The Xplora XGO3 is a smartwatch specially developed for children that combines safety and fun. With its multiple functions, it offers parents the opportunity to manage and monitor communication with their children while giving children a sense of independence. We explain what’s behind the smartwatch for children.
The Xplora XGO3 is designed to provide children with a degree of safety while allowing them to explore the world around them and develop their independence. For you as a parent, the smartwatch is a tool for monitoring and managing communication with your child. It is not a fully-fledged smartwatch, but is designed with children in mind and can be operated intuitively by touch.
Key features include GPS tracking to keep track of your child’s whereabouts, an SOS emergency call function in case of an emergency and a limited communication option to enable contact with trusted people. Making phone calls and sending (voice) messages is possible, surfing the Internet is excluded. You cannot enter your own texts for messages.
You can also use the parent app on your smartphone to set a school mode for your child’s school hours and a safety zone in which your child can move around freely without you being notified.
Children and teenagers love the opportunity to wear a smartwatch like adults, but one that is specially tailored to their needs. Functions such as answering calls from pre-authorized contacts and sending SOS messages offer security and a feeling of independence. The little extras such as games or the mini camera can also be fun. In addition, the integrated pedometer motivates children to stay active and promote their fitness.
The provider emphasizes the importance of data protection and provides data protection settings to protect the privacy of users. Parental control functions are also offered to monitor and restrict use. The provider emphasizes that the safety and protection of children is the top priority.
E-mails are commonplace for adults and many children and young people already use them regularly. A personal e-mail address is often required to log in to game sites and learning platforms, for example. Especially during the coronavirus lockdown, schools have increasingly sent information and tasks by email. We have a few tips for safe e-mailing for your child.
Most e-mail providers are not specifically aimed at children and young people. Their inboxes are often equipped with many functions that are difficult for younger users to understand. There are also dangers such as spam, phishing and chain letters that children and young people need to be familiarized with.
Spam refers to unsolicited e-mails that contain advertising. They are sent by people or algorithms automatically and without prompting. The same applies to phishing emails that aim to defraud the recipient, for example through fake competitions or false invoices. Some of these emails also contain malicious links or files that can infect your computer.
Some of the unsolicited e-mails also contain content that is not suitable for children, such as pornography. This may be due to the fact that the e-mail address was used for chats or games when registering. Such services protect the personal data of their users to varying degrees, allowing strangers to contact children without their consent. This can be particularly overwhelming for children and young people who may not yet have developed strategies to deal with such risks.
Before you set up an e-mail address for your child, you should think together about what it will be used for. Children under the age of 13 are not yet allowed to use many services (according to the General Terms and Conditions and Data Protection Act). Many schools offer their own e-mail addresses for school purposes, which must meet certain security standards. Explain to your child that such an address may only be used for school purposes. Among other things, such e-mail addresses (e.g. lena.meier@schule-am-hasengraben.de) can reveal specific information about your child. This can be risky if the address falls into the wrong hands.
Even with “private” email addresses, for example for social media, it is important that your child uses an imaginary name and that the email address cannot be traced back to them. Make it clear to your child that the e-mail address should not be passed on carelessly. It is best to use a secure e-mail provider.
Also explain to your child what spam is and how to deal with it. In many programs, spam messages can be marked so that they are automatically sorted out. If the sender of an e-mail is unknown, you and your child should be careful. It is best to delete such messages immediately and do not click on links or file attachments.
If your child is old enough to log on to social media or other services, do it together. Make sure that the e-mail address is not displayed publicly. Switch off information e-mails from the provider. Otherwise, the mailbox can quickly become overcrowded and it will be difficult for your child to distinguish between spam and important messages.
Especially for younger children it is recommended to use a suitable e-mail program. Mail providers especially for children have only the most important functions and guarantee certain protective measures:
The child-friendly programs all have spam and virus protection. This will prevent your child from receiving unwanted advertising or chain letters in the first place. However, ZUM ‘s internal search is linked to Google, which is why adult search results may also appear.
Some of the programs are free of charge(Mail4Kidz for the first six months) and are particularly suitable for children under the age of 15. Kidsmail24 users have the option of switching to an unrestricted account once they reach the age of 14. Despite child-friendly programs, your child is never protected from all risks on the net. As a parent, you should therefore talk to your child regularly about their contacts on the Internet and give your child the security of knowing that they can turn to you if they have any problems.
