Toned bodies on YouTube fitness channels, flawless beauty influencers on Instagram or perfectly staged selfies in WhatsApp chats– social media conveys a certain image of beauty that is often far removed from reality. Such ideals can put enormous pressure on children and young people and have a negative impact on their self-esteem. How can parents help their children develop a healthy approach to beauty images online?
Pale skin in the Middle Ages, curvy bodies in the Baroque era, short hair in the 1920s, thin models in the 1990s – what is considered beautiful is subject to constant change and varies according to time and culture. Throughout history, women in particular have been strongly valued by their appearance. Today’s ideal of beauty is strongly influenced by gender stereotypes and social media trends.
“Do I look beautiful?”. With the onset of puberty at the latest, children and adolescents are increasingly concerned with their appearance and identity. This time is often characterized by uncertainty and comparisons. Young people also look to the media for guidance. They keep a close eye on how people present themselves online. Influencers become important role models that they want to emulate. Many social media stars present themselves as particularly approachable on their profiles and encourage contact with their target group. The strong relationship with their idols can be an orientation aid in the development of their own body and beauty image, but can also lead to insecurity and pressure. This is because a lot of content shows highly distorted images of beauty.
Big eyes, full lips, white teeth, flawless skin – on platforms like Instagram and TikTok are dominated by one-sided images of beauty that are perfected with the use of filters and image editing, including the use of AI avatars. Added to this are the mechanisms of social media services, in which algorithms preferentially select images with naked skin and display content according to the characteristics and preferences of users. Influencers show more appearance than reality in order to earn money with clicks and product placements. Anyone who does not conform to the current ideal of beauty receives negative feedback and even hate comments. This increases the pressure on young users to meet unrealistic beauty standards. According to a study conducted by the Austrian education platform safer-internet.at in early 2024, beauty ideals on the internet put both girls and boys under a lot of pressure. More than half of the young people surveyed want to look beautiful, stylish and slim online. If children and young people are constantly comparing themselves and frequently use filters, this can have an impact on their self-perception. Pumping until you drop, starving yourself to the point of anorexia – some content even shows beauty ideals that are harmful to health, which can be dangerous if imitated.
Fortunately, there are also counter-movements online such as curvy models, body positivity and hashtags like #formorerealityoninstagram. They help to make visible and celebrate a diversity of bodies and identities. Such authentic content encourages users to take a healthier and more realistic view of beauty and their bodies.
Show an interest in your child’s media use and keep in touch with your child about their favorite influencers and content. Analyze together which editing steps are behind many images and videos and explain to him that this is mostly about marketing. Make it clear to your child that their social media feed is not an accurate reflection of reality. Encourage your child to weed out profiles that trigger bad feelings. Give your child access to the good side of the internet and show them (children’s) media that portray diverse world views and gender images. Comedy profiles such as Celeste Barber or formats for children and young people such as this video on beauty filters by TeamTimster on KIKA help to question unrealistic ideals of beauty.
Emphasize the diversity of bodies and images of beauty and encourage your child to be positive about their own body. Praise your child’s inner values, such as personality and interests, to strengthen their self-esteem. If you are unsure, your child is suffering from digital stress or an eating disorder, seek help, for example in the form of (digital) counseling services.
Instagram is one of the most popular apps among young people. Experiences are shared as stories, influencersshowwhat’s hot at the moment, users find out about a news feed or are simply entertained.
Instagram, or Insta for short, is more than just a picture platform. Above your own feed (accessible in the app via the house icon), you will find the latest stories and live streams from users you follow. These disappear again after 24 hours, but can also be saved by the person who posted the story on their own account as a so-called highlight. The feed also displays the newly posted photos and videos of the subscribed channels and people.
Users can find a wide variety of content on Insta: Posts by stars and starlets, about brands and products, current challenges and even personal profiles of friends. You can respond with likes and comments.
You can create and edit your own posts with filters, emojis, fonts, etc. directly in the app. In captions, your own content – i.e. photos and videos – can be assigned to topics with a hashtag. Under Instagram Reels (accessible below the feed via the video icon) you can find short videos in TikTok style.
The popularity of Instagram lies, among other things, in its focus on photos and videos. Various and easy-to-use tools help to get the best out of your own image. It is particularly appealing for young people to present themselves in the best light and test their effect on others. The app also makes it quick and easy to document and share the best moments with friends or family.
