teenagers with more action and strategy.
Minecraft itself offers various game modes with different focuses. One example: in survival mode, monsters appear in the dark to attack players and conquer their buildings. This can be exciting, but can also be scary for younger children. The creative mode is therefore recommended for beginners. There are unlimited building materials available and the focus is entirely on designing your own game world.
Appropriate technical protection settings are important for a safe gaming experience. Use the Minecraft settings options and adapt the game to your child’s needs and abilities. Depending on the mode, choose a difficulty level that your child can cope with and where no monsters appear in the game world. You can also activate parental controls via Microsoft Family. Functions such as in-game purchases and chats can be deactivated. You can find step-by-step instructions for Minecraft parental controls on the website medien-kindersicher.de.
Minecraft is available for mobile devices, PC and console. Some children get on well with a controller, others find it easier with a tablet. Think about which version is best for your child.
If you want to get to know Minecraft first, you don’t have to buy it straight away. Try the game out together with friends, talk to other parents or ask your local library about testing and borrowing options. A Let’s Play can also give you a first impression of how Minecraft works and what fascinates children about it.
Minecraft has many functions, settings and menus that younger children do not immediately understand. Accompany your child as they take their first steps and enjoy the fun together. This will allow you to observe how your child copes with the game and where you can provide support. Agree clear rules for gaming together and set fixed play times. This will give your child guidance and help them to use media consciously. You can find more tips on the topic of games in the family in our overview article.
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.
A commercial before a video, a bonus for watching an ad in the middle of a game or an interruption while streaming: advertising is part of everyday life for children and young people today. It is omnipresent and often integrated in such a way that it is barely noticeable.
Advertising on the Internet has been around for a long time. What has changed significantly is how it is integrated today. It no longer just appears alongside content, but directly within it. Children encounter advertising on different platforms at the same time, for example when watching videos, in apps, in games or on streaming services. Many services are free or cheaper because they are financed by advertising. Others offer paid, ad-free versions.
Important: This is about advertising that is displayed directly by platforms, apps or games themselves, not about advertising by influencers where people present products.
Videos on the Internet without advertising have become rare. Commercials run before and during videos, often several in a row or without a skip function. On platforms such as YouTube, these ads can appear several times in succession. There are also overlays in the image and references to paid, ad-free subscriptions.
It is often not clear to children where the actual content begins and where advertising ends. Advertising is often designed in a similar way to videos themselves, fast, colorful and entertaining. Many ads are personalized. They are based on what content has been viewed so far or what users are interested in. The basis for this includes cookies and user profiles that evaluate behavior.
Although special rules apply to content aimed at children, advertising is still displayed. Specially adapted content can therefore be useful for younger children.
Streaming services are also increasingly relying on advertising and, in addition to traditional subscriptions without advertising, are increasingly offering cheaper models with commercial breaks. These appear before or during a movie or series and are reminiscent of television. Here too, advertising can be personalized and based on previous usage data.
Advertising is particularly present in games and free apps. Here, it is often directly linked to usage: Anyone who watches an advertising video receives rewards such as coins, additional lives or new functions. This changes perception. Advertising is not only viewed, but actively used to progress in the game.
In addition, banners, pop-ups or notices about purchases appear within the app. These are often directly linked to the course of the game and can lead to quick spending. Children also encounter advertising in the browser, i.e. on websites, for example in the form of banners, pop-ups or videos that start automatically. These can appear while surfing and are not always easy to close or skip.
Ads also regularly appear in feeds and story areas on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. They often resemble normal posts, but come from accounts that you do not follow. They are often labeled with terms such as “Sponsored”, for example in the feed or between short videos. These notices are easy to miss, especially for children.
In addition, trends, hashtags and challenges are specifically used by companies to generate attention for products.
Children first have to learn to understand and categorize advertising. Digital advertising makes this even more difficult because it is adapted to media in terms of appearance and content, is very short and entertaining and is integrated directly into games, videos or feeds. There is often no clear distinction between content and advertising. Younger children in particular are therefore often unaware of advertising.
Advertising content is constantly present and often not clearly labeled. Content is interrupted or mixed with commercial elements. Reward systems can lead to children making targeted use of advertising without questioning its purpose. At the same time, direct links quickly lead to purchases within apps or games.
