“EM 2021”, “Bundestag election” and “Corona” – these terms were googled most frequently in 2021. But Google and other search engines were not designed primarily for children. Without filtering, children can quickly end up on pages with inappropriate content. That’s why there are children’s search engines.
Children’s search engines are easy to use and use child-friendly language and images. There are also tips and hints on how to best use search engines, such as which terms will find exactly the information you are looking for. Most of the offers are aimed at children between the ages of 6 and 12. Children’s search engines only link to content that is harmless and interesting for children. All websites are checked and approved in advance by media educators. This enables safe surfing on the net. In addition, children can practice searching the Internet for websites and information that is important to them. In this way, they acquire important skills. Older children can be introduced to adult search engines after this practice period.
For children from 6 to 12 years are suitable the search engines askFINN and blind cow . Bright Minds is aimed at children and young people aged 8 to 16. These websites contain child-friendly articles and links to safe online games and videos. Except for Helles Köpfchen, the search engines are free of advertising. Older children can use common search engines such as Google, Ecosia, Yahoo, and Bing. There, certain filters can be activated that prevent unsuitable content from being displayed in the search results. These filters are called Google , Bing and Yahoo “SafeSearch. With some search engines, an account can be created with which filters can then be activated permanently and password-protected.
Children’s search engines are designed so that children can use them independently and have the most positive surfing experience possible during their first steps on the Internet. Accompany your child during the first use and explore the search engine together. This way you can explain important functions for the search in more detail. After the first joint testing, children can use the respective children’s search engine independently without hesitation. For this purpose, it is recommended to set up a child search engine for the default search in the browser. In addition, a child search engine can be set up as the start page.
If your children already know how to use search engines and use search engines like Google , activate a filter. Note that despite filters, searches are never as secure as content review by media educators and that filters can be independently activated and deactivated. Agree with your child on how to respond when he or she encounters inappropriate content. You can report inappropriate content that is displayed despite filter settings to the respective search engines.
