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.
Many children surf the Internet independently from a young age. If you as a parent sit next to it, you get to see what websites and content your child sees. However, older children in particular – from secondary school onwards, for example – should also be allowed to use the Internet independently. Unfortunately, they may also come across content that is unsuitable or disturbing for them. Offers such as the filter program JusProg are designed to help better protect children and young people online.
The software filters web addresses and blocks non-age-appropriate sites on the Internet. JusProg runs in the background while you are surfing: If a website is listed in the system as not age-appropriate, it is blocked – a corresponding message then appears. JusProg bases its assessment of the pages on the age of the children, which the parents specify in advance. Unknown web addresses are automatically blocked for children aged 0 to 12. It’s a little different for children over the age of 12: For them, all pages that are not noted in the system are automatically unlocked. This makes the surfing space with JusProg very large for 12-year-olds and up.
JusProg can be installed on most iOS and Android devices. In addition to the listed web addresses, other pages can be manually blocked or unblocked. Multiple user profiles can be created on one device so that parents and children can surf on one computer and the level of protection is individually adapted to the age of the family member. For example, one child sees content for under-12s, while the older sibling can visit websites for ages 16 and up. The program was approved by the FSM’s expert commission and rated “good” by Stiftung Warentest.
JusProg ‘s system is based on negative (blocklist) and positive (passlist) lists on which various websites are noted. Of course, this does not offer one hundred percent security, as the Internet is very large and growing very quickly – non-German websites and content on social media channels in particular are difficult to track. Accordingly, problems have already been identified, such as a tendency towards overblocking, i.e. blocking too many sites rather than too few. JusProg promises to always check sites editorially in order to prevent overblocking or underblocking. Nevertheless, it makes sense for parents to use the option of individualization if certain pages are incorrectly classified from their point of view.
In addition, JusProg offers a reporting function on its website. Sites that are on the wrong list from the parents’ point of view can be reported here. According to the provider, these are then editorially reviewed and their assessment adjusted if necessary.
JusProg would like to point out that approved sites have only been classified as suitable for children and not harmful to development. Parents must assess for themselves or research other recommendations to determine if the content is appropriate for their child. You can find more information about the service and its functions on the JusProg parent page .
JusProg is a good offer and the only state-approved youth protection program in Germany that meets all requirements. It can support media education and youth protection online and is particularly useful for younger children. From the age of 12, the surfing area with JusProg is very large, so the protection is lower. Websites like Google , Facebook , X and Instagram are difficult for the system to filter and must be set manually. The sites themselves often offer security settings that can be easily activated. In this article, you will learn how to make safety settings on your child’s smartphone and apps.
As a parent, you should be aware that software cannot replace personal supervision of your child’s media use. Talk openly with your child about their media behavior and agree on rules for media use in the family. If you have supervised your child’s first steps online and explained to them what they should look out for, they will later be able to navigate online safely on their own and know how to deal with online dangers. Open, interested communication can also enable your child to turn to you or other trusted persons if they have problems. If you decide to use JusProg, do not give your child the feeling that you do not trust them. Explain to your child why JusProg blocks certain sites and decide together when your child is ready for more open Internet access.
The social network Instagram continues to be very popular with children and young people, but is repeatedly criticized for not protecting them sufficiently. Instagram is working to improve security on the platform. The latest innovations:
Minors were often unprotected on the platform, received inappropriate advertising, were tempted to use it extensively and could be contacted by strangers without restriction.
The legal situation in Germany has changed with the amendment of the German Youth Protection Act. Providers of social media platforms are now obliged to set up protective measures for minors. For example, there must be default settings so that strangers cannot simply contact minors. In addition, parents must be able to monitor and control their children.
It is now more difficult to circumvent the age limit (use from the age of 13). Any person who Instagram wants to use must necessarily indicate their age, otherwise the account may be blocked. In addition, it is planned that accounts of minors will automatically be “private”. This means that young people decide for themselves who can see their profile. So far, this has been a voluntary option.
