Anyone who smears a swastika on a house wall will be punished for it. But the street has long since ceased to be the sole place for the dissemination of forbidden symbols. On the internet, one click is all it takes to share a text, image or video with prohibited content with numerous readers. As in the physical world, there are also rules in the digital world. We provide information about prohibited symbols on the Internet.
It is forbidden to use signs of unconstitutional organizations. This is stated in Section 86a of the Criminal Code. Such marks are symbols that can be clearly assigned to a specific organization, such as the swastika. Slogans such as “Heil Hitler” are also banned because they clearly refer to National Socialism. Unconstitutional organizations are banned parties, associations or Nazi organizations.
Sharing prohibited symbols online is not always punishable by law. For example, if someone writes “Heil Hitler” in a private chat, this has no legal consequences. However, if the same person shares this publicly on platforms such as Facebook, X or TikTok, it is punishable by law. The distribution of such symbols in public spaces is prohibited by law.
Parents are not liable for their children if they share prohibited content under the age of 14. However, in most cases the youth welfare office is informed, which works with the parents and child to try to work through the background to the sharing. From the age of 14, juveniles can be prosecuted under the Criminal Code.
Children can share forbidden symbols such as the swastika or SS runes online with a simple click, without understanding the potential legal consequences. In what way prohibited symbols are shared does not matter. Whether in text, photos or videos – public sharing in itself is punishable by law. That’s what makes it so treacherous, especially for children. Because a video or meme that seems funny at first glance may contain prohibited symbols. Anyone who is not familiar with it has quickly shared it and thus spread prohibited content.
It is also problematic that some symbols are banned in Germany, while they are permitted in other parts of the world. Symbols from the Nazi era in particular may be legally shared online in some countries. This is why children can unknowingly google, download and share the swastika – despite the ban in Germany. Extremist groups often use social networks to share banned symbols and content, as many people are reached and tracking is often difficult.
Education and guidance: Find out together with your child which symbols are prohibited and why, in order to develop a better understanding of potentially problematic content. It is important and permitted to show such symbols for educational purposes and to explain the background and consequences. A good and quick overview is provided by the Democracy and Diversity website and the NinA NRW project. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has detailed descriptions of various distinctive signs and symbols of right-wing extremist movements.
Delete and report: If you or your child receive a forbidden symbol in private chats, delete it immediately. If you discover any on the Internet, it is important to report them to the police or to complaints offices on the Internet.
Open communication: Encourage an open exchange about online activities. Encourage your child to talk about their experiences online, including unpleasant or worrying situations.
Encourage critical thinking: Strengthen your child’s critical thinking in the online environment. Discuss how to critically scrutinize news and content on the Internet.
Against trivialization: Take an active stand against the trivialization of prohibited symbols. Explain to your child that these symbols represent extremist ideologies in today’s world.
For resistance: Encourage your child to take a stand against the distribution of prohibited symbols. Promote a positive online community, stand up for tolerance and democratic values.
Steam is the largest international portal for online games, software products and movies. On the platform you can play and buy games. Gamers can connect with others around the world and play together. For this, you need to install Steam and sign up for free. This works with PC, Mac and Linux. Steam is also available as an app. The website serves as a forum for exchanging ideas about gaming and sharing fan content such as pictures and videos. Players can also chat with each other directly within the games. In the store you can buy games, but also within the games there are purchase options.
You will find countless games that can be free or paid. The platform offers a wide variety of games and genres. Young people particularly enjoy playing together with other players as a team. They also enjoy talking with others about their favorite games.
Due to the great variety on the platform, there are also games that are not suitable for children or can even be problematic. For some games, the age is requested in advance, but it is not checked. The community includes players and content from all over the world, so young people can easily get in touch with strangers. So-called trolls in particular can be a risk, because they deliberately provoke others, insult them and spread false news. Also, the posts, pictures or videos in the forum or chat may not be suitable for children.
According to the provider, children can use the platform from the age of 13. However, there is no verification of age. Spam, advertising and problematic content can be reported. For families, a family view is offered where parents can make precise settings and restrictions. Recently, there was a change in favor of the users’ privacy: By default, only online friends can see which games you own, how long you play, and which games are on your purchase wish list. Previously, the data of many users was publicly accessible, because only a few had set their profile to private.
Due to the large number of games and social media content, use is only recommended for older teenagers. If younger people want to use Steam, this should be well accompanied and common rules should be agreed upon. We recommend parents to use the family view. This is secured with a PIN. In a library, individual games can be defined and released for the children. Other features such as the community or the store must also be consciously allowed by the parents. The Player’s Guide explains in this tutorial how you should proceed.
During the Corona pandemic, many different people were not well. Loneliness, worries and insecurity also troubled young people. It is quite normal for young people to seek advice on the Net when they have problems. When searching for help, one quickly comes across so-called psycho apps. Unfortunately, these are not always helpful, but can even have the opposite effect.
