The Internet, especially social networks, floods us daily with countless news, messages and stories. In the process, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between truth and deception. Teaching children how to recognize false information on the Internet is a real challenge. This article offers practical advice on how to deal with disinformation and false news on the Internet and how to talk to your child about it.
The many news items, reports and stories that we encounter every day usually come from television programs, daily newspapers, people in our environment or well-known personalities. Many are spread by lesser-known people on the Internet and through messenger services like WhatsApp. However, the senders also include websites and people who intentionally spread lies or half-truths in order to cause confusion. They deliberately spread disinformation, rumors, or even hateful messages designed to stir up insecurity and deliberately deceive us.
It is not only difficult for children and young people to distinguish trustworthy news from fake news. Because often these fake news are so skillfully made that at first glance they look like serious news . This can be problematic, especially when it comes to political contributions with an extremist or populist background or when conspiracy theories are spread. Content that can unsettle or frighten younger children in particular is also problematic. Deep fake videos in particular look deceptively real. Therefore, it is crucial to recognize the differences between disinformation, false news and satire.
Disinformation spreads especially when people are insecure anyway and even experts or politicians do not have answers to all questions – such as during the Corona crisis and the Ukraine war. Fake news often provides the answers you want and can help deal with uncertainty. Unfortunately, they are not true. Questions like “Are the vaccines safe, too?” or “Where does the virus come from?” are answered with inappropriate numbers and false facts. The problem with this is that the more often such articles are clicked on, the more often they are displayed – and people believe them to be true. That’s why it’s important to realize that not everything you read is necessarily true.
Determining whether it is indeed a hoax can be a tricky task. Therefore, it is helpful to follow clear steps to curb the spread of disinformation:
Check where the message came from and who wrote it. Is the author known and expert on the subject? Is it a reputable website?
Try to verify the message with different sources. Ask yourself how up-to-date the information is and check where the figures and data mentioned come from as well as the context in which they were collected.
Pay attention to the way the message is presented. Is the language serious and factual, or is emotional language and excessive capitalization used? Does the article contain catchwords such as “lying press” or similar provocative terms? Could the article be meant satirically?
Make sure photos and videos match the message and are up-to-date. Pay attention to captions and whether they actually represent what is being described or are from another context.
Discuss news and messages together as a family. Your child should understand that not everything on the Internet or sent via WhatsApp does not have to be true. If you check messages together, it can gradually learn to distinguish true from false. Ask for your child’s opinion and share your own thoughts. This will help you and your child be more confident and prepared to recognize and counter disinformation and fake news on the Internet.
Fake news spreads especially when many people forward or share it. Therefore, you should always consider whether a message can really be true. Here are some tips on where to check Fake News and how you and your child can learn to deal with it in a fun way:
By searching the Internet, children and young people can quickly come across content that is not suitable for their age because it is highly sexualized or contains depictions of violence. A specific filter function in search engines – SafeSearch – is intended to prevent this and make surfing safer for young people and children.This filter technology can be activated in most online search engines: Inappropriate and adult content is then automatically filtered out of the search results and not displayed.
With the most popular search engines – such as Google, Bing and Ecosia – you can switch on the filter function very easily via the respective start page and then via “Settings”. There are often two filter levels: Strict and Medium/Moderate.
SafeSearch on Google can be enabled for:
If Google detects that the user is younger than 18, SafeSearch is automatically turned on and can be turned off by parents in the case of a family account. With a Google account, the filtering technology works on the computer as well as on mobile devices (Android and iOS).
At Bing you can also find SafeSearch under Settings. Bing removes inappropriate search results in two stages:
At Ecosia you can access the settings via the menu on the home page, where you could activate Safe Search (Strict/Medium).
If you use a search engine other than the ones mentioned, look in the settings to see if “Safe Search” can be set.
Keep in mind that no filter function is 100% accurate. It can always happen that images or search results are not recognized by the program. When this happens, you can report this content. SafeSearch (on Google, Bing and Yahoo) filters according to American standards. This means that results are also filtered out that are not harmful to minors under German law (e.g. nudity). Results that are not youth-friendly according to German law (e.g. violence) or even punishable (e.g. Holocaust denial) are sometimes reported anyway.
If your child is younger (elementary school age), we recommend using children’s search engines. With the help of these, they can learn to navigate safe websites online before they are introduced to “adult offerings.” Children’s search engines work with so-called whitelists – only those pages are displayed in the search results that have previously been checked for child-friendly content. Accompany your child as they take their first steps on the Internet. If your child is older and moving online on his or her own, regularly ask about his or her experience and be responsive.
Through fragFINN, children only surf on checked Internet sites. As a result, they do not encounter inappropriate content.
The search engine for children displays only harmless content in the results based on verified websites. The examination of the Internet sites is carried out by a media pedagogical team. The children’s search engine is used to find children’s sites and harmless adult sites (e.g. zoo sites, club sites). The children’s pages are played out first in the search results.