Protection from strangers: Minors can only be contacted by people or tagged in posts if they follow them themselves. If a stranger wants to follow minors, he/she will receive a warning. Posts by “suspicious” persons under the public posts of minors are now automatically invisible. It is also easier to delete your own posts, comments and other footprints.
The so-called parental control for Instagram has been in place since June 2022. Accounts of an adult can be linked to accounts of users under the age of 18. Both sides must agree and can end the parental supervision with a click. This makes it possible:
There is also a guide for parents with tips on how to deal with Instagram use, a list of suggestions for a conversation about use and a glossary of important terms.
Instagram has upgraded – but responsible use is still important. There are more tips for you as parents on how to talk to your child about safety, wellbeing and mental health on social media in the family section.
A button on the jacket, an app on the cell phone – and all parental worries about lost children are a thing of the past once and for all, because the child can simply be tracked in an emergency. Sounds great? But Bluetooth tracking has its pitfalls …
The days when children had to mark their paths with breadcrumbs, as in Hansel and Gretel, are over. Today we live in modern media worlds and can track children instead of looking for them. This works, for example, via devices such as smartwatches that locate themselves via GPS and immediately pass on the child’s location to the parents.
But there is another option and that is Bluetooth trackers. The best known are probably the Apple Airtags or Samsung SmartTags, but there are also many other trackers from other providers. These small devices, the size and appearance of key rings, were originally designed to make objects easier to find. If you attach it to your key ring, wallet, bobby car – or even your child – you can locate it via Bluetooth if necessary. The connection between the tracker and smartphone (app) does not work via satellites as with GPS, but directly via radio waves. The tracker connects to an accessible smartphone with a tracker app and can thus determine and send an approximate location. Compared to GPS trackers, Bluetooth trackers are often smaller and lighter, the battery lasts longer and there are no monthly fees. However, they also work somewhat less accurately, especially in the countryside when there are only a few smartphones nearby.
Bluetooth trackers are not the magic cure for relaxed childcare.
On the one hand, Bluetooth is not technically the ultimate in searches: the trackers only really work if there are many matching devices in the vicinity. It therefore makes sense to use a popular tracking app, which is also installed on many other smartphones and helps to determine the location. In the forest, for example, they make no sense at all. In addition, they can only transmit an approximate location. For this reason, a specific area must still be searched in large crowds.
On the other hand, the legal situation is still a little unclear. After all, children also have personal rights – and these include the right not to be monitored without their consent. So at the very least, a conversation and the child’s consent are required to fit them with a tracker. There is also the aspect of data economy to consider: if children are constantly sending and receiving Bluetooth data, strangers can also obtain location information that is none of their business.
And then there is the relationship aspect: secretly monitoring a child is not conducive to building trust in the relationship.
So what to do when the question of a tracker arises?
Have an open conversation with your child and discuss the arguments and scenarios with them in an age-appropriate manner. There are certainly situations – for example in amusement parks, at events or similar – where a tracker gives both you as parents and your child a certain freedom of movement and security. Anxious children in particular may be able to take more independent steps with a tracker in their pocket. In other, less dangerous moments, your child can also enjoy your trust and learn their own strategies for finding their way around.
In all of this, it is important that your child does not get the feeling that they are being monitored or that you do not trust them. So be sure to talk about the ideas and arguments, possibilities and limitations of trackers – and decide together in which situations they seem useful and helpful to all family members and when not. At around 6 to 7 years of age, you can explain the tracking measure to your child in a child-friendly way.
There are children and teenagers who spend a lot of time on TikTok spend. They watch short videos from others or produce their own TikToks. What exactly they look at there and publish themselves, many parents do not know and worry – also about the fact that their child can come into contact with strangers .