Instagram recently introduced Threads, a new text-based app designed to facilitate private communication between close friends. With this app, users can share photos, videos, messages and stories with a selected group of people. We explain what’s behind Instagram ‘s new text-based app.
Threads was developed to fulfill the need for private and personalized communication with close friends. The functions of Threads have similarities with the platform X Among other things, users can seamlessly share photos, videos and messages with selected contacts as well as real-time updates that show their own activity or mood. Meta’s free messaging app aims to increase the feeling of connection between friends and fulfill the social needs and preferences of young people in today’s digital age.
The functions of threads correspond to young people’s need for self-expression and social contacts. It allows users to control who can see their content and offers a more intimate space for interaction. This makes it possible, for example, to check the news without being distracted by the latest pictures and stories from all subscribed Instagram profiles. Instagram is also used by many adults and all kinds of stars and companies. This means that young people are not really ‘among themselves’ – with threads they are.
Similar to other social networks, there are also potential risks with threads. As all users can publish content there, young people can come across content that is not can be age-appropriate or even problematic, such as harmful content, hate speech, disinformation and manipulative content for political opinion making, war videos and propaganda or conspiracy myths and fake videos. Even if the content violates thread guidelines, it may be visible on the platform until it is discovered and deleted. Communication risks ranging from cyberbullying to cybergrooming can also be addressed.
Instagram offers various tools and settings to protect children and young people who use threads. This includes data protection controls, reporting functions and advice on safe online behavior. In addition, the platform regularly updates its privacy and security features to address new concerns.
An Instagram account is required to use Threads to its full extent. It is not possible to create only a Threads account. Your child will therefore probably use both platforms. Go through the settings together with your child and determine which data the app is allowed to access.
When registering for the first time, the profile is automatically set to “private” on threads for people under the age of 18. However, this default setting is very easy to bypass by clicking on “public”. Then all thread users can follow your child, repost their content, send private messages, etc. This increases the risk of unwanted contacts enormously.
As a parent, you can link your Instagram account to your child’s account. Parental supervision extends to your child’s activity on both Instagram and Threads. For example, you can view followers, accounts that are followed or privacy settings.
Try to understand why it is important for your child to share a status or certain personal information. Talk about privacy and communication risks online. Accompany your child in an age-appropriate manner and keep asking about your child’s online experiences. It is important to talk openly about this so that your child knows that they can confide in you if they experience harassment, disturbing content, cyberbullying or cybergrooming.
Use the option to delete or report content. Accounts that you no longer wish to interact with can also be blocked.
The app only offers added value if it is really only used to communicate with good friends. Your child should only include people in the list of “close friends” that they actually know. Set rules together about what content your child should and should not share. Please refer to our legal information for social media use.
The most popular messenger, even among children and teenagers, is WhatsApp. This is because communication is practical and easy, and many other people use it. Unfortunately, there are a few negative sides to the popular service.
WhatsApp is a free messenger. Registration requires a cell phone number and access to contacts’ phone numbers. After that, profile picture and profile name can be assigned.
The main function of WhatsApp is to send messages to people from your own contacts (address book) who also use the app. These can be text and voice messages, photos, videos, files, contacts as well as your own location. They can be sent to individuals or a whole group. Individual and group calls as well as video telephony are also possible. Among teenagers, sending emojis and GIFs is especially popular. They can also respond to individual messages with emojis. Self-deleting messages can be sent, which automatically disappear from the device after seven days. And there is the possibility to send photos and videos, which may be viewed only once and then disappear.
Via WhatsApp it is only possible to contact someone whose number you have. When receiving a message from an unknown number, the contact can be controlled using the “add” or “block” buttons. Calls from unknown numbers can be muted.
With the chat lock function, selected chats can be made virtually invisible. These then only appear in a certain category and are protected by a code, Face ID or fingerprint.
Young people like to use the app because it allows them to quickly get in touch with acquaintances and family members, since almost everyone uses WhatsApp. Teachers and classmates in class chats, grandparents as well as friends in other countries are just a click away. Users can exchange information with their contacts and see when they were last online. Via the profile picture and the so-called status they can share impressions from their life (similar to Instagram). Fast communication via voice messages is particularly popular among young people.