Then there is the use of data: many advertisements are based on information collected about the behavior of users. Not all content is age-appropriate, even if there are corresponding guidelines.
Accompany your child, especially during their first steps in digital media. Explain in concrete terms what advertising is, why it is displayed and how it can be recognized. Use examples from your child’s everyday life, for example when playing games or watching videos.
Talk about the fact that many offers have to earn money, either through advertising or subscriptions.
Check settings together and restrict personalized advertising (if possible), deactivate or protect in-app purchases and use age-appropriate profiles or offers. In most services, advertising cannot be switched off completely, often only individual preferences can be adjusted.
Technical measures can provide support, but are no substitute for guidance.
The colorful game app Toca Boca World is particularly popular with many younger children. They can design their own characters and use them to invent exciting and creative stories in Toca Boca World. The app invites them to decorate houses according to their own ideas, eat cake in the café, work in the hospital or post office and much more. There are no limits to the imagination.
Toca Boca World is all about creativity and free play. Imaginative locations such as cities, villages and beaches invite you to explore and play. There are no levels or time limits that have to be met.
After downloading the app, players can move freely in the world and design it according to their own ideas. They choose characters that they can customize according to their appearance and characteristics. They furnish and decorate houses and rooms according to their taste. Day or night, sun or rain, what music comes on the radio – everything can be customized.
Players can complete tasks at some locations, but there are usually no fixed instructions. Additional avatars, locations, activities and pets can be added via in-app purchases. A video recording function makes it possible to play out your own stories with the characters and record them using images and sound.
Children really enjoy creating their own worlds and inventing creative stories. It is particularly exciting for them to design the play figures entirely according to their own ideas. Not only can they choose from different hair and skin colors, they can also create characters in wheelchairs, with glasses or prostheses.
The different game environments and the opportunity to slip into different roles motivate children to keep playing and experience new adventures. There is almost no text in the colorful worlds, which makes the game playable even for children without reading skills.
The privacy policy of the Toca Boca app states that no third-party advertising is included. The app is free to download, but offers in-app purchases. Children can use these to unlock new characters, stations or gifts if a payment option is stored on the device.
The app stores user data such as gaming behavior and device information and evaluates it for marketing purposes. Third-party services are also used, for example Google. Parents’ data is collected when they make a purchase in the Toca Boca store, activate notifications or subscribe to the newsletter. Data deletion can be requested by sending an email to privacy@tocaboca.com.
The video recording function allows children to record images and sound of the game and save them on the device. If access to the microphone is permitted, the app will also use it. Access can be denied again in the app permissions of the end device.
Toca Boca is a Swedish game developer and is therefore bound by EU data protection laws. The provider advertises that children are involved in the development of the app. The app does not contain any content that is unsuitable for children. The game developers are thus responding to the demands of various children’s rights organizations to take children and their rights into account when developing products for children.
Toca Boca claims to want to live up to the PRIVO seal. This seal is awarded by an independent organization that is committed to protecting children’s data online. On the Toca Boca website, the provider provides a privacy policy for children in understandable language.
When using the Toca Boca World app, it makes sense to clarify a few rules and settings in order to make the game safe and meaningful for your child:
Accompanying the first steps of use: The app is particularly aimed at younger children. Accompany your child during the first steps of use. This will help you familiarize yourself with the functions and observe how your child reacts to the game app.
Set media rules and play times: Create rules for digital games together and include the use of the app in the family’s media rules. The app has no time limits and can be played indefinitely. Decide together how much time your child is allowed to spend with the app.
Deactivate functions in the settings: Functions such as the store and video recording can be deactivated in the app settings. This requires the entry of an (adult) date of birth.
Deactivate in-app purchases: Discuss the in-app purchases function with your child in advance. You can deactivate the function or make sure that no payment details are entered in order to avoid accidental purchases.
In the two game apps The Unstoppables 1 and 2, children accompany a group of friends on a joint mission. They solve tasks, work together and experience how differences become shared strength. It can be particularly exciting for children to control heroes with disabilities themselves – characters that are otherwise rarely the focus of games.