Children and young people are constantly finding new content about their idols on Instagram. They can follow what they are doing virtually around the clock, comment on pictures, like them, save them and forward them to other people. Insta is a great way to while away the time waiting for the bus or to keep an eye on what your crush from the next class is doing in his free time.
Influencers, stars and people with a creator account can create broadcast channels. With the help of an invitation link, users can join and invite other people. Children and young people find out even more about the (public) lives of their stars in the broadcast channels and receive news before people outside this channel.
At the end of 2023, Meta also launched the app in Germany Threads app in Germany. This is (closely) linked to Instagram.
The joint privacy policy of Facebook and Instagram, which all users agree to when registering, allows the sharing of user data with other services of the parent company Meta and with third parties. The app enables so-called crossposting. This means that a photo can also be posted on Facebook can be shared. If you have a Facebook account, you should check the settings carefully when publishing posts.
Instagram can determine the location of users via the posts they make. Privately set accounts prevent this. In addition, access to the location can be set both in the app and in the app permissions on your own smartphone and tablet. Then Instagram cannot see the location of public accounts either. However, a location can be added to each posted image manually afterwards.
Content on Instagram is subject to payment if children and young people not only follow an account, but also subscribe to it. The monthly price is set by the creators themselves and the subscription can usually be canceled on a monthly basis. Subscribers have access to exclusive content such as pictures, reels and stories. If you would like to subscribe to an account, you will find a “Subscribe” button next to “Follow”/”Followed” and “Messages” on the profile. A single click on this button does not yet lead to a subscription, but must first be confirmed with further clicks.
Certain content on Instagram can be problematic for young people: Inappropriate content such as erotic images, dangerous challenges and disinformation, but also advertising. Influencer business models play a special role here, which young people do not always recognize.
Instagram harbors various communication risks through functions such as chats and comments. For example, contact from strangers, hate speech or online bullying can occur.
The official minimum age for using Instagram is 13, but there is no effective age control so far. Until your child is 18 years old, you must consent to its use. There are extensive usage and setting options. If your child is under the age of 13, they can use Instagram if you manage the account. This must be included in the profile description. Accounts of children and young people under the age of 18 are automatically set to private after creation. However, this can be changed in the settings afterwards and the profile can be set to public. At Handysektor you can read a short version of the terms of use and download a flyer with the most important safety information about Instagram for young people.
Since June 2022, there has been “parental supervision”, which allows parents to link their account to that of their child. We present all the setting options in this article. You can find out how Instagram itself wants to make the app safer for young people directly on the Instagram website.
Together with your child, decide at what age and according to what rules he or she is allowed to use Instagram. Make various settings together so that your child can useInstagram as safely as possible. Not all photos have to be shared with everyone or even just with friends via the internet!
Talk to your child about communication risks on Instagram, from online bullying to cybergrooming. Show your child how they can block or report other users and explain to them when these functions are useful – for example, if someone insults your child in the comments. Your child should also not simply accept subscription requests from strangers and be sparing with their own data, such as their location.
Educate your child about risks such as harmful content, hate speech, disinformation and political opinion making. Talk to your child about the critical behavior of influencers and keep talking to them about one-sided role models and clichés. Stay interested and check in regularly to see who your child is following on Instagram and who is following them. It is important that your child knows that they can always talk to you if they have an unpleasant experience on the platform.
Whether in class chats, on social media or via a search engine – many children and young people come across pornography while surfing, whether intentionally or not. According to a study conducted by the NRW Media Authority in 2023, the average age of first contact is 13, which is nothing unusual.
However, according to the JIM study by the Media Education Research Association Southwest 2023, one in four of the 12-19-year-olds surveyed came into contact with pornography unintentionally. When children and young people are unintentionally exposed to pornographic photos or videos, it can be overwhelming and stressful for them. It becomes particularly critical when it comes to so-called “hard pornography”.
In the case of pornographic content, a distinction is made between simple and hardcore pornography:
You can find out more about the legal provisions on pornography on the Internet here at klicksafe.
Accompany your child as they take their first steps on the Internet and explain to them that they may come across content that they find unpleasant. If your child accidentally comes into contact with simple pornography, be there for them as a contact person. Especially with younger children, it is important not to leave them alone with such experiences. They are often unable to properly categorize what they see because it is outside their own sphere of experience. Provide age-appropriate information if your child asks questions about love and sexuality. If you are unsure, seek support, for example from the parents’ helpline of the Nummer gegen Kummer.