Especially the read receipt function (two blue check marks on a message) can put young people under pressure to always reply directly. Even though hundreds of messages are sometimes exchanged daily in a class chat, this can overwhelm and stress children and young people. In addition, fakenews is often spread via class chats. Pictures and messages are sent quickly. There is a risk that personal data, pictures and videos will be carelessly shared, redistributed or used for bullying. Also dubious sweepstakes, Chain letters or misleading notifications can be problematic – before all, even sexting.
Since there are hardly any privacy settings on WhatsApp, users have to be careful themselves about what content they send or post in their status. They should only be ones that everyone is allowed to read or see.
In addition, WhatsApp accesses a lot of information about the users, e.g., the entire contact list in the cell phone. This is how foreign contact data gets to WhatsApp and other people without being asked.
WhatsApp offers so-called “channels” under “News”. This is a type of group chat in which only the person who created it can write something. Channels are used by celebrities, influencers and companies to stay in touch with their target groups and fans. However, be careful: messages, images and videos that are not suitable for children and young people may also appear on channels.
WhatsApp, just like Instagram , belongs to the Meta group (formerly Facebook). The GTCs in force since 2021 inform that user data will also be passed on to companies for advertising purposes.
Certain security settings are supposed to improve the usage: People or phone numbers can be blocked; location tracking and read receipts can be deactivated. Users can limit the visibility of their own profile. Messages are exchanged in encrypted form, so they cannot be easily “hacked” by strangers. However, this only works in individual messages and when the backup – i.e. the data backup – is deactivated.
In early 2022, WhatsApp announced that group administrators will be able to delete messages from others. This function has not yet been implemented.
If your child is younger than 16, you must consent to their use of WhatsApp. Make sure your child uses Messenger responsibly. Explain to your child how they can protect their personal information. You should not share sensitive data or photos with unknown people
Help your child understand the privacy settings and configure them correctly… This can be done in the app itself or in the access rights management in the Android or iOS operating system (in each case under Settings). In the app, under the category “Privacy”, you can set who sees what and whether or not you want to be invited to groups by strangers. It may happen that certain functions can no longer be used if certain accesses are denied. The Privacy Check function gives a good overview of the settings. At www.medien-kindersicher.de there are Video instructions on how to safely set WhatsApp on your child’s smartphone.
Talk to your children about communication risks and how they can protect themselves from them. Encourage them to let you know right away if they feel they are not being treated right or are being bullied.
Encourage your child to only contact people they know in real life. Warn against adding unknown contacts. Also, be mindful of your child’s privacy and give your child the space he or she needs. Set a good example yourself by being responsible and respectful with your own digital activities.
Wenn Sie einen Messenger nutzen möchten, der mehr Datensicherheit bietet, lesen Sie unsere Toolbeschreibungen zu Signal und Threema.
Do you think of folk music from the Alps when you hear “yodel”? Then you’re just off the mark. Yodel is a social media app with the distinction of anonymously sharing text messages with a local community. The name Yodel reflects the basic principle of the social media app: Yodel is used as if something is being called from the mountain to the valley.
Anyone who wants to sign up for Yodel needs a Google account, an email address or a cell phone number. The app only works with access to the device location. Users register by specifying their gender, age and group characteristics, such as student or trainee.
Yodel offers the following functions:
Yodel offers the usual social media features like hashtags, reactions, emojis and favorites. Some features are only available against purchase of the offer Yodel PLUS , such as certain background colors for the posts or advertising freedom.
What distinguishes Yodel from other social media services is that there are no profiles, no friends and no followers, and all posts are anonymized. Yodel offers various functions for interacting with each other: users can report inappropriate posts, rate content and collect so-called “karma” points depending on their rating and activities.
“My boyfriend wants to leave me. What should I do?” – “Go a cowboy to the barber. Does he go out, bangs gone”. Many young people are active on Yodel. Young people appreciate the offer because they can post anything that comes into their head without any constraints. From profound questions to funny incidents, everything is included. Here they can find themselves and their interests and can exchange information anonymously and at the same time very personally. Comments and reviews give them recognition and make them feel connected to the local community.