In response to criticism, TikTok introduced the “accompanied mode” for parental control back in 2020, which was revised again in 2023. This allows you, as the parent or guardian, to control how long the app can be used, whether private messages can be sent and received, and what content is displayed on the “For You” page. Click here for a detailed presentation of the app.
It’s understandable that you, as a parent, are concerned when your child is on social media platforms. Therefore, before using such apps, you should calmly talk to your child about what they are interested in. Explain your concerns to him and make him understand what risks there are in using it. If you are okay with your child using TikTok, ask regularly and stay interested. Let them show you what your child is doing there.
The app is not suitable for children under the age of 13 – as stated in TikTok‘s terms of use. Parents up to 16 years of age must also consent to the use. Make sure that your child really gives his or her correct date of birth. Because this affects the default settings of the app and the accompanied mode. TikTok itself is automatically set to “private” there and has a maximum usage time of 60 minutes a day for the youngest users.
Often children are already interested in the app beforehand. If your child wants to use TikTok, consider whether they might watch TikTok videos without their own account first. Because this is possible via a browser!
If your child is allowed to create a TikTok account with your permission and you choose to use the Accompanied Mode set it up as follows:
TikTok must be installed on your child’s smartphone and on your own device. You can find the Accompanied Mode in the “Digital Wellbeing” settings under “Privacy and Settings”. On the parent’s device, clicking on it opens a QR code that is scanned with your child’s smartphone. By doing so, your child agrees that you, as the parent, may control its use. IMPORTANT: Talk to your child beforehand about the functions in accompanied mode and consider together what should be switched on and to what extent:
TikTok would like to establish a “TikTok Youth Advisory Board” during 2023 to engage with the community itself on how to further develop the app.
Note that there are other setting options in TikTok outside of Accompanied Modethat should definitely be enabled. For example, make sure the account is set to private so that your child’s videos can’t be seen by strangers. For users between the ages of 13 and 15, TikTok makes this setting automatically – but you should definitely talk to your child about what the advantage is and why they should leave it that way or set it that way themselves from 16.
As a parent, you cannot track what content is being viewed. They also cannot read messages or comments, so your child’s privacy is preserved as much as possible. If you trust your child and he or she is already able to use media consciously and safely, it is certainly nicer to be able to do without this control option. Regularly discuss with your child whether the settings still fit as they are, or whether you can change certain settings.
An hour on the Internet sometimes feels like a few minutes. Adults know this feeling as well as children. A new notification, a new post, now just finish the level and have a quick look at TikTok – but then it’s really over! Many apps are designed to keep us glued to the screen with constant new stimuli. This makes it increasingly difficult to simply put the device down. Special apps for regulating media time or setting options such as screen time aim to help people use media more consciously.
Screen time is available on the iPhone, iPad and MacBook. This allows you to see how much time you spend with which apps every day. Certain apps can be blocked for a certain period of time or after a predefined time has elapsed. It is also possible to block certain content (e.g. age-restricted movies or games). With the help of the
Family Sharing
– another Apple feature – the corresponding settings can also be made on other devices.
You set up screen time either directly on your own device or on your child’s. Alternatively, you can set screen time for each family member individually from your device in Family Sharing. You can also set the screen time for multiple devices in your household by tapping “Share across devices”. This allows you to transfer your specified settings to iPad and other Apple devices as well.
Apple’s support pages have step-by-step instructions on how to set up screen time.
On Android devices, Digital Wellbeing is integrated as a function in the settings as of Android 9. Here you can see at a glance how often the smartphone and the individual apps were used. Android offers three options for regulating media time at once:
Android provides step-by-step instructions on how to set Digital Wellbeing.
Screen time also offers the possibility of a so-called parental control on Apple devices. You can use it to regulate your child’s cell phone use and, for example, to control the number of incoming calls. Prevent purchases from the App Store or content with certain age ratings. Detailed instructions on parental controls are available from Apple Support.
The parental control functions are not directly integrated into the operating system of Android devices. With the free Google app Family Link, you can still keep an eye on your children’s media use. You can find more detailed information on this Google help page.
