A commercial before a video, a bonus for watching an ad in the middle of a game or an interruption while streaming: advertising is part of everyday life for children and young people today. It is omnipresent and often integrated in such a way that it is barely noticeable.
Advertising on the Internet has been around for a long time. What has changed significantly is how it is integrated today. It no longer just appears alongside content, but directly within it. Children encounter advertising on different platforms at the same time, for example when watching videos, in apps, in games or on streaming services. Many services are free or cheaper because they are financed by advertising. Others offer paid, ad-free versions.
Important: This is about advertising that is displayed directly by platforms, apps or games themselves, not about advertising by influencers where people present products.
Videos on the Internet without advertising have become rare. Commercials run before and during videos, often several in a row or without a skip function. On platforms such as YouTube, these ads can appear several times in succession. There are also overlays in the image and references to paid, ad-free subscriptions.
It is often not clear to children where the actual content begins and where advertising ends. Advertising is often designed in a similar way to videos themselves, fast, colorful and entertaining. Many ads are personalized. They are based on what content has been viewed so far or what users are interested in. The basis for this includes cookies and user profiles that evaluate behavior.
Although special rules apply to content aimed at children, advertising is still displayed. Specially adapted content can therefore be useful for younger children.
Streaming services are also increasingly relying on advertising and, in addition to traditional subscriptions without advertising, are increasingly offering cheaper models with commercial breaks. These appear before or during a movie or series and are reminiscent of television. Here too, advertising can be personalized and based on previous usage data.
Advertising is particularly present in games and free apps. Here, it is often directly linked to usage: Anyone who watches an advertising video receives rewards such as coins, additional lives or new functions. This changes perception. Advertising is not only viewed, but actively used to progress in the game.
In addition, banners, pop-ups or notices about purchases appear within the app. These are often directly linked to the course of the game and can lead to quick spending. Children also encounter advertising in the browser, i.e. on websites, for example in the form of banners, pop-ups or videos that start automatically. These can appear while surfing and are not always easy to close or skip.
Ads also regularly appear in feeds and story areas on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. They often resemble normal posts, but come from accounts that you do not follow. They are often labeled with terms such as “Sponsored”, for example in the feed or between short videos. These notices are easy to miss, especially for children.
In addition, trends, hashtags and challenges are specifically used by companies to generate attention for products.
Children first have to learn to understand and categorize advertising. Digital advertising makes this even more difficult because it is adapted to media in terms of appearance and content, is very short and entertaining and is integrated directly into games, videos or feeds. There is often no clear distinction between content and advertising. Younger children in particular are therefore often unaware of advertising.
Advertising content is constantly present and often not clearly labeled. Content is interrupted or mixed with commercial elements. Reward systems can lead to children making targeted use of advertising without questioning its purpose. At the same time, direct links quickly lead to purchases within apps or games.
Then there is the use of data: many advertisements are based on information collected about the behavior of users. Not all content is age-appropriate, even if there are corresponding guidelines.
Accompany your child, especially during their first steps in digital media. Explain in concrete terms what advertising is, why it is displayed and how it can be recognized. Use examples from your child’s everyday life, for example when playing games or watching videos.
Talk about the fact that many offers have to earn money, either through advertising or subscriptions.
Check settings together and restrict personalized advertising (if possible), deactivate or protect in-app purchases and use age-appropriate profiles or offers. In most services, advertising cannot be switched off completely, often only individual preferences can be adjusted.
Technical measures can provide support, but are no substitute for guidance.
Your child will soon be holding their first smartphone in their hands – and with it many new opportunities, but also challenges. In the virtual parents’ evening, you will receive everyday tips on safe settings, protecting personal data and child-friendly apps. We will provide tips on media education and show you how you can empower your child to deal competently with contact risks, cost traps and the like. Find out how to help your child use digital media responsibly – for safe and positive smartphone use right from the start!
Take the opportunity to be there live and ask your questions to our experts – we will be on hand to exchange ideas and provide valuable inspiration for everyday family life!
Date: 05.05.2026 | Time: 5 to 6 pm
Procedure: (Media educational) input (approx. 30/40 minutes) and subsequent open exchange
Speakers: Sophia Mellitzer (JFF) and Martin Fischer (DKHW)
Moderation: FSM e.V.