Yodel only works if access to the device location is allowed. Having the GPS signal on the mobile device on all the time has disadvantages for data protection and battery performance. With the help of the location function, the location of Yodel contributions can be tracked to within a few meters with a little effort. Anonymity tempts users to behave inappropriately. Although the posts on Yodel are moderated, they may still include inappropriate content such as nude pictures or hate speech. Love, sex and psychological problems are frequent contents on Yodel.
Yodel was founded in 2014 by a student and is based in Germany. The guidelines of the yodel community contain rules for respectful and positive interaction. All reported comments will be checked by moderation, deleted if necessary and karma points will be deducted from the author. Algorithms identify harmful users and block accounts. Admins decide on the length of the suspension and there is a way for the community to contact support. Due to the interaction between users and the in-app purchases, the USK has issued an age rating of 12+ for the app. The app’s terms of use only allow use from the age of 16. There are no settings for child and youth protection.
Yodel is not suitable for children and younger teenagers. As with other social networks, users face challenges such as cyberbullying, cybergrooming, and hate speech. For this, young people need a certain degree of maturity and experience in dealing with negative content and unpleasant contacts online. If your child is 16 or older and wants to use Yodel, set up the app together. Your child should indicate his true age, because the content is presorted by gender, age and group. Talk to your child about communication risks online and how to deal with them. Agree with your child on how to use the device location responsibly. You can find out more in this article. Make it clear that your child should not share personal information such as address or name with strangers.
Stickers have long been indispensable in messenger apps like WhatsApp, Telegram and others. The small, colorful pictures are often funny or cute and offer a fun and creative way to express emotions and liven up conversations. We explain what stickers are useful for and when their use can also become exhausting.
Unlike traditional emojis, stickers are often hand-drawn or digitally created graphics. The small images and animations offer an easy and quick way to convey a message, express your mood or bring fun into a conversation. Stickers can also be used to overcome language barriers. Since images are a universal language, they can be useful in multicultural communication situations.
There are stickers for almost every situation, from funny memes and cute animals to political messages and cultural references. With various apps like Sticker Maker or Sticker Studio, you can quickly and easily create your own stickers that are not available in any other app.
For children and teenagers, sending and receiving the colorful images provides entertainment and fun. It is typical for young people in particular to communicate with images. Image communication partially replaces the written word. Children also like to make jokes, laugh and have fun. In stickers they can easily combine all this. Especially creating your own stickers provides a lot of creativity and individuality, which is especially popular among young people.
Find out about the apps your child uses and see what stickers are available there. There are also special parental control apps that can restrict access to certain apps or features.
Remember that social contacts become increasingly important for your child as he or she reaches puberty, and digital communication is just as much a part of this as conversations in the playground. Educate your child about not spreading stickers that may offend or harass others. Discuss rules for dealing with stickers – especially in class and group chats. Getting others’ permission before sharing stickers can help reduce problems. Also educate your child about what to do if he or she feels uncomfortable or harassed and always be approachable.
Talk to other parents and teachers about how stickers are handled in group chats. This way you can support each other and exchange ideas.
Feel free to create a fun sticker together with your child sometime. This encourages creativity and engagement with images and text.
You come into the living room, your child is sitting in front of the game console. Excitedly it calls into the headset: “Ah crap, I’m knocked, one is Heaven, one Zig-Zag behind the Drywall and looted the Chest, watch out, the one above has a Purple Shotty and camped me!”1. You have heard what your child said – but what it means is a mystery to you?
It is not only different national languages, dialects and accents that shape the language of children and young people. The circles in which they move also affect the way they express themselves. People who game a lot often use a certain gaming vocabulary.
Most video games are played online and gaming language takes an important role in communication between players. It is often necessary to share information with others quickly and efficiently to improve collaboration and win the game. Here, the gaming language offers a good opportunity to communicate efficiently with others and develop a successful strategy.
Gaming language helps create identity and community. With their gaming slang, gamers show that they are part of a certain group. The common language also serves to establish and reinforce social norms and expectations within the gaming community. The Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK) has listed common terms in its lexicon.