Psychology or diagnosis apps entice users with the promise of quick and easy help for mental health problems such as depression. While some of the offers only provide diagnosis and prevention, others even advertise the prospect of cure. However, such apps and their content are usually not developed by experts and do not meet scientific standards. This can quickly lead to misdiagnoses that can greatly unsettle and frighten adolescents. Even if the app makes a correct diagnosis, users are left alone and do not receive the help they need.
Particularly problematic are chat-based offerings in which users anonymously post their problems in public forums and other people comment on the posts. Besides heartbreak or own insecurities, even suicidal thoughts or photos of self-harm are shared and discussed. The posts in these forums are not moderated by real experts, nor is content reviewed and filtered. Vulnerable people can be triggered or even animated by certain images and messages, making them feel even worse. It is not uncommon in such communities for the shared suffering to create a sense of community and affirmation from which they find it difficult to emerge. Cases of cybergrooming, in which adults take advantage of the vulnerable state of young people, are also possible.
In addition, many of these apps ask users to provide accurate information about their health and mental state. Some providers share their users’ data with third-party providers such as Facebook. These mostly use the data for advertising purposes. But insurance companies and credit providers are also increasingly interested in this type of data. This may result in not having health insurance in the future or other disadvantages.
In chat-based apps, users are supposedly anonymous. But many young people give out phone numbers or addresses over time. Data that can quickly conclude the identity of the person.
As a parent, you should educate your child about the dangers of such psycho apps and what they are all about. In this video from funk the topic is presented in a way that is suitable for young people.
Offer to help with problems and show interest. If your child feels like they are not on their own when problems arise, they are less likely to seek help online. Young people in particular are reluctant to talk to their own parents about their problems. Therefore, show your child appropriate services and how to seek help on their own.
Parents and children can receive support and advice anonymously, e.g. via the Nummer gegen Kummer (116 111) or the telephone counselling service (0800 1110111). Young people can also seek help themselves via juuuport. de if they have problems online.
Some psychotherapists offer digital consultation hours. To make sure that the person giving the advice is a therapist, check the person’s imprint, for example. There you can get information about the address or contact by phone for the time being. Also, take a closer look at the resume: Does the person have accredited training to offer psychotherapeutic help? If these points apply, you can also use the help digitally.
Some therapists recommend the use of certain apps, as an accompaniment to talk therapy. These apps are developed by experts, are government approved, and require a prescription.
Telegram is a messenger service like WhatsApp , Signal Although the messenger is considered relatively privacy-protected compared to others, Telegram has come under criticism for spreading fake news and conspiracy narratives.
Telegram is a free messenger service that advertises particularly high security and speed. Anyone who wants to use the app must register once with a cell phone number by calling or texting. Afterwards, an account can be used across an unlimited number of devices. It is also possible to create a user name.
Telegram offers features like other messenger services: sending (and editing) images, videos, audio files and emojis. It can also be used to conduct surveys. Another special feature of Telegram is the creation of public groups and the subscription to (thematic) channels: Messages can be sent to an unlimited number of users, but only the channel creator and the administrators are allowed to write.
In so-called “secret chats”, messages are not stored on the provider’s servers. This is to prevent messages from being intercepted and read in any form. The “self-destruct function”, with which a message automatically disappears from the sender and recipient after a set time, also contributes to this.
As with WhatsApp you can get in touch with others quickly and free of charge via Telegram. Especially the exchange in groups makes Telegram interesting. For older teenagers, contact with like-minded people in Telegram groups could also be exciting and problematic at the same time.
Despite encryption and secret messages, the app has some pitfalls: The end-to-end encryption ensures that messages can only be read by the chat participants, but must first be activated. In addition, all communication content, with the exception of secret chats, is permanently visible to the operator and is stored on its servers.
Because of its subscribable channels and groups, Telegram is popular and criticized in equal measure. Institutions such as newspapers can use it to send out regular updates. But these groups also bring together people who exchange and spread right-wing ideas or other extreme opinions among themselves. Also listen to an episode of the youth podcast “What’s up…?”.
As with similar apps, contact risks such as sexting, cyberbullying and the spreading of so-called fake news cannot be ruled out. Registering with a username poses a particular risk: This is public, so that even people who do not have the cell phone number can contact you. The messenger also requires access to the address book and contacts are permanently stored on Telegram servers.
The Russian provider advertises data protection and privacy. In addition to the encryptions, there is, for example, the option to secure the app with code or fingerprint. Telegram is also open source, which means that anyone can see how the app is programmed and how the security measures work. The app is also to remain free of charge and advertising at all times.
Before you register, you must also agree to the Terms of Use. These require a minimum age of 16. In addition, the users undertake not to use the service for sending spam or cheating, not to promote violence and not to publish illegal pornographic content. However, it is unclear whether and how compliance with these conditions will be verified.
Before your child uses a messenger like Telegram, you should talk to him about communication rules and possible dangers. Consider beforehand what speaks for Telegram or whether another service would be better. If it is to be Telegram , refrain from registering with a public username.