As a general rule, you should keep in mind that your child may feel controlled by you by regulating his or her media use. Therefore, talk openly with your child about the setting options and consider together which ones make sense. As your child becomes more independent over time, settings should be reconsidered regularly. Of course, the older your child is, the more he or she will know how to avoid certain settings. However, if you trust your child, there is usually no reason to do so. Also think together about how they can Media time and media-free time in the family.
As a parent, you always feel the need to protect your child from danger – whether in traffic, when romping with friends, or even when using media, and no matter how old he or she is. After all, potential dangers lurk everywhere. But if children are always protected from this, they cannot learn to deal with it. Therefore, it is important to find a balance between protection and free space. Then your child can develop and become independent without being permanently exposed to risks.
Children and adolescents are constantly looking for new spaces of experience, even those that are far from your control as parents. You must allow your child this freedom, because it is meaningful and necessary for him to develop independence.
Children and young people need and use this freedom differently depending on their age. Younger children retreat to their room or secretly watch TV longer when mom or dad are not paying attention. Once children learn to read, they can also use online media more and differently. Then, out of curiosity, they sometimes end up on websites that are not really for them. The older your child gets, the more important it is that they also make their own decisions.
At the latest at the teen age, social networks like TikTok , Instagram , YouTube and computer games to it. Prohibiting access to these platforms in general is impossible and does not make sense from a pedagogical point of view. However, boundaries can also be crossed consciously or unconsciously in these spaces. Part of the adolescent phase is to distance oneself from the parental home and to go one’s own way. Your child wants to find out who he or she is. Therefore, boundaries are tested and personal freedom is sought. Social media offers many opportunities for this.
It is okay if you do not supervise your child everywhere. Independence is positive and should be supported and critically accompanied by you. However, this includes preparing your child for this by making him or her aware of the risks and opportunities of digital media and showing him or her ways to deal with them. Mutually agreed media rules can help. This should include not only media times, but also selected media content and app permissions. However, such rules should always be renegotiated to fit your child’s age.
Gradually relinquish control and involve your child in all decisions. Only when it understands your concerns can it implement rules. Nevertheless, there will also be moments – especially during puberty – when your child does not adhere to it. Try to stay calm and keep seeking conversation. Above all, be responsive if he or she ever reaches his or her limits and don’t judge your child for it. After all, that’s part of growing up.
Many teenagers and children play online games in their free time. Most computer games are entertaining, bring people together and some games even have learning effects. But there are also games through which children and teenagers can encounter inappropriate content or unpleasant contacts. Parental control settings can help reduce such risks when playing on the console. Microsoft offers the Xbox family settings and the Xbox Family Safety App.
With the settings options, you can specify that your child can only access age-appropriate computer games. It is also possible to set how much time may be spent with the XBox. To counteract communication risks such as cybergrooming, you can specify who your child can communicate with, what data your child can see, and whether he or she can participate in multiplayer games. The community and chat platform Xbox Live can be made more secure by using chat filters. This filters out expletives and insults, for example. Activity reports record what and how much was played on the game console.
The settings can be made online via the website, directly on the Xbox or via the app. In order to use Xbox Family Settings , a separate Microsoft account must be created for each family member. Once all accounts have been merged into a family group, settings can be made for individual (child) accounts. For this, certain accounts have organizer rights. If a game or website exceeds the specified age restriction or the screen time has expired, your child will need clearance from your organizer account. You will be notified of this by message or via the Xbox Family Safety app .
Since each family member needs their own Microsoft account, data about each using person is automatically collected. Microsoft states that it will neither pass the data on to third parties nor use it for its own advertising purposes. However, there is always a risk that data can be passed on to unauthorized persons through data leaks. As parents, be aware of this and carefully consider which of your data may be collected and stored.