The Unstoppables is about Melissa, Achim, Jan, Mai and the dog Tofu. In both games, Melissa’s companion dog Tofu disappears – and the friends have to find him again together. Each character has their own strengths: Mai is good at jumping, Achim is fast in his wheelchair, Jan is strong and Melissa can reach higher things with her cane. In the second part, Rina is another character with a variety of talents. Only when the players combine their abilities can they overcome obstacles and solve puzzles. Both games are designed as an adventure and point-and-click app and are easy to use.
The game makes the challenges faced by people with disabilities visible. For example, children experience what happens when Achim in his wheelchair hits a gravel path and can’t get any further. The playful solutions to such situations encourage reflection and promote understanding and empathy. Crossing traffic lights, overcoming stairs, deciphering clues – children also learn how cooperation and community work in The Unstoppables. They puzzle together with their group of friends, solve tasks and think about who can best help and how. This is what makes the games exciting: each character can do something different and becomes important at certain points. This can encourage and show children: Diversity doesn’t get in the way here, it contributes to success!
The detective story and puzzles are fun for children and encourage logical and strategic thinking. The comic style, easy controls and exciting atmosphere are well received by children from late primary school age.
Despite many strengths, it is also worth taking a critical look: Some disabilities are strongly linked to special abilities in the game, which can have a simplistic effect. Barriers are also sometimes solved in such a way that individuals have to help rather than making the environment barrier-free. This can be a good opportunity for parents to talk to children about realistic and inclusive solutions in everyday life.
The games were developed by the Swiss Foundation for Children with Cerebral Palsy as part of the “Principle of Diversity” learning program. The aim of the offer is to sensitize children and young people to topics such as being the same, being different, diversity, strengths, weaknesses and barriers in everyday life. The games are explicitly not just for entertainment, but are part of an educational concept that aims to teach inclusion in a child-friendly and playful way.
Both apps require reading skills. Accompany your child for a while when playing, especially at the beginning. Support them with questions about the controls or the story.
Your child can easily lose track of time when solving tricky tasks. Agree clear arrangements together, such as a fixed screen time.
The Unstoppables offers many opportunities for conversations: about disability, about obstacles in everyday life and about what good cooperation can look like. Remain open to your child’s questions. If you don’t know something, you can research it together. This makes the game apps a good conversation starter about inclusion, diversity and consideration.
Children and adults often use media differently and discover other exciting aspects of it. A joint media project offers the opportunity to share these perspectives and learn from each other. Sometimes children even show their parents how something works. And it becomes clear: media is more than just watching videos or listening to music!
Instead of just consuming media, you can get creative with your family. Smartphones and tablets, which can be found in many households, have a camera, microphone and simple apps that you can use to quickly implement your own projects. By trying them out together, you and your child will learn how the devices work. At the same time, your child will experience how media is created and that this requires ideas, planning and a little patience. Even kindergarten children can create simple animated films or photo stories and discover their own strengths in the process.
With our do-it-yourself media series, we offer you ideas for media projects at home. The aim is to promote creativity and actively experience digital media together – for example with radio plays, explanatory videos, virtual reality or making projects.
The website kinder.jff.de of the JFF – Institute for Media Education offers child-friendly instructions for creative media projects in the family. You can go on a photo safari with your smartphone or tablet, create a QR code rally, develop a children’s cookbook and much more. Short video instructions make it easy to get started straight away and show step by step how you can actively use apps and devices at home with your child aged three and over.
In the TüftelLab you will find practical ideas for getting creative with your child at home – from making, coding and robotics to artificial intelligence (AI), video and animation. For children of primary school age and above, there are projects where you can try out, build and design together step by step. The TüftelLab provides a wide range of materials, instructions and digital learning content to make it easier to get started and awaken a desire to tinker.
The NRW family portal shows what opportunities media offer for the further development of skills. Use the site as a box of ideas to develop small media projects with your child. Choose a topic together and immerse yourself in media production. You can find detailed instructions in the NRW media box: there are self-learning offers and online courses on audio, video and AI.
On Elternguide.online you will find even more ideas on how you can actively use media at home with your child. Take a look – we hope you and your child enjoy trying them out!