Platform: The virtual parents’ evening is realized via the “Zoom” tool.
Privacy Notice: Zoom is a service of Zoom Video Communications Inc. which is based in the USA. We use Zoom via the German operator WTG. The WTG server is located in Europe. Furthermore, within the Zoom service we have chosen the configurations with the highest data and security protection.
Please also take note of our privacy policy.
Registration:
The Toniebox can be found in many children’s rooms and makes it possible to play radio plays and music independently. The Toniebox 2 adds new functions: Content becomes more interactive and invites children to join in.
The Toniebox is an audio system that has been specially developed for children. Content is not selected via a menu, but controlled by figures. When a Tonie is placed on the box, a story, music or radio play starts automatically. The Toniebox is one of the audio boxes for children.
There are Tonies with ready-made content, such as figures or audio books, as well as creative Tonies that can be played with your own recordings. These are uploaded and saved via the Toniecloud. The box is deliberately easy to use: you can fast-forward or rewind by tilting it, tap it to skip between chapters and adjust the volume using the ‘ears’.
The Toniebox 2 adds additional functions. Content becomes more interactive via “Tonieplay”. Children not only listen, but are encouraged to join in, for example through small tasks, speaking along or movement.
Once set up via WLAN, the Toniebox can also be used without an Internet connection.
The Toniebox is designed so that even younger children can operate it themselves. No prior reading skills or technical knowledge are required. This helps children to use the Toniebox independently.
The figures play an important role: children recognize familiar characters, collect Tonies and build up an emotional bond. There are stories, songs and knowledge content for different age groups.
With functions such as Tonieplay, children are also involved. They are not just listeners, but part of the story. Creative Tonies offer the opportunity to create your own content. For example, children can listen to stories from familiar people or record something themselves.
The Toniebox is a comparatively secure service without open Internet communication. There are therefore no classic online risks such as contact with strangers.
However, points can still be relevant in everyday life:
The provider describes the Toniebox as robust and child-friendly. The operation has been specially developed for children. According to the provider, the Toniecloud is subject to data protection standards in accordance with European law. Own content and accounts can be deleted. Functions such as Tonieplay add interactive content to the range.
The Toniebox is a good introduction to media use as it does not require a screen. It is particularly useful to accompany your child at the beginning. Pay attention to suitable content and listen in occasionally.
Provide guidance on when and for how long the Toniebox is used in everyday life and pay attention to how your child uses it.
Use creative Tonies together. Your own recordings, such as stories or songs, make the Toniebox more personal. Listening together can encourage interaction, especially with younger children.
Keep an eye on the costs. In addition to the box, you will have to pay for other figures. A tip: clay figures can often be borrowed from libraries.
The colorful game app Toca Boca World is particularly popular with many younger children. They can design their own characters and use them to invent exciting and creative stories in Toca Boca World. The app invites them to decorate houses according to their own ideas, eat cake in the café, work in the hospital or post office and much more. There are no limits to the imagination.
Toca Boca World is all about creativity and free play. Imaginative locations such as cities, villages and beaches invite you to explore and play. There are no levels or time limits that have to be met.
After downloading the app, players can move freely in the world and design it according to their own ideas. They choose characters that they can customize according to their appearance and characteristics. They furnish and decorate houses and rooms according to their taste. Day or night, sun or rain, what music comes on the radio – everything can be customized.
Players can complete tasks at some locations, but there are usually no fixed instructions. Additional avatars, locations, activities and pets can be added via in-app purchases. A video recording function makes it possible to play out your own stories with the characters and record them using images and sound.
Children really enjoy creating their own worlds and inventing creative stories. It is particularly exciting for them to design the play figures entirely according to their own ideas. Not only can they choose from different hair and skin colors, they can also create characters in wheelchairs, with glasses or prostheses.
The different game environments and the opportunity to slip into different roles motivate children to keep playing and experience new adventures. There is almost no text in the colorful worlds, which makes the game playable even for children without reading skills.
The privacy policy of the Toca Boca app states that no third-party advertising is included. The app is free to download, but offers in-app purchases. Children can use these to unlock new characters, stations or gifts if a payment option is stored on the device.