Gaming language is influenced by youth and net cultures and is a very multifaceted phenomenon. With “Smash” and “Sus”, two terms from gaming were again among the top 10 youth words of the year in 2022. Gaming language is constantly changing: new words and expressions are introduced, while others slowly disappear or lose meaning. This is partly because the nature of the games changes over time. On the other hand, each game genre is characterized by its own words. In Fifa is called “GKs that are trash” (i.e., the goalie not playing well) and “Boah the bronze banked again” (i.e., he or she is deliberately manipulating his or her team’s score by sending players with poor scores to the bench and thus being paired by the system against players who tend to be weaker).In Fall Guys is about “proxy strats” (i.e. trying to win the game by intentionally falling back at the beginning of the round) or “jump dives” (i.e. combination of jumping and “throwing forward”).
Gaming language influences other areas of pop culture while also being shaped by pop culture. More and more often, expressions and terms from the gaming language are adopted in music, film and advertising. For example, rappers like Travis Scott and Drake use expressions like“loot” and “pogchamp” (an emote on the livestreaming platform “Twitch“) in their lyrics. Companies such as Coca-Cola and KFC use gaming terms and themes in their advertising campaigns, targeting a specific audience.
Keep in mind that your child’s speech will not be permanently altered or degraded by the use of gaming speech. Your child may speak to his or her friends in a way that is completely incomprehensible to outsiders. But that doesn’t mean it won’t find appropriate expression in school and, later, work contexts.
Nevertheless, it is important to take a closer look at the words together with your child, as defamatory or insulting expressions are often found in gaming language. For example, terms such as “huan” are used as shorthand for “son of a bitch” or “fag” as shorthand for “faggot,” the English equivalent of “faggot.” Children and adolescents often pick up such expressions thoughtlessly and use them themselves without thinking about it. Talk openly with your child about why the use of these words is problematic. Explain to him what the words even mean and make it clear that you will not tolerate such terms.
Such insults are to be distinguished from the phenomenon of trashtalk, which has established itself in gaming language as a form of etiquette in certain gaming groups. Show interest in your child’s hobby, watch them play and play a game together. This way, you can get an idea of the gaming culture yourself and talk to your child about games at eye level.
knocked: Lying on the ground, but not yet knocked out.
Heaven: A place name that refers to a point higher up.
Zig-Zag: A place name that refers to a Z-shaped wall.
Drywall: A wall that can be penetrated by projectiles.
looted: Engl. for plunder, here also: search.
Purple Shotty: A rare shotgun in the game Fortnite.
camped: Someone is sitting nearby waiting for team members to come to their aid.
On stage or canned, pressed on vinyl or available digitally – music accompanies us throughout our lives in the most diverse forms. Currently in vogue: music as livestream, on YouTube or on other platforms. For young people, this is a popular way to listen to their favorite music and stay in touch with others at the same time.
At first glance, it looks a bit like a return to linear television: Music is broadcast live – and users have the option of clicking in and listening along if they want. They do not select the songs themselves individually, but call up a playlist that someone has compiled for them.
In fact, there are also many similarities – but also differences – to VIVA, MTV and Co. or 1990s:
Livestreams are indeed very popular among users: 30 percent of YouTube users in a global study by Datareport in 2022 said they watch at least one livestream per week.
For children and young people, the livestream serves two important needs at once. On the one hand, they can get their favorite music here and get inspired. Depending on their tastes and the situation, they will always find the right offer – such as the hits of the year for the New Year’s Eve party or LoFi channels.(LoFi stands for “low fidelity” and refers to music recorded with simple technical devices that are a popular acoustic accompaniment for learning). At the same time, the live chat offers them the possibility of a parallel exchange with their circle of friends, with other listeners or with the creators of the stream. That’s how they find connection and community – and people with similar tastes in music.
Children and young people with their own profile can also offer livestreams themselves. In this way, they become creative themselves, share and express themselves.
So, on the whole, livestreams seem to be a good deal for music lovers of all kinds. In principle, minors may only use YouTube with the permission of their parents. The use of YouTube is permitted in Germany from a minimum age of 16 years. From the age of 13, parents can allow their children to use the Family Link.
There are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to live music streams – and they’re something parents should definitely address before releasing their kids into the vastness of YouTube:
After waking up, many young people reach for their cell phones first thing in the morning. Who has liked my last picture? What funny videos have my friends sent? Where is the next cool party? Find out why social media is so important, especially for young people, in this article.