Age ratings for games are very general and may not necessarily fit your child. Children of the same age can deal differently with tension, depictions of violence and the like. That’s why you shouldn’t rely on age information alone and not simply allow all games that are approved for your child’s age in the settings. Find out about different games, e.g. at the NRW game guide, look at desired games yourself, if possible, and have your child explain why he or she wants to play a particular game.
The older your child gets, the more he or she will be exposed to different media and content on the web. Competent and safe handling is therefore very important and should be supported within a safe framework. No parental controls or parental settings offer one hundred percent protection. Improved parental control settings can help promote conscious media use and improve protection online. However, they are no substitute for parents accompanying their children through the media. Use the offer as additional help, but still talk to your child about his experiences and keep an eye on his media behavior.
Children who have their own smartphone or game console use apps, games and websites independently from an early age. Parents can quickly lose track of how much time their child spends online and what content they engage with. Various digital parental control offerings are designed to help parents make their children’s Internet use safer – Microsoft, for example, also offers parental controls for various devices.
Microsoft Family Safety can only be activated via a Microsoft account. The administrator account allows you as a parent to set different parental control settings on your child’s account, such as screen time and age-appropriate access to different content, apps, and so on. The settings then apply to all devices on which your child is logged in with the Microsoft account. All settings can be flexibly changed and adapted to the age of the child.
Screen time can be used to create fixed schedules for an entire account or for specific apps, games, and pages: For example, if you want to spend an hour on YouTube your child can use a total of one hour of YouTube on the smartphone, Xbox, and PC. Or enable an hour of game time for Xbox and block adult games and content.
You have the possibility to block pages and applications yourself or activate filters . Filters enable or block media content depending on the set age limit. It is also possible to specify that only child-friendly websites may be visited. This setting works only when using the Microsoft Edge browser. To access pages or apps, your child needs your permission first. Your child can also ask you for more screen time using the “Ask parent” feature. You will be informed about it by e-mail and you can react.
You can also set your child to need your approval even for purchases of, for example, games on Xbox. This gives you control over your child’s spending in the Microsoft Store.
Each person needs their own Microsoft account. The parents’ accounts are linked to those of the children. This is necessary for protection across different devices such as game consoles or PCs, which can also be used by multiple users in parallel. It might happen that your child constantly sends you requests to share different content.
Some Microsoft Family Safety features rely heavily on the child’s control. For example, you can use regular activity reports to track how much time your child spends using which apps and games. Location tracking allows you to see where your child is right now. Family members can even share locations with each other and save places where they often stay. Even though the features are meant to help with safety, they also encroach on your child’s privacy and free space. Your child can activate or deactivate location monitoring and individual other control functions independently on their own device at Family Safety. As parents, you will be informed of this by message in each case.
The provider emphasizes not to forward the data of the users to third parties. Nevertheless, there is no absolute security, because data can unintentionally fall into the wrong hands, for example through data leaks.
You should therefore handle data such as the whereabouts or the exact activities of your child with sensitivity. Pay attention to what data is stored and how it is used. To determine the location, it is necessary to turn on the GPS function. This may allow other applications to unintentionally access your child’s location. Therefore, consider carefully whether it is necessary to activate this function. Talk to your child about it, too, so they don’t feel controlled.
Do not blindly trust the preset age limits of the filters, but check them. It can vary greatly what parents feel is appropriate for their child. You can read more about age restrictions for games here.
Parental control apps like Microsoft Family Safety can help improve your child’s safety when using media independently. But even more important is personal guidance from you as parents. Younger children especially need them. No parental control offers one hundred percent protection. Especially against risks such as digital violence, children cannot be adequately protected by such safeguards. This makes it all the more important to explain to your child why certain content and applications are not suitable and what you are concerned about. Agree on rules for media use together. A media usage agreement can also help here.
Especially with older children, privacy and digital independence is important and should be respected by you as parents. Avoid making your child feel like you are monitoring him or not trusting him. An open discussion atmosphere and the interest of parents are often more effective in protecting against certain risks on the net than simply controlling technical protective measures.