The app stores user data such as gaming behavior and device information and evaluates it for marketing purposes. Third-party services are also used, for example Google. Parents’ data is collected when they make a purchase in the Toca Boca store, activate notifications or subscribe to the newsletter. Data deletion can be requested by sending an email to privacy@tocaboca.com.
The video recording function allows children to record images and sound of the game and save them on the device. If access to the microphone is permitted, the app will also use it. Access can be denied again in the app permissions of the end device.
Toca Boca is a Swedish game developer and is therefore bound by EU data protection laws. The provider advertises that children are involved in the development of the app. The app does not contain any content that is unsuitable for children. The game developers are thus responding to the demands of various children’s rights organizations to take children and their rights into account when developing products for children.
Toca Boca claims to want to live up to the PRIVO seal. This seal is awarded by an independent organization that is committed to protecting children’s data online. On the Toca Boca website, the provider provides a privacy policy for children in understandable language.
When using the Toca Boca World app, it makes sense to clarify a few rules and settings in order to make the game safe and meaningful for your child:
Accompanying the first steps of use: The app is particularly aimed at younger children. Accompany your child during the first steps of use. This will help you familiarize yourself with the functions and observe how your child reacts to the game app.
Set media rules and play times: Create rules for digital games together and include the use of the app in the family’s media rules. The app has no time limits and can be played indefinitely. Decide together how much time your child is allowed to spend with the app.
Deactivate functions in the settings: Functions such as the store and video recording can be deactivated in the app settings. This requires the entry of an (adult) date of birth.
Deactivate in-app purchases: Discuss the in-app purchases function with your child in advance. You can deactivate the function or make sure that no payment details are entered in order to avoid accidental purchases.
In the two game apps The Unstoppables 1 and 2, children accompany a group of friends on a joint mission. They solve tasks, work together and experience how differences become shared strength. It can be particularly exciting for children to control heroes with disabilities themselves – characters that are otherwise rarely the focus of games.
The Unstoppables is about Melissa, Achim, Jan, Mai and the dog Tofu. In both games, Melissa’s companion dog Tofu disappears – and the friends have to find him again together. Each character has their own strengths: Mai is good at jumping, Achim is fast in his wheelchair, Jan is strong and Melissa can reach higher things with her cane. In the second part, Rina is another character with a variety of talents. Only when the players combine their abilities can they overcome obstacles and solve puzzles. Both games are designed as an adventure and point-and-click app and are easy to use.
The game makes the challenges faced by people with disabilities visible. For example, children experience what happens when Achim in his wheelchair hits a gravel path and can’t get any further. The playful solutions to such situations encourage reflection and promote understanding and empathy. Crossing traffic lights, overcoming stairs, deciphering clues – children also learn how cooperation and community work in The Unstoppables. They puzzle together with their group of friends, solve tasks and think about who can best help and how. This is what makes the games exciting: each character can do something different and becomes important at certain points. This can encourage and show children: Diversity doesn’t get in the way here, it contributes to success!
The detective story and puzzles are fun for children and encourage logical and strategic thinking. The comic style, easy controls and exciting atmosphere are well received by children from late primary school age.
Despite many strengths, it is also worth taking a critical look: Some disabilities are strongly linked to special abilities in the game, which can have a simplistic effect. Barriers are also sometimes solved in such a way that individuals have to help rather than making the environment barrier-free. This can be a good opportunity for parents to talk to children about realistic and inclusive solutions in everyday life.
The games were developed by the Swiss Foundation for Children with Cerebral Palsy as part of the “Principle of Diversity” learning program. The aim of the offer is to sensitize children and young people to topics such as being the same, being different, diversity, strengths, weaknesses and barriers in everyday life. The games are explicitly not just for entertainment, but are part of an educational concept that aims to teach inclusion in a child-friendly and playful way.
Both apps require reading skills. Accompany your child for a while when playing, especially at the beginning. Support them with questions about the controls or the story.
Your child can easily lose track of time when solving tricky tasks. Agree clear arrangements together, such as a fixed screen time.
The Unstoppables offers many opportunities for conversations: about disability, about obstacles in everyday life and about what good cooperation can look like. Remain open to your child’s questions. If you don’t know something, you can research it together. This makes the game apps a good conversation starter about inclusion, diversity and consideration.