If your child shows you prohibited content of hard pornography on the Internet, for example on a website or social media, proceed as follows:
The possession of depictions of abuse is a punishable offense; young people aged 14 and over are liable to prosecution in Germany. If your child is sent a photo or video via chat that is suspected of showing abuse of children and young people, you should act immediately:
Discuss these points with your child. The Internet Complaints Office has summarized further information on how to deal with misrepresentations on the Internet in this PDF document.
Keep in touch with your child about their media use and prepare them for the fact that they may be confronted with problematic content or communication risks online. Establish media rules in the family that everyone adheres to. For example, not responding to contact from strangers or not clicking on links that strangers share in chat messages or emails. For younger children in particular, use technical measures to protect minors from harmful media, such as filter programs for surfing or children’s accounts for apps. Make settings such as deactivating the automatic media download on WhatsApp so that your child does not accidentally save prohibited material. Explain to your child what is allowed and what is not allowed when it comes to pornography. Make it clear to your child when forwarding pornographic content makes them liable to prosecution. In this article, you can read more tips on how you can help your child deal with pornography online and how you can protect them from content that is harmful to minors with the help of technical youth media protection.
During puberty, adolescents’ bodies go through major changes that they first have to come to terms with. At the same time, young people are looking for affirmation and recognition. Social media such as Instagram,
TikTok
and
WhatsApp
also play a role: selfies are sent or posted in the hope of receiving positive feedback. Influencers show themselves in perfect and slim bodies that serve as role models for young people.
Sometimes young people cannot find a contact person among their family or friends or prefer to talk to strangers out of insecurity. The Internet offers many opportunities to obtain information and exchange information anonymously.
In addition to a lot of helpful information, you can unfortunately also find offers on the Internet that glorify self-harming behavior by people – especially young people. Pro-ana or pro-mia blogs are forums where people suffering from an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia can contact each other and exchange ideas. It is mainly young girls who meet there. Pro-Ana or Pro-Mia are deliberately chosen abbreviations for Pro-Anorexia Nervosa (anorexia nervosa) and Pro-Bulimia Nervosa (binge eating disorder). Blogs are not about supporting each other in getting a handle on the disease. Instead, the disease is presented as a lifestyle. In “Thinspirations”, members of the communities share their photos and videos of beauty ideals. This can include features such as protruding bones or the gap between the thighs.
In WhatsApp groups, young people encourage each other to eat as little as possible. These groups often come about via eating disorder blogs or calls on social media platforms. The group members take part in hunger challenges or have to prove that they have lost weight by taking a photo of the scales every week. Those who don’t follow the rules are kicked out or receive punishments such as deliberate vomiting or an extra portion of sport. The blogs and social media profiles also contain glorifying content such as professions of faith or the ten pro-ana commandments: “If I’m not thin, then I can’t be attractive” is the first commandment, for example.
Many pro-ana blogs have now been blocked or are no longer in operation. Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok and other social media platforms also block content with the respective hashtags and refer to advice services instead. However, there are still blogs that are not yet blocked and social media sites that are less strictly controlled, such as TikTok. This means that it is still easy to view glorifying images and videos or access WhatsApp groups.
Children and adolescents with eating disorders find reassurance in such online exchange spaces. The strong sense of community encourages them to continue their self-harming behavior. This can be particularly dangerous if risks are dismissed, group members are urged to keep their illness a secret and refuse outside help.
First of all, it is important that you are always the contact person for your child, also with regard to their Internet use. It is difficult for you to prevent your child from encountering inappropriate content. You should therefore talk to your child about the fact that there are also problematic sites and communication risks on the Internet and always stand by their side. If you yourself end up on websites that specifically glorify eating disorders, contact the platform’s support or have them checked by a reporting office.
Regardless of your child’s online use, you should always boost your child’s self-esteem and avoid negative comments about their appearance or weight. If you suspect an eating disorder, you can find information and help from counseling centers, e.g. the Federal Center for Health Education or digital counseling services for children and adolescents.
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.
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.
They know what’s going on on the catwalks and in the fashion stores of the world: fashion influencers take us into their closets and show us what we should be wearing to be cool. This article is part of our series “Influencers in portrait”.
