There seems to be something for young and old on Disney+: from cartoon classics such as Snow White and Mickey Mouse to big blockbusters such as Star Wars and the most popular Disney films of recent years such as The Ice Queen. What parents should know about the offer.
The streaming portal offers a large selection of films and series, similar to Netflix, Amazon Prime and the like. In addition to successful movies from Walt Disney and Pixar in recent years, older Disney films are also available. In addition, there are exciting documentaries from National Geographic. Episodes of current Disney Channel series are also published on the platform at weekly intervals. This way, there is less danger of watching through an entire season without a break. There is also the option of downloading content (does not apply to the subscription model with advertising). With the Standard and Premium subscriptions, Disney+ can also be used on the go with any internet-enabled device. So far, the offer is not as large as on Netflix, for example. However, more and more films are being added.
Disney+ is clear and easy to use for children. The wide range of popular franchises such as Marvel and Star Wars offers both familiar and new adventures. Until February 2021, there were no films with an age rating above FSK 12 or certain scenes were cut out of individual films so that they are also suitable for younger children. In the “Star” category that was then added, adult content is now also available. Adults enjoy the favorite films of their own childhood.
Disney+ has additional parental control settings despite primarily adult content. However, films from the age of 12 can also be found in the offer. Especially smaller children can still be frightened by such films. It is therefore important to guide children in their film selection and viewing.
By creating a children’s profile (called Junior mode), films that are not approved for younger children are not displayed. There is no specific age rating. Disney+ decides what is displayed in Junior mode. This means that films and series with a rating of 0 are also missing from the children’s profile. In the children’s profile, you can, for example, prevent the next episode of a series from playing automatically and the user interface is simplified. Parental controls can be used to assign a PIN to individual profiles – e.g. the profile for adults or older children – so that younger children do not have access. Individual titles cannot be hidden.
If you want to set the age rating yourself, you can assign an age rating to a normal profile (without parental control, without junior mode): 0, 6, 12, 16 or 18 years. However, depending on the subscription model, advertising will run in such a profile.
Each profile, with the exception of the main profile, can also be subsequently converted into a children’s profile (junior mode).
Disney states that advertising content such as clips and trailers for content available on Disney+ or for other Disney products can be shown. Live content can also contain traditional commercial breaks and other advertising formats. There is no advertising in Junior mode. Incidentally, there are no in-app purchases with Disney+, which can lead to unwanted costs, especially for children and young people. And if tobacco products are shown in a movie, Disney draws attention to this with a warning at the beginning.
Account sharing, i.e. the use of an account by several people at the same time, is prohibited under the terms and conditions, but is possible. From 2024, Disney+ will take decisive action against this breach of the rules.
Since Disney+ is primarily aimed at children, they will quickly become accustomed to having access to their favorite series and movies at all times.
Especially accompany young children watching movies. Find out about specific movies and series in advance. Choose age-appropriate programs, for a younger child rather short episodes than long films. Also, schedule plenty of screen-free time for other activities such as walks in the fresh air or hobbies. Talk about set media times within the family.
It is natural for adults and young people to search for information on the Internet and to use search engines. Younger children, who are just learning to read and write, must first be introduced to learning via the Internet. After all, it is not easy to filter out the appropriate content from the large quantities of information. In addition, much of the content is not made for children, but is aimed at adults. This can quickly overwhelm children.
Fortunately, there is a good supply of German-language children’s sites online. Not only are they fun, but they also help you learn.
Just as children’s books are suitable for learning to read in the first few years, offers aimed at children should also be used for the first steps on the Internet. Such children’s sites are understandable and simple in language. They are not overloaded, so that Internet beginners can easily orient themselves and learn how to use digital media. Children can participate themselves on these pages in a safe environment: they can get in touch with other children and express their own opinions.
In addition, children’s sites can serve as learning support because they offer child-friendly information on many different topics and these are often implemented in a playful manner.
This collection is only a selection of good children’s sites for learning. If you know of other good sites, feel free to share your experiences via our contact form or via social media on our Facebook or Instagram channel.
Toggo is Super RTL’s children’s program. Through the free Toggo app , kids and teens can watch a selection of popular series, movies and shows. Unlike the TV program, you can do this at any time and with any device.
The app is available for Apple devices, Android, but also other systems like Amazon Fire TV. Depending on the operating system, the app also includes free Toggo games. You can listen to music via the integrated Toggo Radio.
Overall, the navigation in the app is clearly structured and child-friendly. You can set favorites and the app remembers the state of the last use. Users must be online to view the content. So, compared to other streaming services, you can’t download individual shows and watch them offline. Some users in the app stores complain about long loading times and technical flaws. Some series seasons are missing from the offer or episodes are only available in abbreviated form.
Once installed and opened, you can start directly with the first videos and clips without registration. The series, movies, clips and shows are kid-friendly, colorful, funny and deal with children’s issues. Some series are very well-known and have a large fan base, e.g. Lego NinjaGo, Woozle Goozle, Angelo, PAW Patrol or Pokémon. With this app, kids have a very easy access to their favorite content. So the experience is similar to the TV, with the advantage that the selection is much larger and you can therefore choose much more.
Since the app is almost entirely financed by advertising revenue, commercials are shown before, during and even in the middle of the videos. If your child is not yet experienced with advertising, it can strongly influence desires or create new ones.