“A real man doesn’t show any feelings” or “Women only want successful men” – when scrolling through TikTok, YouTube or Instagram, young people come across many ideas about how men or women are supposed to be. Some videos look like harmless dating tips, fitness motivation or lifestyle content. However, they may be based on extreme or oversimplified role models.
A lot of content about relationships, dating or “real masculinity” is circulating on social media. Some creators convey clear rules about how men or women should supposedly be or behave. These are often about success, dominance, attractiveness or traditional roles in relationships. Some of these role models are also used by extremist groups to appeal to young people online.
The term “manosphere” keeps cropping up in this context. This refers to a loose network of online communities that deal with masculinity, relationships and gender roles. The content can be found on platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Reddit or in podcasts.
Many posts initially seem like advice for young men: they should become more self-confident and muscular, earn more money or be more successful in dating. In some communities, however, oversimplified or misogynistic ideas are spread. For example, it is claimed that men are disadvantaged by equality or that they have to be dominant in relationships.
In addition to content like this, there are also trends that show very traditional female roles. In the so-called tradwife trend, influencers present a life as a “traditional wife” who mainly takes care of the household, family and her partner. The videos often appear aesthetic and deliberately staged.
Much of this content is not overtly extremist. Problematic messages about gender roles are often conveyed indirectly or linked to humor, lifestyle or motivation.
Young people deal intensively with questions about identity, relationships and their place in the world. Content about role models can therefore have a major impact.
Some aspects may appeal particularly to young people:
The Tradwife trend can also appeal to young people because it shows a seemingly harmonious life model. Conflicts or inequalities usually remain invisible in such videos. In addition, social platforms often suggest other similar content. This can give the impression that many people think this way.
Some of these videos or posts may contain problematic messages or reinforce extreme role models.
Social network algorithms can also contribute to young people seeing similar content more and more frequently, resulting in a one-sided view of the world.
Young people often come across such content by chance. This makes it all the more important to monitor their media use.
An open conversation about relationships, equality and what young people see on social media can help to critically classify extreme messages.
Develop your own video game – with just a pen, paper and smartphone? That’s exactly what Draw Your Game Infinite makes possible. The app combines creative drawing with digital fun and teaches children the basics of game design.
With the Draw Your Game Infinite app, users can design their own platform game levels and try out the levels of other users. And this is how it works:
In the free basic version, users can create two levels per day without registering, use the basic design elements and try out and rate numerous platform game levels created by other players. A subscription offers access to a wide range of level creation functions, users can publish the levels they have created online and follow other players.
Children and young people enjoy discovering new things and implementing their own ideas. In Draw Your Game Infinite, they not only play, but also design their own levels and become game developers themselves. What is particularly exciting is that a drawing on paper becomes a real game – giving them an understanding of how games are constructed. Trying things out and failing is also part of the process: If a level doesn’t work as planned, it can easily be adapted. For older children, sharing their own levels in the community can be interesting, as it brings recognition and exchange.
As with many game apps, there are a few things to bear in mind with Draw Your Game Infinite:
The terms of use are available in English and French on the website of the French provider Zero-One. It states that users must be of legal age or require the consent of a parent or guardian to use the app. The provider also points out that some functions require an internet connection and that personal data is processed during registration. Users can contact the provider via a support email address.
Use the app as an opportunity to delve into the world of game development, programming and more with your child. It might even lead to a creative family project of your own!
Anyone who thinks that 360° photography or virtual reality (VR) is only possible with expensive technology is wrong. We will show you how you and your child can have your first VR experiences easily and inexpensively and introduce you to suitable digital platforms and applications.
It doesn’t have to be expensive VR glasses. For many purposes, a smartphone or tablet is enough. Google ‘s applications are particularly practical for trying out for the first time. Is there a place your child has always wanted to travel to? Search for it together on Google Maps, e.g. Niagara Falls. Go to “Photos” and select the “Street View & 360° photos” category. You can now view the location from all sides by swiping your finger to the right and left, up and down on the photo.
To really immerse yourself in virtual worlds, VR goggles would be great. They can be made easily and for little money from a pizza box, for example. These glasses are called a cardboard. And crafting and painting such your very own VR glasses is fun too! You can find out exactly how this works in these instructions from mein-guckkasten. You can also order the optical lenses you need for the VR glasses for a few euros on this page.