Still undecided about the OOTD? Looking for someone for GRWM? Or confused by all the capital letters? Who is on Instagram and the like, you will quickly come across a large number of fashion influencers and at least as many abbreviations and technical terms. The Outfit of the Day (OOTD) is chosen in front of the camera, put on and explained in detail, and in the morning there is a “Get ready with me” (GRWM), also with commentary. In the afternoon, the shopping haul is presented, i.e. the haul from the shopping trip. And every post is full of “inspo” – as inspiration to copy. The influencers behind the fashion profiles know exactly what the right wardrobe is for which season and which occasion, present their latest and favorite fabrics in appealing photos and videos and also like to combine this with a bit of beauty, sports or diary content.
If you search for the relevant keywords and hashtags, you will find an astonishing number of profiles on social media platforms with a great passion for fashion and outfits.
The following have achieved some fame Gerda Lewis The Cologne native of Lithuanian origin regularly presents her outfits, cosmetic products and activities to her 1 million followers on her Instagram page and recommends the corresponding products and stores.
Particularly appealing to younger viewers is Mavie Noelle Even as a teenager, Mavie takes her approximately 1 million fans into her nursery, shows them her favorite outfits for school or chilling out and shares her Christmas gift ideas. Again, always with a direct link to the respective store.
Madeleine Darya Alizadeh alias Dariadaria started as a fashion blogger in 2010. From 2013, however, she shifted her focus and became more involved with topics such as sustainability, feminism and social justice, and now combines fashion with meaningful fluencing. She runs a sustainable fashion brand and often speaks out on political and social issues.
A male representative of the fashion scene is Toni Mahfud . The Hamburg native runs one of the largest fashion accounts in Germany and has around 3.5 million followers. He is under contract as a model with a large agency and also promotes clothing and other products via social media.
Fashion has always been a perennial favorite for the upcoming generation. In the school playground, in youth magazines and now also on social media: What is currently in and out, who is wearing what and what it says are key topics for children and young people. It’s clear that fashion influencers are knocking on the doors of their target group.
Children and young people find orientation and role models here, they can inform themselves and develop, try out and find their own style.
It is precisely because fashion influencers often combine their fashion tips with other topics, such as giving seemingly personal insights into their everyday lives or sharing private topics, that they appear very approachable and offer children and young people a lot of opportunity to identify with them.
For parents, the appeal of fashion-loving online celebrities is not always easy to understand. It’s not just the fashion itself – which, as we all know, only ever appeals to the generation being addressed – the presentation on the profiles can also appear exaggerated and garish to adults. Nevertheless, fashion is an important topic for children and young people and influencers are often the stars of their peer group. As parents, it is therefore a good idea to be open-minded at first. Have your children show you their profiles, watch the videos together and discuss them openly.
At the same time, children and young people should learn that the fashion worlds portrayed by these influencers often have little in common with normal everyday life. Perfect pictures are published here and a glossy everyday life is shown, which is of course staged for the profiles. Children and young people need to be aware that neither the body and beauty ideals portrayed are realistic, nor the extent of shopping and clothing consumption. For reasons of sustainability alone.
As with most influencers, there is also a business model behind their digital presence. Advertised clothes or items are often part of an advertising contract and not personal favorites.
Discuss these topics with your child and help them to examine the content critically – this will strengthen their media skills. And you can still take a little “inspiration” with you at any time.
Saving the climate, promoting more tolerance, educating people about mental health – so-called meaningful influencers are the “good guys” on social media. Always on hand when it’s time to stand up for a good cause. This article is part of our series “Influencers in portrait”.
The Sinnfluencers of the 21st century seem to have taken their motto from a popular song from the 90s: They are “always fighting injustice in the world”.
Wherever it is necessary to stand up for a good or against a bad cause, they are always there. They use their reach and digital fame to explain topics, broaden perspectives and advance “the good cause”. This can be climate protection or mental health. Some fight for tolerance and openness in society, others campaign for a vegan diet or sustainable consumption. To this end, they publish statements or explanatory videos, for example, recommend events or products, exchange ideas with others or offer insights into their own everyday lives.
The best-known name from the Sinnfluencing cosmos in German-speaking countries is probably Luisa Neubauer. In 2019, the Berliner became one of the best-known faces of the “Fridays for Future” climate movement and has been publicly campaigning for climate protection ever since. She has almost half a million followers on her Instagram profile, where she posts calls for demonstrations, positions on political decisions and statements on climate protection.