Smartphones, tablets and other digital devices are fascinating for children. As a parent, you may be worried if your child plays with it and watches videos without any hindrance. Certain settings in apps and on devices are intended to help ensure that secure use is possible. The medien-kindersicher.de website provides compact, step-by-step instructions on how to make such parental control settings.
The online information service helps you to set the apps and services used by your child in a youth-friendly way. On the website, you can select the device used, the software of the device and the app used. Depending on the specified age, it will then explain which appropriate parental control settings are useful and how you can activate them. In addition to understandable short instruction texts, there are also small video clips that illustrate the settings. It also shows how to set up game consoles, voice assistants or routers, e.g. the age rating for games on the Nintendo Switch game console. On the website you will find additional helpful information on age recommendations.
Another offer, which is only available after free registration on the site, is the “Media Child Safe Assistant”: for this, you specify the devices, apps and applications used by your child, as well as the age of your child. You will then be offered suitable protection solutions and the necessary steps will be explained.
The site offers clear and easy-to-follow instructions for the most important and popular apps, but there could be more. After all, children and young people also use other services. Unfortunately, it is unclear whether the page will continue to be filled with information.
The page pretends that with the information you can make a safe setting of the devices. However, there can never be one hundred percent certainty! Youth protection settings can only be a supplement to your education and guidance. It is therefore all the more important that you accompany your child’s media use from the very beginning and set a good example . Take an interest in how older children and teens interact with media, too. Ask questions and be responsive to problems. Gradually trust your child to use media responsibly.
The ideas of child-friendly media use are not always the same. While some parents already let their children see certain content or allow apps, other parents think it’s too early for that. Therefore, you should be aware of the age limits and the restriction of content and usage by the parental control settings. It can also help to exchange ideas with other parents. Keep in mind that every child is different – also related to the individual developmental stage. Together with your child, agree on rules for safe media use in the family. If you like to make settings on devices and in apps, you should talk to your child about it and explain it so that your daughter or son doesn’t feel controlled.
Do you know it? You wanted to watch only one episode of your favorite series and then it became three, because it was just so exciting. Your child sometimes feels the same way: he or she is having so much fun watching TV and playing computer games that he or she forgets about the time. Bingewatching” refers to watching several episodes of a series at a time, and this also occurs among children. Binge means “excess” in German and viewing means “to look at”.
For some adults, bingewatching is even a hobby. Streaming services such as Prime Video, Netflix and YouTube have adjusted their offerings accordingly. Series often come as a whole season, so users can easily watch one video after another. From a company’s point of view, this is quite logical: They have an interest in keeping users on their platform for as long as possible.
There are more and more media library apps specifically for children or streaming apps with children’s profiles. YouTube Kids, Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ are particularly popular. Therefore, it’s no wonder that bingewatching also occurs among children and teenagers, because they find it even harder to turn off the TV or tablet.
Children and young people quickly get carried away by their favorite characters and stories, so that they can hardly tear themselves away from them. Some simply forget to switch off and therefore watch more than agreed. Younger children in particular are not yet very good at regulating their own needs and media use. They are therefore more easily seduced to look further and further.
Sometimes there is simply a lack of alternative occupations. Kids don’t know what to do besides watch TV. Besides, it’s easy to just be sprinkled instead of being active yourself, making up your own stories, drawing something, or anything else.
Some things you can set on your child’s profile on the streaming site itself. For example, you can disable the automatic start of the next episode or set a time limit for some services. If you download certain episodes, your child won’t be drawn to other series and will find it easier to switch off when the agreed viewing time is up. You should become active as soon as your child reacts stressed or annoyed when he or she cannot watch any longer.
Design media usage rules together, especially fixed time slots, and make sure they are followed. As long as your child is not yet able to handle media on his or her own responsibility, support and accompany him or her in this process. Don’t use the favorite show as a punishment or reward, and establish alternative outlets for media use.