The free app Google Cardboard guides you step by step through setting up the VR glasses and shows the first short VR examples that are ideal for trying out. Start the app together with your child, place the smartphone in the goggles you have made and go on a journey of discovery!
Video platforms like YouTube offer a large number of 360° videos. With Cardboard glasses and the YouTube app, you can travel into space with your child or dive with sharks in the Caribbean ocean with just a few clicks. Search for “360 video” or “360-degree video VR glasses”, for example.
Further content such as VR videos and VR games can be found in many apps in the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, for example using search terms such as “Cardboard VR”, “360 VR” or “VR Games”.
There is a lot of content and games for VR goggles – but not all of them are suitable for every age suitable for all ages. For example, you can also find first-person shooter games in the app stores and 360° videos of natural disasters on YouTube. Weigh which apps and games are beneficial, but which may scare your child. If your child is younger or still inexperienced, only use such apps together. This way, you can intervene in good time if necessary.
It takes a moment to get used to looking through the VR glasses, as the brain first has to superimpose the two images that a smartphone displays in VR mode. Sometimes it helps to move the smartphone in the glasses slightly to the left or right so that it fits. Some people also get “seasick” when they put on VR glasses. This is what you should look for in your child. For starters, it is best to choose such content that does not contain movements and fluctuations. For other content, it can help to move along with the image or video.
Precisely because the virtual environment can feel so real with VR glasses, the addictive potential is greater for children than for adults. In general, immersion in virtual worlds with VR glasses is only recommended for children aged 10 and over. Accompany your child’s VR experiences and limit their time. Start with short units and slowly approach the technology together. Start by looking at photos before trying out videos or games.
You don’t have to limit yourself to ready-made VR experiences, you can also create your own content! Delightex Edu, for example, is a learning platform on which children and young people can create virtual 3D and VR worlds – directly in the browser and without any programming knowledge. For example, they can build digital exhibitions, learning spaces or interactive stories. This is a fun way for your child to learn how virtual environments work. Your child can build the virtual worlds visually by placing objects using drag-and-drop and assembling functions using simple building block editors (visual coding). The tool can be used via a browser or as an app (Android, iOS, Microsoft). The basic version is free of charge. Delightex Edu is available in different levels of difficulty and is suitable for children from around 3rd grade. Instructions are provided by TüftelLaB.
Has your child been scrolling through YouTube shorts more often lately? These short videos are often very captivating and can lead to your child staying glued to the screen for longer.
YouTube Shorts is an area within YouTube with very short videos in portrait format. They work in a similar way to TikTok clips or Instagram reels. They include, for example, funny clips and challenges, life hacks and craft ideas, sports and gaming scenes as well as dance and music videos – often created by influencers. The clips are 15 to 60 seconds long and are played automatically one after the other. Which videos are shown is decided by a recommendation algorithm – a system that is based on previous user behavior.
Shorts are particularly appealing to children and teenagers because they:
But be careful: even if your child is not looking for it, surprisingly unsuitable content can appear in between because the selection is automatic.
With a swipe, the next video appears immediately – and your child can easily lose track of time. YouTube has therefore introduced a new function in Parental Controls:
You can find clear step-by-step instructions at medien-kindersicher.de under point 1.5.
By the way: The YouTube Kids app can be an option for younger children. It filters content according to age and encourages less endless scrolling.
Technical time limits and protection settings can help you with media education. They are only helpful if your child understands why these rules apply. Watching too many shorts can disrupt sleep, concentration and other activities such as hobbies or homework. If possible, set the media rules for usage times, times and breaks together, then your child will be more likely to stick to them.
Do you often spend a long time scrolling through short videos on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube? Then it may be that your child finds it harder to understand why you are stricter with them. We adults often spend a lot of time on our smartphones ourselves, e.g. to use messengers, read the news, listen to podcasts and organize our everyday lives. Try to reflect on your own media use and limit it if necessary, e.g. by introducing cell phone-free times or planning screen-free activities together.
Can’t find an answer to your question? Ask your personal questions about your child’s media use directly and conveniently using the messenger service via WhatsApp or Threema. You can find more information here.