Also Louisa Dellert often talks about environmental protection, and even more often about mental health. She has been active on social media since 2013, started out as a fitness influencer and turned to mental health after a breakdown in 2015. She writes about mindfulness, healthy living and her own burnout – and also produces a podcast.
If you want to find out more about nutrition – especially veganism – you will quickly come across Philipp Steuer. The Cologne native not only publishes information on vegan nutrition on his profiles, but also regularly posts new recipes, sells a cookbook and runs a vegan cosmetics brand. This means he reaches around a quarter of a million fans.
Also from Cologne Alice Hasterswho is primarily dedicated to the topic of racism. Unlike many other influencers, Hasters has a background in traditional journalism, has trained as a journalist and works for many major German media outlets. At the same time, she uses her reach to raise awareness of racism on social media and fight against it.
Ricardo Simonetti is a presenter, author, activist and uses his reach as a meaningful influencer on social media. He began acting and presenting radio shows as a teenager. In addition to his presence on social media, he is also active on television. Above all, he campaigns for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community and uses his fame to fight against homophobia, discrimination and hate speech.
With their profiles and content, meaningful influencers present themselves very strongly as moral and authentic role models. They therefore offer orientation and explanatory approaches, especially for children and young people. Young people who are searching for their own identity and world view will find people here who are happy to explain the world to them. Topics are addressed that are important in the course of growing up: “What is good, what is bad? Who do I want to be and how do I position myself?” While such topics are sometimes neglected at school, for example, their role models on social media offer explanations, opinions and even opportunities for practical implementation and can therefore be important reference persons for children and young people.
It is fundamentally right and important for children and young people to deal with the question of “good and evil”. Many use TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and co. as a source of information and orientation. And that – as always – brings with it a certain need for caution. Because even meaningful influencers have to earn money with their profiles. Therefore, many of the advertised products or content are advertising partnerships.
Twitter has been called X since July 2023. Not only the logo with the blue bird is passé, the American entrepreneur and new owner Elon Musk also wants to rebuild the platform concept. The popular social media offering is to become a multifunction app. After more than 15 years, this marks the end of the Twitter brand.
X works similarly to Facebook or Instagram, for example: A profile is created with personal information that others can follow. However, many users simply follow the postings of others. Famous personalities such as soccer players, female influencers, politicians or even journalists have the largest following. Companies and brands are also represented at X. In the “Follow Me” timeline, posts from subscribed channels appear chronologically. The “For You” feed shows content recommended by an algorithm. Unregistered readers can see posts, but cannot follow anyone directly.
Posts often consist of text only and are hashtagged. A maximum of 280 characters, i.e. letters, numbers, punctuation marks and symbols, can be used in one post. But also pictures, videos etc. can be sent and shared. Those who sign up for the X Blue premium subscription get advanced features such as post editing, longer messages with more characters, and fewer ads.
The peculiarity of X is that the short statements of mostly well-known people lead to discussions outside of X. US President Trump’s posts are a good example of this. The repost function also plays a role here. Posts are shared or referred to in a separate post. Discussions also often arise in the comments under the posts. In addition, direct messages can be written via a chat.
X is used relatively little by young people compared to other social media platforms. If they do, they are often politically interested and committed young people. But popular stars and musicians are also on X and post information about themselves.
The fascination around X is, on the one hand, the discussions, in which things sometimes go back and forth violently. On the other hand, some posts are sent out quickly and spontaneously. If you follow the posts at big events like soccer matches or elections, you get to see the reaction of the spectators live.
Personal information and statements are freely available to all. Through hashtags, posts that were actually intended for a small circle can suddenly be seen by very many users. Also, there is a risk that some users may try to contact your child with bad intentions.
Some discussion on X goes below the belt with racist or sexist posts or comments. In addition to hate comments, the spread of fake news can also be a problem.
Billionaire Elon Musk bought Twitter in late 2022 and wants to transform the microblogging service into a multifunctional app including payment services and online commerce. The terms of use have not changed since then. X may be used from 13 years, according to the provider. There is also the option to block users so that they can no longer make contact. People who post problematic content, such as hate comments or insults, can be reported and blocked. Content moderation has been reduced since Elon Musk took over.