There are few phrases that make parents sweat faster when it comes to media education. Whether it’s about having their own smartphone, TikTok, games orscreen time, children and young people compare themselves with their peers. Parents can quickly come under pressure and perhaps ask themselves: Am I being too strict?
It is important to note that “everyone else” is almost never literally true. Children and young people usually mean a feeling. They want to belong. Media often plays a big role in their circle of friends. Especially during puberty, it is very important to be able to have a say and not be excluded. Stay calm and ask questions:
It often turns out that there are one or two children in the class – not really “everyone”. This brief inquiry takes the pressure off the situation and opens the door for a conversation.
There is usually more behind the phrase “Everyone else is allowed to do that” than just a desire for media. It’s often about belonging, being independent or negotiating with you. Try to recognize what is behind this in your child. Then the conversation will be calmer and you can find solutions together.
Don’t just say the rules, explain them. A simple “no” often leads to resistance. An explanation has a different effect:
If your child understands why certain rules exist, he or she will be better able to accept them.
Get in touch with other parents! Because many parents face the same questions. It often turns out: No one knows exactly what “everyone” is doing. Perhaps you can find common ground with parents in your environment.
At the same time, you can stick to your decisions. Because media education is different in every family. Every family has its own values, habits and boundaries. Children develop at different speeds – you should take this into account when making decisions. Other families may do things differently.
If you notice that the issue is not going away – try out graduated solutions and be sure to observe technical parental control settings. Small steps can be helpful:
This way, your child will feel taken seriously without all the rules being lifted. It is best to agree media rules together. A media usage agreement, for example, can help with this.
Your child should learn to use media independently and safely. To do this, your child needs clear rules – and parents who listen. Stay in contact with your child, make comprehensible decisions together and show genuine interest in your child’s everyday media life and media role models. This will build trust. And trust is the best basis for conscious media use.
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.
Develop your own video game – with just a pen, paper and smartphone? That’s exactly what Draw Your Game Infinite makes possible. The app combines creative drawing with digital fun and teaches children the basics of game design.
With the Draw Your Game Infinite app, users can design their own platform game levels and try out the levels of other users. And this is how it works:
In the free basic version, users can create two levels per day without registering, use the basic design elements and try out and rate numerous platform game levels created by other players. A subscription offers access to a wide range of level creation functions, users can publish the levels they have created online and follow other players.
Children and young people enjoy discovering new things and implementing their own ideas. In Draw Your Game Infinite, they not only play, but also design their own levels and become game developers themselves. What is particularly exciting is that a drawing on paper becomes a real game – giving them an understanding of how games are constructed. Trying things out and failing is also part of the process: If a level doesn’t work as planned, it can easily be adapted. For older children, sharing their own levels in the community can be interesting, as it brings recognition and exchange.
As with many game apps, there are a few things to bear in mind with Draw Your Game Infinite:
The terms of use are available in English and French on the website of the French provider Zero-One. It states that users must be of legal age or require the consent of a parent or guardian to use the app. The provider also points out that some functions require an internet connection and that personal data is processed during registration. Users can contact the provider via a support email address.
Use the app as an opportunity to delve into the world of game development, programming and more with your child. It might even lead to a creative family project of your own!
Lovely animations, child-friendly illustrations and interactive elements: there are a variety of educational and creative apps that have been specially developed for young children. They impart initial knowledge, promote basic skills such as understanding letters and quantities or encourage children to think with puzzles and small riddles. The playful design makes learning fun and an age-appropriate app can motivate children to try things out and express themselves creatively. We present apps that are particularly suitable for beginners – for two to five-year-olds, for example.
The app for the show with the elephant offers numerous games for drawing, puzzles, programming, avoiding obstacles, hiding and scratching out a treasure chest, in addition to programs and funny stories. The elephant alarm clock can be used to set the duration of the game.
Operating systems: iOS, Android, Amazon
Costs: free of charge
In the app for the children’s series, children can play with the Sandman and his friends, do puzzles, color pictures, dress up characters, record their own short stories and discover little adventures. The media library offers videos and audio stories from the Sandman’s world, including the daily bedtime episode, which can contribute to the evening routine.