The view on the tablet automatically switches from the portrait overview to landscape when videos are selected. This can be a bit annoying because you have to turn the tablet over and over again. Also, the screen is very crowded with the small icons for all the content. Younger children in particular can be overwhelmed by the wide range of offers.
The provider guarantees that no content with an age rating of 12 years or older is included. For younger children, there is the Toggolino app.
Advertising is clearly marked and therefore easy to distinguish from other content.
The app lacks a reference to specific age recommendations for the individual series. You should inform yourself in advance, e.g. via Flimmo, which series are suitable for your child. Accompany your child as they use the app so you notice how they respond to content. When you watch together, you can answer your child’s questions and he or she can process the content better if he or she can interact with you.
There are hardly any setting options in the app, which you also have to search for first (at the very bottom in the footer). The “Select favorites” function is missing in the iOS version.
For some offers a monthly fee is due. In return, there will be less advertising, among other things. It’s the same with the Toggo app compared to other video and streaming services. If you or your child decide to use the Toggo app, it is advisable to talk about advertising. In conversation, you can find out if it can see through advertising and explain to it what advertising is and how it works. You can find suggestions for this in our article.
When it comes to the question of whether media use can make people violent, computer games are often discussed, especially the so-called first-person shooters. Parents, teachers and even some scientists fear a direct and negative effect on children and young people. The biggest concern: the content could inspire real acts of violence. This has not yet been proven. A game alone does not make you aggressive or violent.
In games that involve using violence to take out other characters, gamers look at the game world from their character’s perspective. So in these first-person shooters, it looks like you’re running and shooting through a 3D world with a gun yourself. Famous shooters are Counter-Strike , Battlefield, Call of Duty . This game genre is enormously successful and has become an indispensable part of the scene. Fortnite is considered particularly sensitive because it mixes elements from first-person shooters with childish and friendly graphics and therefore appeals to young gamers.
It is believed that games containing violence can have a negative effect on children and adolescents. That is why the USK, as part of the protection of minors in the media, checks all games and sets age limits. The older a child is, the better he or she can distinguish between play and reality.
When it comes to the portrayal of violence, the USK checks, among other things, whether the game appears dark and threatening or rather bright and positive, whether the game characters look like people and you can see red blood, whether gamers can identify with the character, and whether acts of war are glorified or also criticized. Depending on how many criteria are combined, a decision is made as to the age at which the game may be made available to children and young people. However, games with a higher age rating are sometimes particularly appealing to young people because they want to test their limits.
Computer games, like other media, can have negative effects in extreme cases, for example, if they are used too much and there is no balance to media use.
Some of the communication in gamer forums and chats is pretty harsh and mean and can scare your child. But that doesn’t mean it has to happen with your child. Because such effects vary from person to person, because each person behaves differently in certain situations. Children and adolescents who are also otherwise prone to violence, are often alone, and have no other interests are more at risk than others. No one becomes aggressive or violent because of a game with violent content.
The youth release should be respected. The older your child is and the less insight you have into their media use, the more difficult this is for you. That’s why you should stay in conversation with your child. Ask what is fascinating about it and question depictions of violence. Your child may explain that the game is also about skill, athletic goals, puzzles, or solving problems together. Most of the time, it’s not just about violence alone, otherwise it would also quickly become boring. Let them tell you or show you the game. You should also explain to your child why you insist that he or she play only age-appropriate games.
Talk to other parents if your child pretends that the others are already allowed to play a game despite the age restriction. Perhaps you can agree on rules together that also apply to the best friend.
More information is available at the USK’s Parents’ Guide.
A child’s very first words are always special. Often they are “mom” or “dad”. The first words from little Felix were “play iPad”. Early on, in situations like long car rides, he was given the tablet to pass the time and give his parents a little downtime.
Do children nowadays have too close an attachment to media such as tablets or smartphones at too early an age? Shouldn’t they rather be kept away from it as long as possible, as there are also many dangers and risks lurking here, especially for children?
These questions are on the minds of many parents. As children are born into our digital world, it is nearly impossible to shield them from media. They already come into contact with it from birth in everyday family life. In addition, the foundation for children to use media responsibly and reflectively is laid in childhood and adolescence.
Therefore, you should not ask yourself what can be done to keep children away from media, but rather how to best shape children’s (inevitable) first media contact.
You probably also have a laptop, smartphone and game console at home and these devices are accessible to your child. Children are curious and want to know at an early age what exactly is happening on the screens. Better than bans is to accompany them in their media use – by watching picture books together on the tablet, playing games on the smartphone and listening to children’s stories. Be sure to include age-appropriate content.
Children can only become confident in their use of media if they are accompanied and supported in their use. Together with you, your child can gain experience in a protected setting. As a parent, you are there immediately if your child doesn’t understand something or gets scared about certain content. Not only do you model values and morals to your child in and with the media. Your child learns many important things with you, such as how to select interesting and suitable content from the large Internet offering, how to process it, how to critically assess it, and how to question it. Also encourage your child to work creatively with media themselves and not just consume it! You can find suggestions for this here, for example.
As a general rule, it is recommended that children 12 and under not be left unsupervised when using media. Depending on age, there are different tips for rules about times of use and advice from experts on how much company your child needs depending on age. If you want to learn more, take advantage of our Guided Tour.