If your child is under 18, you must agree to register with X. Make your child aware of how to report or block problematic content or people on X if needed. With the option to protect your own posts, they can be seen only by a selected circle. Explain to your child who may be able to see personal information and statements and what the consequences may be. Help your child understand and classify content on X by talking to them about how discussions can get heated and what other risks there are. If your child is interested in X or similar services, look at alternatives together, such as the decentralized microblogging platform Mastodon.
Who Snapchat is automatically friends with My AI since February 2023. Behind it is an artificial intelligence that answers questions, chats and overall comes across like a “real” friend. For users, this can be a nice toy – but it should also be used with caution.
My AI is based on Chat GPT . The chatbot has been publicly usable since November 2022 and offers a counterpart with whom you can talk almost like a person. The chatbot has a natural language answer to (almost) every question.
The Snapchat variant even seems a bit more “human”: you can personalize it, give it a name, and exchange texts or pictures with it. It is not only helpful in preparing a presentation, but can also find ways to predict the weather or comfort you in case of heartbreak.
My AI works very intuitively and straightforwardly – for children, communicating with a robot like with real friends can be very fascinating. Especially for a quick research or if a topic is on your mind and no one else has time to talk, My AI offers itself and is often really helpful. According to the provider, the AI chatbot has been adapted to give answers appropriate to the age of the user. Other chatbots do not necessarily have this function.
With all the personification of My AI, it can be hard for kids to realize that the chatbot is not a real person – nor can they build a friendship with it that goes beyond superficial chats.
In addition, the chatbot’s answers are often appropriate, but not always correct. It is sometimes difficult for children to distinguish what information they can rely on and where they need to be critical.
Also, kids should be careful about feeding the bot too much personal information – because Snapchat collects information and stores it too. The location is also queried and used to provide location-based recommendations (such as on restaurants, etc.). Note: Snapchat or My AI also accesses the location in ghost mode – if you don’t want to be ‘tracked’ at all, you have to disallow access to the location in general.
Snapchat itself states that My AI is primarily a useful information search tool – for quizzes, birthday gifts, or planning a hike. The provider certainly acknowledges that responses can also be “biased, false, harmful or misleading.” He therefore recommends only researching undisputed topics and points out that My AI is constantly being developed.
As a parent, be sure to discuss the offer with your child. In principle, there is nothing to be said against the use of chatbots – but with a certain amount of caution and an awareness of the limits of artificial intelligence.
It is best to try out My AI together and explain to your child in detail that My AI is a computer program and not a real person. Give him tips on how to deal with disinformation and verify information from other sources.
Talk to your child about how to handle their personal information online and determine together what private information is private and what your child should not share.
The latest news, preparation for a paper or the weather forecast – check TikTok right away. Teenagers and young adults in particular are frequent users of social media platforms such as TikTok and YouTube as search engines. This can work, but it also brings its own unique challenges.
It was taken for granted for a long time – if you want to find something on the Internet, you “Google” it. But that seems to be faltering. Young people are increasingly starting their online searches on social media platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and the like. In some statistics, YouTube even appears as the second largest search engine after Google – and the trend is rising.
Why? That’s quite simple: Social media is the digital home of many young people anyway. That’s where they know their way around, that’s where they feel comfortable – and that’s why they have great confidence in the search results. When young people search here for products, events or places, the results are mostly (seemingly) personal recommendations and experiences from celebrities or from the community, instead of rather impersonal and complicated web links. This makes a credible and approachable impression on young people. In addition, videos or images are easier and more entertaining than eternal clicking through text deserts.
Platforms like TikTok and YouTube are responding to young people’s need to be able to search content easily. TikTok, for example, has made the search field significantly larger and more prominent, and now offers a widget for smartphones that can be used to operate the TikTok search directly from the home screen. The term “widget” comes from English and is a compound word from “window” = window and gadget = technical gadget. “Widget” refers to a type of interactive window.
But how can children and young people distinguish trustworthy from dubious information on social media? Is everything there really as authentic as it sometimes seems?
Because, of course, influencers are not always the nice buddies next door – but earn a lot of money with their appearances and recommendations. So if a restaurant is praised here with particularly warm words, it may well be that there is simply a particularly lucrative advertising contract behind it.
In addition, classic advertisements also appear on social networks. The algorithm also still has a say and constantly presents us with similar results – just like other search engines. And caution is also called for in other respects: In addition to serious information, fake news or even deliberate propaganda from various interest groups can also be found on the networks. Social media platforms often collect and collate at least as much data as traditional search engines.