Social media or social networks are platforms that are used to network and exchange information with others via the Internet. Currently, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube are particularly popular with young people.
Through these channels, they can upload pictures and videos that are liked, shared and commented on by their followers. Users find out about the latest information on various topics in order to stay up to date. Trends are made or spread via social media. The platforms can usually be used free of charge via browser and/or app.
Being part of it, being able to have a say, being up to date, trying out and presenting oneself, meeting people with the same interests, trying out new things – these are all reasons for young people to use social media. They use the platforms to share insights from their private lives with friends or sometimes even strangers.
Young people in puberty are in the process of forming a personality. Through feedback on posts in social networks, they receive recognition, feel a sense of belonging, and increase their self-esteem. Influencers also help people find their identity by providing inspiration and being role models.
Social media channels are places where young people meet and share, and where parents don’t necessarily have insight.
Being on social media means being visible to others online. Not all young people are aware of this. You reveal things about yourself on Instagram and the like that other people – even strangers – can follow. In addition, young people are often under pressure to be permanently online so as not to miss anything. Read more about this in the article “The phenomenon FOMO – Fear of missing out“. Media self-portrayal also plays a major role here. Who gets the most likes, comments or clicks and is particularly popular? Young people compare themselves with each other and want to be like others in order not to attract negative attention. That’s part of puberty.
In addition to interacting with peers, teens can connect with strangers through social media. Their photos are commented on or they receive subscription requests from unknown people with unclear intentions. You can find out more about this in the article “Communication risks on the Net“.
Because social media is an important place for young people to share and explore, it can be difficult for them to be excluded from it. Talk to your child if you have concerns about them signing up for a platform. Go through the privacy settings together so that it is safe to use. Children and teenagers also have a right to privacy, so you should not secretly check your child’s smartphone. It’s important to stay in touch and ask what it’s doing on social media. Explain to your child what the risks are and what a conscious approach to private photos, videos or other information in the online world should look like. If you openly share your concerns and remain interested, your child is more likely to turn to you for help with fears or problems than if you only issue prohibitions or unfounded assumptions.
Almost everyone knows the term. This refers to insulting, exposing or threatening people via the Internet and smartphone, e.g. via apps such as Snapchat, WhatsApp or Instagram. But not every message or post on a social media profile with the content “Martin is dumb!” endangers your child’s development.
Bullying has not just existed since social media came into existence. But since almost everyone has a smartphone these days, it doesn’t stop for them when they get out of school in the afternoon. Children and young people are in quasi constant contact with each other, e.g. via class chat on WhatsApp.
Bullying is mostly cyberbullying at the same time, because some people dare to spread mean thing about others and insult them more via cell phone. Sometimes disputes or bullying start in class or in the schoolyard and get worse via communication on the net.
There are people who behave less socially on the Internet than usual. If you show your child that rules of friendly interaction also apply online, hopefully others will behave in the same way. You can talk to other parents about making certain rules apply to everyone.
When children and young people communicate with each other, there are always times when insults are used. This does not have to be bullying, but is often just a joke. They use it to test how far they can go. However, this limit is different for each child.
Regularly ask what your child is doing online, talk to him about possible risks. Be responsive when it encounters problems. Show him ways to block individual users in the apps. On portals like juuuport, your child can get in touch with peers if he or she is afraid to tell you about problems online.
If you notice that your child withdraws and no longer meets friends, you should carefully ask what is behind it. If you are concerned about being bullied, you can contact the classroom teacher. If it really is bullying, be sure to preserve the evidence on your child’s phone, such as screenshots. Certain behaviors associated with bullying – such as threatening, defaming, and disseminating photos of others – are even punishable by law.
In case of massive threats, you should definitely go to the police. You should also report bullying incidents on the platforms where they occurred.
Discord is the communication platform for gamers. Players can communicate via forums, chats, voice channels on servers (as on Teamspeak), etc. Discord is now also used by other people because it combines so many functions.
Discord is mainly used by gamers to communicate with each other while playing games, either via chat or VoIP calls (Voice over IP = telephoning via Internet connection). This is done via so-called servers, which can be created free of charge. Theoretically, a school class could also open a Discord server to exchange information.