Operating systems: iOS, Android
Costs: free of charge
Paint and compose – at the same time. Choose a motif and a color palette and you can paint colorful pictures and make music with colors and shapes. An overall picture is created from lines, waves and circles. The app promotes the perception of the connection between sound, color and form.
Operating system: iOS
Cost: 2,99 €
The app contains interactive rhymes based on the well-known picture books. The children accompany the little owl through several rhyming stories – for example, when she is looking for help with a bump on her head, can’t fall asleep at night or is preparing a birthday party with her friends.
Operating system: Android, iOS
Cost: €3.99 (Android), €4.99 (iOS)
A read-aloud story in rhyme about a snail in search of itself. She meets lots of animals on her journey. The calm and appealing design of the app stands out from many current apps.
Operating system: iOS
Cost: 1,99 €
The app gives an insight into everyday life at the fire department and shows typical operations in a playful way. Children learn how to behave correctly in the event of a fire. The self-explanatory and predominantly wordless tasks, which even young children can master, are particularly noteworthy.
Operating systems: iOS, Android
Costs: free of charge
Select vehicles, hear their names and discover their characteristics. There are three types of game to get to know the vehicles: a puzzle, a game of spin and a game of patience with different levels of difficulty. It should be emphasized that the app does not include a reward system.
Operating system: iOS
Cost: 1,99 €
Edurino is a digital play and learning system consisting of an app, haptic figures and an ergonomic triangular pen. With the help of animal figures, children can immerse themselves in different learning worlds, such as arithmetic, feelings or concentration. Operation is very intuitive, the tasks are designed to be playful and gradually increase in difficulty. Edurino can also be used offline. The range on offer is varied and educationally valuable – but that comes at a price. It’s worth taking a look at your local library to try it out. Edurino is officially recommended from the age of four, but depending on the child, it can be started a little earlier.
Operating systems: Android, iOS, Amazon
Cost: starter sets from €49.98, per figure €24.99
Children learn primarily through their own discovery and experimentation. Digital learning and creative offerings can usefully accompany this process and strengthen both cognitive and creative skills. It is crucial that an app suits your child’s individual stage of development – you are the best person to assess this.
At best, good children’s apps do not contain any advertising or in-app purchases. In this article, we describe what else makes a good app for children. For your search, we recommend the app tips from Stiftung Lesen, SIN – Studio im Netz or Spieleratgeber NRW. You don’t need a large number of apps for your child. It’s better to concentrate on a few high-quality apps that meet your child’s needs and interests.
That is important:
The smartphone is at the ready, the console is running hot, videos or games don’t stop – many parents want more offline time for their child. This is not about banning or denigrating media. Digital media is a natural part of growing up today. A good balance between online and offline time in everyday life is crucial.
Children and young people need regular breaks without screens. Offline time allows for exercise, creative play, relaxation and real encounters with others. This strengthens imagination, concentration and independence and helps to reduce stress, even if children don’t always realize it themselves.
The older children get, the more important media use becomes for friendships and belonging. For young people in particular, the worry of missing out plays a major role. For some, media is even the most important way to stay in touch with friends or a community, for example when like-minded people don’t live in the immediate vicinity. It is then often difficult to switch off because chats, games or videos are socially important. This is where an open discussion about alternatives can help.
If media is available at all times, many children do not stop independently. This is why children need guidance and support, e.g. through fixed offline times or media-free places such as the dinner table and before bedtime. It is important not to use media time as a reward or punishment, as this can further increase its importance.
Strict prohibitions often lead to arguments or secret use. It is more effective to involve children and find solutions together.
Offline time works better when it feels good:
Technical settings can support without controlling. Set up screen time limits or break timers (e.g. in YouTube Kids) together. This makes the transition to offline playful and transparent.
Children closely observe how adults use media. Consciously put the smartphone away and share: “I’m taking a cell phone break now!” Commonrules such as “no cell phones at mealtimes” apply to everyone and are the most convincing.
Irritability or frustration when switching off is normal. Take feelings seriously: “What are you missing right now?” or “What is difficult without a screen?”. If conflicts persist or hobbies fade, take a closer look and get support (e.g. counseling).