As a parent, you should think carefully with your child about how to use the search function of social media services safely:
Show interest in your child’s media use and his or her favorite offerings on TikTok and Co. Encourage your child to use social media platforms critically. Only if your child knows the possibilities and also the advantages and disadvantages of different offers, he can choose consciously and purposefully.
The cell phone raised in front of you and your lips twisted into a pout – this is what it can look like when young people in particular take a photo of themselves. This quickly ends up on WhatsApp, Instagram or Snapchat. Maybe a filter is put over it beforehand to make the colors shine more and you virtually put on bunny ears.
Young people in particular always have their smartphones in their pockets, and in any situation they can quickly whip them out to take a picture of themselves and their friends and capture the moment.
These self-portraits with the smartphone are very popular among young people. Selfies are used to put oneself in the limelight and to test one’s own effect on others. This desire on the part of young people in the midst of their personal development is nothing unusual or new. But smartphones and social media make it especially easy. The most beautiful pictures are published on Instagram & Co. – in the hope that as many people as possible will like them. From this you can see your own popularity and attractiveness. But there are other reasons to take selfies. Young people can be creative and have fun posing together. It is not uncommon for selfies to be taken simply out of boredom.
And if truth be told, many adults also take selfies to show how you’re feeling, what you’re doing, and where you are. Selfies are a great way to capture memories and share yourself with others.
It becomes problematic when an excessive amount of photos are taken or erotic selfies are posted. Young people copy this from influencers or other people. If you notice this in your child, he or she may be looking for attention. Self-dramatization is increasingly taking place digitally. Children and young people can get the feeling that they have to present themselves and constantly show what they are experiencing. Especially erotic pictures that end up on the net can damage your child’s reputation. You as parents should counteract this by staying in conversation with him! Make it clear to your child that once anything ends up on the web, it can’t be properly deleted and you have no control over where and how images spread.
There are situations or places where selfies are not appropriate. Posing at a memorial site, for example, is not very tactful. You should also talk to your child about this and set a good example yourself. This also applies to the protection of personal rights when other people are visible on the selfie. They must agree to be photographed and published.
Self-dramatization and self-presentation are important topics in adolescence, as this is how children and young people come to terms with themselves. It’s important that they try out – this can also be in the form of selfies! Accompany your child in this process and, if necessary, also show him the downsides of this trend phenomenon. Very personal pictures do not belong on the web and some experiences are much nicer as memories.
In the following video, our media educator Björn Schreiber answers a father’s question about his daughter’s self-promotion on Instagram:
Invitations for the children’s birthday party, Christmas presents for the parents, homemade jewelry – or a new living room cabinet made from grandma’s old dresser? Anyone who wants to get creative with their hands doesn’t have to look far for instructions and ideas these days, because video platforms like YouTube and social media apps like Instagram are full of DIY pros who are happy to share their ideas and instructions: DIY influencers.
DIY comes from the English “Do it yourself”. And they really do everything themselves, from cakes to winter jackets to racing bikes, explain the work steps – and usually have the right product tips in their luggage.
Anyone who has taken a look around the popular platforms knows that you can do almost anything yourself. With enough patience, motivation and the right materials. Accordingly, there are DIY channels on all kinds of topics, we present three.
Sally Özcan for example, has turned her passion for sweets into a profession. On her account “Sally’s World,” Sally bakes everything from cookies to elaborate themed cakes – and everyone can join in. The fun of pretty desserts has already attracted 2 million YouTube subscribers, so in addition to video and her blog, Sally also runs a podcast and her own store.
If you prefer wood and stone instead of flour and sugar, you’ll find the perfect solution at Easy Alex you’ll find lots of ideas and instructions. The do-it-yourselfer fills his Instagram account with ideas on home remodeling, room makeovers and more, appealing to some 250,000 followers.
And when the house is finished and the decoration is still missing? Then there are a whole lot of “decorating” channels where home and life design ideas never seem to run out.
Linda Seel
for example, shows us all kinds of creative ideas for occupation, from embroidery to IKEA hacks to complete room design, and has thus reached 130,000 users on YouTube.
Subscribers found.