Anyone who wants to join a server needs an invitation. This is a link sent by the creator of the server. These links are either valid for a limited time or permanent. Influencers in the gaming scene mostly use permanent links to interact with their fans on their server. Other users can also be added as friends, who will then end up in a friends list. Everyone in the friends list can write in a private chat or contact each other via a voice or video call.
The software can also be connected to services like Twitch or Facebook which makes it easy to add friends. The paid premium version (“Nitro”) offers attractive features, e.g. media files can be sent faster and premium users get access to a large library of games.
Discord is an exciting platform for young people who are enthusiastic about computer games, as it is primarily the gaming community that hangs out here. It is a very easy and cheap way to stay in touch with friends and acquaintances. Communication is quasi-anonymous, as other users are not shown an email address or cell phone number.
Teenagers also use Discord to follow and interact with their gaming stars.
As in all social media platforms, content on the platform is shared by users – this also includes things that are not intended or suitable for children and young people (pornography, images and videos containing violence, etc.). Discord has specified in its community guidelines that channels with such content must be marked. An age query then appears on the user’s screen. However, it is not checked whether it is answered truthfully.
In addition, Discord offers little opportunity for parents to influence what is displayed to their child. In your own account, you can make a few settings to make the experience more secure. Theoretically, your child can change these settings at any time.
Discord was released in 2015 by the company of the same name. The website has a privacy policy and terms of use in German. All data goes through Discord‘s own servers. No data is disclosed.
There is also a guide to account settings that can be used to protect your account and privacy. Discord‘s Parents’ Guide provides information in German about various aspects of gaming and the platform.
When communicating via public chat rooms in Discord, your child may come into contact with strangers. Discuss possible dangers (such as cybergrooming) and give tips on what your child should do if he or she finds something strange while chatting. Users can be blocked or even reported (based on their individual usage ID). It is safest if your child only chats privately with the people who have been added to their friends list.
Even though Discord is theoretically allowed at the age of 13, you should consider whether your child is mature enough to assess the possible risks and deal with them. Always remain responsive, even with older children, and check in regularly to see how things are going with Discord.
“Just no smartphones at school! Otherwise, the kids will just look at their screens during recess instead of playing and talking with each other.” Although people talk about social media, there is a fear that children and young people, but also adults, talk less and less directly to each other because they are busy with their smartphones all the time.
For many, it’s already normal to glance at the smartphone from time to time when meeting up with friends. At the same time, you too may have admonished your child not to spend so much time on the cell phone or game console instead of playing outside with friends in the nice weather.
However, the problem is not the device itself, but our handling of it! It offers so many possibilities that we occasionally forget our immediate surroundings when we have the smartphone in our hands. At the same time, we use social media to share and stay in touch with people who are not facing us at the moment. So media don’t actually do antisocial at all. We should just show a better way to use them to children and young people.
It can be observed that in youth groups, everyone seems to be paddling around on their smartphones. But if you look closely, you can see that they do talk to each other. It’s just unusual for us adults. Perhaps we should accept that young people today treat each other differently. After all, there were no smartphones in our childhood! Communication via messenger such as WhatsApp is also very important for young people, because they need social exchange for their development.
Another aspect is the social interaction on the net. When you don’t face each other when you “speak”, some things get lost or you just deal with each other differently. Learn more about this in our articles on online hate speech and communication with emojis. Cyberbullying can also be an unpleasant consequence of interacting with each other via social media.
We should pay better attention to what is important to us in our contact with each other. Maybe the girlfriend doesn’t mind if I look at my smartphone in between conversations with her. If it does, it should be addressed and rules agreed upon. This also applies to media use in the family. One possibility is the joint creation of a media usage contract that not only contains rules on times, but also on social interaction with regard to media.
If you, as a parent, want your child to leave their cell phone in their pocket when talking to you and others, you should set a good example.
Social behavior within the media should not be fundamentally different from that outside. What is desired in personal interaction can also be transferred to the network. It’s great that you can stay in touch with people so easily through social media, but it also takes a bit of effort. There should also be rules in the WhatsApp group so that communication does not degenerate into stress.
When children and young people network online via messenger or social platforms, they can learn to exchange, express and present themselves there. Digital communication is also a form of interaction.
Since companies are behind the various social media platforms and they want to make money from our communications, it’s important not to lose sight of your own privacy when using these apps.