On the fragFINN homepage, children can also find surfing tips on many different topics. Children can get involved as fragFINN children’s reporters and meet famous personalities.
When displaying search results, websites are identified by the icons “Children”, “Knowledge” and “International”. This makes the search results easier to classify for children.
When using the search function on the website and in the app, the user’s search query is sent directly to the fragFINN server in Germany. No user data is collected or stored in the process.
The fragFINN app can also be installed on mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets.
Children’s search engines offer a safe introduction to the world of the Internet. They can be a good preparation for using common and well-known search engines. The pre-testing of all content provides a very high level of security for your child. Nevertheless, you should accompany your child, especially when using it for the first time, and explore the search engine together. This way you can explain important functions for the search in more detail.
If your child finds a page among the results that scares him/her, he/she can report it using the “Report page” button. The alarms received are checked daily. Your child also has the opportunity to suggest websites. The media education team checks the pages and can approve them for the children’s search engine if necessary. Moreover, the search engine is particularly compatible with additional child protection solutions such as JusProg.
Further information for parents can be found here: eltern.fragFINN.de
Whether on television, at the bus stop or on the Internet – advertising is part of our everyday lives. Even young children see commercials on TV or encounter it in the supermarket, where many products based around children’s media heroes like Elsa, Sandman & Co. are available for purchase. On websites and video platforms, older children and young people in particular come into contact with various forms of advertising: Influencers wear the latest sneakers in their videos, present a cosmetic product from their favorite brand, or unpack the game console they just bought in front of the camera in an unboxing video. Even in many game apps, there are ads that you have to click away to continue playing.
Media content for children must be designed in such a way that they can recognize advertising and their childlike inexperience is not exploited. This includes, for example, the clear separation of content and advertising. On television, there is a visual and audio cue at the beginning and end of the commercial. A children’s program must not be interrupted by commercials. On children’s sites on the web, advertising banners must be labeled and must not overlap content or interfere with children’s use of the sites. Also, not all products (such as alcohol) may be advertised to protect children.
Help your child recognize and see through advertising. With age, the understanding of advertising also increases. From around the age of 8, children understand that advertising is not intended to provide neutral information, but to encourage them to buy.
Especially when it comes to online advertising, younger children first have to learn that advertising is displayed at the same time as the actual content on a website.
Ads within game apps often pop up unexpectedly, which is why kids can accidentally click on ad content. When downloading free children’s apps, pay attention to whether they contain so-called in-game advertising. Decide if this is problematic for your child. You should pay special attention if advertising content in the game tempts you to move faster, if the advertising is not marked or separated from the game content, or if children are hindered while playing.
Older children and young people face the challenge of recognizing whether their idols are just presenting a product or whether they are concerned with real content. This is because videos by influencers are not always labeled as advertising, although this is mandatory if they receive money from companies for it. Watch videos and Instagram stories together, and watch together for hints of advertising and sponsorship in the content you share.
Talk openly with your child about the various forms of advertising in media. Only then can it learn to deal consciously and critically with advertising and the purchasing decisions it makes in everyday life. Think of your role model function as well.
Whether big or small, young or old – everyone should be able to move safely on the net. Even if there are laws such as the Basic Data Protection Regulation, you must also pay attention to the security of your personal data and yourself.
In order to travel with a better feeling on the net, we have compiled a lot of tips for you:
How much media time is good for me and how can I take better care of it? This article answers the question.
You can read about the dangers in the media world here.
Stolen data from the web is a big topic again right now. This article explains how you can better protect your and your child’s data online.
There are measures that aim to protect children and young people when they use media. This includes, for example, the age rating of movies and computer games. You can read everything important about it here.
The first experiences on the net are safer for children if you use parental control programs. Take a look at how that works here.
You can also make your own smartphone or that of your child more secure by making certain settings. You can find out which ones here.
Recognizing good websites for children is not that difficult. Read our tips on how to do this. You can research the Internet in a child-friendly way via fragFINN.
When kids get their first smartphone, they send each other lots of messages. Among them can be funny but also scary chain letters can be.
Not everyone means well who is on the Internet. For example, there are people who hold extreme opinions and want to influence children and young people in particular. This article is about extremism on the net and this one about false news.
Others want to take people down, through hate speech or through cyberbullying.
Or they try to contact children, in what is known as cybergrooming.
Sexting can also become a problem among young people. Here you can find out what to look out for. Unexpected on violence or pornographic content can be very unpleasant for children. Read our article to learn more.
If your child is a little older, he or she can also find out about safety online on their own, on the Jugend Support page.
If you need more support, you can contact various institutions of the Youth Media Protection.
You as parents care for your children and want to protect them from bad influences. Did you know that our basic law also helps you with this?