If your child is very emotionally attached to the series, you can engage with it together in other ways. Your child can bring the series world to him with toys, by painting or playing with friends and continue telling the stories. This way, your child experiences his or her favorite series even more and can help shape it.
Older children and teenagers should also occasionally allow you to distract them with television during stressful periods. Just make sure that bingewatching is not constantly used to combat stress.
“Just one more round!” or “Leon gets to watch TV much longer!” Almost all parents know this. What media is okay for my child? How much media time is not harmful? At what age does it make sense to have your own smartphone? For such issues, fixed rules can be a great help for parents and children. But they also lead to conflicts in families time and again. We have compiled some tips and background information for you.
Rules are not simply there for adults to determine things; they bring structure to family life. Media usage rules can be used to promote children’s media literacy. As parents, you have a special responsibility to keep an eye on fun and benefits associated with media, but also on risks and dangers. For quite some time, you will be able to assess both better than your child. It is important that your child understands the rules. Therefore, you should be able to justify for yourself and also to your child why certain rules apply and why it is important to follow them. If rules are not clearly stated or are interpreted differently, your child will have a hard time following them. However, this also means that certain rules apply to you as parents and that you act as a role model.
Which rules make sense depends on the age of your child and on how you and your child generally deal with media. It’s not the same in every family.
The younger your child is, the more you should keep an eye on his or her media use. Young children need close supervision and should not spend too much time with media. As parents, decide on age-appropriate content, length of use, and appropriate devices. From elementary school age, your child gets many new impressions and influences. It still needs a lot of orientation, so clear rules are very important. You can now better talk to your child about content and let him or her have a say. From secondary school and adolescence at the latest, you should then trust your child to be more independent and increasingly relinquish control. Young people usually approach digital media openly, but they often cannot yet properly assess security risks. That is why you are still important as an orientation and contact person!
Depending on the age of your child, agree on rules for media use together – for example, by means of a media usage contract. Then your child can better understand and comply with them. Write down rules and place them visibly. Exceptions can also be formulated. Regularly check whether the rules still make sense or can and must be changed. Also, set rules that apply to everyone, such as not taking out the smartphone during a conversation.
A big point of contention is the question of how much time with media is good. In addition to age, this also depends on your child and his or her individual approach to media. Does it quickly get lost in series or computer games or can it put the tablet aside at the end of an episode without any problems? The rule of thumb is: the younger, the less! Media vouchers are a way for children of elementary school age and older to set a weekly budget for a media device, for example. Sometimes this is easier and your child can manage their own time.
It is important that your child has a varied daily routine, uses media in different ways, but also has media-free experiences.
Do you have the entire media ensemble in view? Radio plays and books are also part of media consumption and may appear in the rulebook.
Take into account that the content of media use varies greatly, as do the motives and needs of use. A game for mere diversion or entertainment may be weighted differently than learning with media. Make qualitative distinctions together with your child. Be sure to include age-appropriate content as well.
The question of the right age for the first smartphone occupies many parents. Perhaps consult with parents of your child’s friends and consider whether certain rules can apply to everyone.
When it comes to getting your own phone for the first time or using mom’s tablet, setting options can also restrict access to various content and apps. However, these should be discussed together. Such settings or certain apps can help enforce rules. But these tools are no substitute for guidance from you as parents. Explanations from you and conversations about media make a significant contribution to your child learning to use media competently.
Rules may vary depending on the child’s age and stage of development. On the one hand, stay consistent, otherwise they will not serve their purpose. At the same time, if possible, do not use the rules as a punishment or reward.
The TimeLimit app allows you to restrict access to certain apps on your smartphone. The special feature: You can create different usage settings for different apps. In addition, TimeLimit does not store any data in the basic version.
You may know the app under the name JoLo Parental Control. In the advanced version it is called TimeLimit. The app can be installed on smartphones and tablets with Android. You install it either on the child’s device or your own, if the child does not yet use his or her own smartphone. It is also possible to control settings on the child’s device from their own smartphone.