Take photos and share on Instagram or WhatsApp is not only child’s play and a matter of course for young people. It’s about sharing experiences and presenting yourself in the best light. In the past, only professionals could edit photos to make the subject look perfect. Today, smartphones and apps bring such possibilities.
Photos of oneself – mostly selfies – are published particularly frequently. At Instagram and Snapchat you can make them directly in the app and choose a filter beforehand. This is virtually superimposed over the photo or video taken. This makes it quick and easy to integrate fun elements such as elf ears, beards or butterflies into the photo or video. Besides fun filters, so-called beauty filters are very popular. These change the face of the person and adapt it to certain specifications. Thus, features such as skin appearance, hair and eye color or facial features can be changed.
The choice of filters is unlimited and it is getting bigger and bigger. Children and young people find it funny and entertaining. They can also use filters to slip into other roles and try their hand. Sometimes filters even provide more anonymity, since the face is not always recognizable.
With beauty filters, one’s own face is quickly “beautified” and adapted to a certain ideal of beauty. Young people find this fascinating and some feel more comfortable with filtered selfies than presenting their true selves in public.
Apps like Spark AR Studio let you design your own filters and use them on Instagram. Young people can thus imitate the filters of their role models. There are even small trends and challenges developing with face filters. In this way, users feel they belong to a community and are closer to their idols.
Big eyes, narrow nose, pouty mouth and perfect complexion. Face filters can give a very one-sided image of beauty. Young people think that this is normal and they have to look just as perfect. The photos created by filters distort one’s own self. In young people, self-confidence is not yet consolidated. Therefore, compare themselves strongly with other people and with widespread ideals of beauty. They may not like pictures of themselves without filters or how they really look. Yet very few people are perfect. You can read more about the dangers of these beauty ideals in our article “Self-perception in times of Instagram & Co”. A counter-movement in social media is called body positivity or #nofilter. Images posted under these hashtags aim to show real people without using filters.
Understand your child’s enthusiasm for Face Filter when it’s all about fun and creativity. Have them show you what filters your child is using. Talk to him about filters that are supposed to make you more beautiful and what is really behind them. Make it clear that filtered images have little to do with reality. Browse the web together for photos tagged with the hashtags #nofilter or #facepositivity . Talk about your own self-image and encourage your child to accept themselves and see themselves as beautiful.
Whether chain letters or YouTube videos: Momo may have also scared your child. For weeks, people read reports and articles about the creepy figure with wide eyes and a scary grin. Thus, parents and teachers were also panicked and a real Momo hype arose. Media coverage has contributed to this.
Momo first appeared on WhatsApp in 2018 as a chain letter. In it, readers were invited to take part in various challenges and allegedly incited to self-harm. A photo of the creepy figure, which is actually a sculpture by a Japanese artist, caused great fear, especially among younger children. The chain letter was followed in 2019 by alleged WhatsApp accounts of Momo, which directly contacted children and young people. YouTuber posted videos online in which you apparently chatted with Momo and engaged in risky tasks.
It probably started with a local newspaper in England, which took a Facebook post by a concerned mother as an opportunity to report on Momo. Other media picked up on the Momo phenomenon. This was followed by reports about YouTube videos and children’s series in which Momo suddenly appears and about a schoolgirl’s alleged suicide attempt for which the creepy figure was responsible. Parents, teachers and children were warned about Momo.
Many reports subsequently turned out to be untrue or at least greatly exaggerated. Information was hardly ever checked for accuracy. False reports ultimately triggered the Momo scandal.
Although no one was ever written to directly by Momo, the character suddenly posed a real threat. Messages were forwarded, because one also wanted to warn friendly parents or neighbors. Adults fell for what they actually want to protect their children from: The principle of chain letters – the uncritical forwarding of messages that have not been checked for truth.
The great media attention also encourages imitators: New chain letters are sent out into the world, WhatsApp accounts with the name Momo are created. Thus, the issue gets an enormous amount of attention and panic ensues. It is a vicious circle: Again and again new events and reports that do not break off further promote the Momo hype.
Other phenomena and challenges are also extremely inflated by media attention. You may have heard of the so-called Blue Whale Challenge – a game that allegedly drives children and teens to suicide. The existence of this game has never been proven. Through constant media reports, the Challenge finally became known in Germany as well.
Do not respond to your child’s fear with panic, but explain that such stories are often made up and that chain letters have the sole function of frightening and pressuring recipients. Make it clear that many reports are falsehoods and there is no reason to be afraid. Because why should you be afraid of something that doesn’t exist?
Explain to your child what false reports are and how to recognize them. You can read more about this in our article on Fake News.
Always be a point of contact for your child, even when it comes to their online experiences! If you notice that, for example, Momo, similar scary characters or problematic challenges appear in YouTube videos, report this content – directly to YouTube or to jugendschutz.net.
Whether you learn of such incidents through an article, a Facebook group, other parents, or your child: Do not simply forward the information! Check what facts there are about the phenomenon and whether the information seems exaggerated or realistic. Also talk to other parents about whether the message can be true.