While crafting with mom and dad usually drops significantly in the coolness ranking at some point in elementary school, DIY with a tablet is suddenly all the rage. For children and young people, the DIY explainers on the Internet are sometimes real stars and role models. Because here everyone will find exactly the niche they enjoy. Whether it’s elaborate cupcakes or cardboard artwork, the palette is almost inexhaustible. Young creatives can find exactly the instructions and ideas they like and enjoy – even far beyond their parents’ repertoire. Here, children and young people can learn and create something that they themselves are proud of. Often they are elaborate things that even the adults can not do, and therefore admire them all the more. In a phase of life in which young people are constantly searching for their own talents, themes and identity, this can be meaningful. And as a nice side effect, there are sometimes gifts for the whole family.
Parents can basically rejoice once when their own child discovers his creative side via online craft book. Nevertheless, there are a few points to discuss here as well:
Not all instructions are actually implemented as easily with a snap of the fingers as it seems in the video. So that your child is not quickly frustrated and loses the desire to do it yourself again: Support your child in finding instructions that match the level of difficulty of your child’s ability and experience.
What’s more, DIY influencers are like others in the industry: they make money from their content. They recommend products or content that they get paid for by companies as an advertising partnership – but not necessarily because the content is actually convincing. Promote your child’s media literacy by helping them understand these connections and critically question the videos accordingly.
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.
Friendships in your child’s life are important and become closer over time. At some point, falling in love comes along and the first relationships are formed. We explain what the most popular apps and communication tools for young people involve for flirting and dating online.
To keep in touch with their peers, many young people primarily use familiar platforms such as WhatsApp , Instagram or Snapchat . Outside of school and sports clubs, they are used to get to know each other better, to follow each other quite inconspicuously, or to feel closer to each other.
But dating apps are also gradually becoming interesting for young people – around the age of 15. However, there are only a few contact portals that are aimed at or suitable for young people, as it is mainly people from their late 20s who go looking for a partner here. Most communities also do not allow participation until the age of 18. Only a few flirting sites offer their services to younger teenagers: Yubo is aimed at young people aged 12 to 17. Although the service is not officially a dating app, it is also used for that purpose and works very similarly to Tinder. MyLOL is aimed at 13- to 19-year-olds and markets itself as a teen dating app, mind you without any age verification. The dating app Skout is now available for ages 17 and up.
Adult dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, Lovoo and queer-friendly services like OKCupid are also exciting for young people because of their playful design: You are shown a picture of another person and decide whether you find them attractive by swiping left or right. Out of curiosity alone, young people are also on the platforms for adults, because there is no age control for these apps.
Especially when flirting over the Internet, you have to be careful because you can’t see your counterpart. You don’t know whether what a person writes about himself or herself is true and what interests he or she is pursuing. Anyone can register with a portal or social media platform – whether they are of age or not. When you make contact with strangers, there is a risk of theCybergrooming, i.e., initiating sexual relations with minors.
When adolescents begin to fall in love and (want to) have their first relationships, there is also the risk ofSextingandCyberbullying to Sextortion: Some young people are easily persuaded to send revealing pictures of themselves without realizing the consequences and dangers.The swipe function of some dating apps also supports superficial judgments of others based solely on their appearance. This increases the risk of Insults and Hate Speech.
Inform yourself about communication risks on the Internet and educate your child in this regard. Even if your child knows the person they are chatting with, they should be careful about what they write and what photos they send of themselves. Even with offerings like Snapchat where the photos delete themselves automatically, but they can still be saved forever via screenshot. Talk to your child about the fact that content on the Internet can also be disseminated quickly and unintentionally. Encourage your child to listen to his or her gut and not be pushed into anything.
No matter what app your child uses for communication, make sure to instruct them on privacy settings. It’s best to go through these together and consider which settings make sense, such as a profile set to private on Instagram . Make sure to turn off the location function of the apps. This way you can avoid strangers (or unwanted) tracking your child.
Flirting and dating are important for your child. However, make your child aware not to meet complete strangers. And certainly not on their own. At least one phone call should have already taken place. If you are completely unsure, start the first call with a suppressed phone number.
When it comes to a meeting, an adult person should always know about it. This person can, for example, come to the meeting and stay in the background. The meeting place should always be a public place where there are many other people. In addition, the meeting should take place during the day when it is still light outside.
Stay in regular communication with your child about which portals and apps your child is using, what he or she is doing there, or with whom he or she is communicating. However, please continue to respect your child’s right to privacy. Don’t control it, but agree together on rules for dealing with it.
And if your child doesn’t want to talk to you about such things, he or she can get very good information on the subject at ins-netz-gehen.de or handysektor.de.