Different user profiles can be created in the app, which can be accessed with a password. With TimeLimit, you can select apps that are generally available for use or only available on certain days of the week and at a certain time. So if the set time for the particular app or device has expired, it can no longer be used. So you can decide exactly when and how much something can be used, or who can use an app if multiple people are accessing a device.
The paid version allows settings to be made across device boundaries. You can decide whether to use local or networked mode, i.e. whether to connect your phone to your child’s. In local mode, all data remains on the device where the app is installed. In networked mode, data is transferred via a server of your choice. You can use TimeLimit ‘s default server or – for more control over your data – install the server component on your own server. With a paid add-on feature, the usage time for an app can be counted across multiple devices.
One shortcoming of the app is that it unfortunately does not run at all or not very well on some operating systems and devices. Installation on Apple devices is not possible. The app does not work well on Huawei and Wiko smartphones.
It should be noted that the energy-saving function of some smartphones terminates apps that are running in the background, such as TimeLimit, or prevents them from autostarting. Pre-installed task managers, system boosters and the like should also not be activated, as these sometimes allow TimeLimit to be terminated automatically. Apps installed after the fact have fewer permissions than preinstalled apps and are therefore unproblematic.
According to the German provider, TimeLimit does not create a log about the use of each app, so the privacy of all users is protected. According to the manufacturer, TimeLimit also works with end-to-end encryption, so that the provider cannot read the data.
Controlling your child’s smartphone use should be carefully considered and dependent on how old your child is. With an app like TimeLimit, monitoring is not possible, only the restriction of usage times. You should arrange these together with your child in advance. They can also be part of a media use agreement with the family. Screen time and other regulations should be regularly reviewed and adjusted according to age.
To protect your children from dangerous content or cost traps, there are already some parental control apps. One of these apps is called Kids Zone. Here you set up a profile for your kids on the smartphone, with child-safe apps and limited screen time.
Kids Zone can be installed on your child’s device and is designed to enable safe cell phone use. Since you can create multiple profiles, you can set up the app on your smartphone even if your child doesn’t use their own device.
After creating the profile, select the apps you want to share with your child, such as music apps or children’s games. Some apps or certain settings can be locked. In the free basic version, you can block up to six apps. You then create a PIN for the profile so that you can activate (Lock Device) or deactivate (Unlock Device) it.
It is also possible to set a maximum usage time for the smartphone. After its expiration, the device locks automatically and can no longer be used.
Unlike other parental control apps, no data about the usage time and apps used is stored and cannot be viewed afterwards. In addition, no data is forwarded to the app’s manufacturer.
The usability of the device is very limited by the app and the time limits always have to be restarted. In addition, the app runs a bit jerky and locking the device happens with a time delay.
The app is not suitable for children who want to get to know the smartphone’s functions better, since it is not possible to access the settings.
The app’s Canadian developer, Ryan Park, wants Kids Zone to enable easy, safe and controlled smartphone use. There is no specified age for use, the age rating in the App Store is three years.
The fact that Kids Zone does not offer a monitoring option means that no data is passed on to the manufacturer. The app requests access to usage data, like any app of this type, to see what other apps are being used. The privacy policy is complete and easy to understand – but in English.
Kids Zone is especially suitable if you occasionally give your younger child their own cell phone to play with, or if your child gets their own smartphone at an early age.
Parental control apps are designed to protect the child, but you should still check which apps (games, music, etc.) are installed on the smartphone. Pay attention to the age information as well. Test the apps you want to unlock for your child and decide together which apps your child can use. Also, involve your child when it comes to the length of time they use their cell phone. If you set rules for smartphone use together and your child can understand them, he or she will be better able to stick to them. The older your child gets, the more he wants to try things out on his own. Adjust settings accordingly over time and give your child the space they need.
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