It stipulates that the state must protect the personal rights of all people. In the case of children and young people, this includes protecting them from media influences that could be bad or dangerous for their development. The precise regulations governing the protection of minors from harmful media are set out in various laws, primarily the Protection of Minors Act and the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors from Harmful Media.
The Basic Law also states that you, as parents, ultimately decide what is best for your child. This means that parents are also allowed to give their children access to media contrary to the rules of youth media protection. For you, then, the protection of minors from harmful media is an aid that you can use as a guide when it comes to dealing with media in the family.
As a guiding framework, the protection of minors in the media has guidelines that media creators and retailers are expected to follow. At the same time, they are also helpful for families. These include, for example, the age ratings for media that have been familiar for decades from the cinema sector, but which also exist for DVDs and computer games. The intended age ratings are “released without age restriction”, “from 6”, “from 12”, “from 16 years” and “no youth rating”. On television, age ratings can be identified by an announcement like this one: “The following program is not suitable for children or young adults under the age of 16.”
It is important to note that age ratings are not age recommendations. “Free from 12 years” does not mean that a computer game is particularly suitable for twelve-year-olds, but merely that the game does not impair or endanger the development of this age group.
In the family, you can use the age ratings for movies or computer games very well as a conversation starter to discuss with your children what they like about a medium and how they deal with difficult content. Such conversations give you a chance to see what is actually overwhelming your child or scaring him or her, and then you can respond accordingly.
The protection of minors from harmful media is more difficult on the Internet than in other media, because the Internet is a global medium whose content cannot be adequately controlled by national laws. Filter programs block content harmful to minors on home devices. However, there is no one hundred percent protection. In addition, other risks such as communication between users are not adequately covered. Filtering programs can therefore help family Internet use, but you should not rely on them exclusively. Be sure to learn the safety and age settings of offers and services such as search engines, video platforms or within apps and use them appropriately for your child’s age. If you come across illegal Internet content or content that is harmful to minors, you can report it to the FSM complaints office. Staff will review these for a possible violation and take the necessary action.
It is helpful to introduce children to suitable and age-appropriate Internet offerings and to guide them in finding such offerings themselves. Children’s search engines such as blinde-kuh.de and fragFINN.de are a great help here. Especially in families with younger children, it is advisable to set up one of the children’s search engines as the start page, so that after starting the browser, children are in a familiar environment where they can independently search for age-appropriate pages. Recommendation services for pedagogically tested children’s sites such as gutes-aufwachsen-mit-medien.de, klick-tipps.net or seitenstark.de are also good starting points for parents and children to find safe and pedagogically valuable offers on the Internet.
At www.helles-koepfchen.de you can access a special search engine which, on the basis of a checked website catalog, displays only websites suitable for children and young people in the search results. This is to prevent adolescents from encountering content that may disturb or frighten them.
Similar to a news site for adults, the portal already offers a selection of interesting, child-friendly articles, games, etc. on the homepage. These are divided into different categories: Knowledge, Reportage, Games & Fun and Community.
Your child can also become active on the site as a youth reporter and create their own articles. By registering, your child can also sign up for the community and interact with others in the discussion forum.
As with all offers for children, you as parents should accompany your child during their first experiences with the Internet and be the contact person. For example, on your first visit, take a look at what’s available with your child and discuss the possible features and diverse offerings.
The children’s search engine www.helles-koepfchen.de contains advertising. Please discuss with your child the difference between an advertisement and an article created by an independent editorial team.
With Blinde Kuh , children can learn how to use a search engine in a safe surfing space, because only children’s sites are displayed.
Blinde Kuh is one of the oldest and best known search engines just for children in Germany. By entering keywords, your child can search for a lot of different and safe content here or browse through different topics.
Based on a safety-tested catalog, you get child-friendly search results. The catalog is created by an editorial team with the help of technical means. In addition to web pages, videos are also displayed in the search results.
Under the button “News” you can find the latest and interesting news for children. In the “Join in” section, your child can send in stories, reports or reports they have written themselves. There are also games and information about safety on the net.
Click here to go directly to Blinde Kuh: www.blindekuh.de
More info for parents is also available: www.blinde-kuh.de/faqs/index.html
Children’s search engines are a good introduction to the world of the Internet. They can be a good preparation for using common and well-known search engines. The pre-testing of all content provides a very high level of security for your child. Nevertheless, you should accompany your child, especially when using it for the first time, and explore the search engine together. This also allows important functions for the search to be explained in more detail.
If your child finds a page among the results that scares him/her, he/she can report it using the “Report page” button. The alarms received are checked daily. Your child also has the opportunity to suggest websites. The media education team checks the pages and can approve them for the children’s search engine if necessary.
For more tips on how to use the Blinde Kuh, check out this video:
(Source: kindersache.de/bereiche/juki)