It is actually forbidden – and yet it is surprisingly present: there is a drug scene on TikTok, in which some very young users are also active. Similar content can also be found on other social media platforms such as Facebook or in messengers such as WhatsApp and Telegram, but TikTok plays a particularly prominent role. This causes great concern among many parents, as such content can trivialize risks and convey misconceptions about drug use.
Illegal drugs find their way into the public domain via social media platforms such as TikTok. Under certain hashtags, there are videos of users talking about or hinting at their own drug use. These range from cannabis and mushrooms to MDMA, meth and heroin.
The substances are often not shown or named directly. Instead, the videos work with codes, slang terms, emojis or hints such as striking close-ups, over-excited behavior or extreme moods. In this way, the creators try to circumvent rules and still be understood.
Such content is prohibited under the German regulations for the protection of minors in the media as well as under the community rules of the platforms. TikTok prohibits the depiction, advertising, possession and trafficking of drugs. Nevertheless, such videos appear time and again. Some come from children and young people themselves, who receive likes or approving comments.
In recent months, terms such as “Pinktok” or “Pingtok” have also emerged. These terms are used to describe videos in which drug use is trivialized or only hinted at. In some cases, there are references to procurement or sale in the comments. In some cases, young people make further appointments there or then switch to private chats or messengers. In this way, not only are drugs discussed, but access to them can also be facilitated.
The problem with this drug scene, which is often just a click away, is that the videos appear colorful, relaxed and entertaining. Music, insider jokes and the feeling of belonging appeal to young people in particular. Risks, health consequences or addiction hardly play a role.
This can give children and young people the wrong impression. Drug use appears to be harmless recreational fun. Children and young people in particular who are looking for recognition, belonging or orientation or who feel lonely can feel attracted to such content. This is reinforced by recommendation algorithms. Anyone who watches such videos for a longer period of time is often shown similar content again. This can make the topic more and more present.
According to the community guidelines, drug-related content is not permitted – neither consumption, glorification nor sale. TikTok blocks known hashtags, deletes posts or restricts accounts if violations are detected or reported. The provider states that a lot of problematic content is detected automatically.
In practice, however, gaps remain. New terms, codes or trends are not always recognized immediately. Particularly suggestive or ironically staged content is difficult for automatic systems to classify.
In addition, legal requirements have been tightened, for example by adapting the regulations for the protection of minors in Germany. At European level, the Digital Services Act obliges large platforms to analyze risks for children and young people and take countermeasures. These measures improve structures, but do not guarantee complete protection of individual feeds.
A trusting relationship is crucial for both media and drug use. Stay in contact with your child and show an interest in their media use. Ideally, you will notice early on if your child encounters irritating content or has questions.
If your child is younger, technical protection measures can also help, such as TikTok’s accompanied mode or parental control functions on the device. However, technical protection does not replace a conversation, but supports it.
If you have the impression that your child is changing, seems mentally stressed or has already had contact with problematic content, the following steps can help:
The smartphone is at the ready, the console is running hot, videos or games don’t stop – many parents want more offline time for their child. This is not about banning or denigrating media. Digital media is a natural part of growing up today. A good balance between online and offline time in everyday life is crucial.
Children and young people need regular breaks without screens. Offline time allows for exercise, creative play, relaxation and real encounters with others. This strengthens imagination, concentration and independence and helps to reduce stress, even if children don’t always realize it themselves.
The older children get, the more important media use becomes for friendships and belonging. For young people in particular, the worry of missing out plays a major role. For some, media is even the most important way to stay in touch with friends or a community, for example when like-minded people don’t live in the immediate vicinity. It is then often difficult to switch off because chats, games or videos are socially important. This is where an open discussion about alternatives can help.
If media is available at all times, many children do not stop independently. This is why children need guidance and support, e.g. through fixed offline times or media-free places such as the dinner table and before bedtime. It is important not to use media time as a reward or punishment, as this can further increase its importance.
Strict prohibitions often lead to arguments or secret use. It is more effective to involve children and find solutions together.
Offline time works better when it feels good:
Technical settings can support without controlling. Set up screen time limits or break timers (e.g. in YouTube Kids) together. This makes the transition to offline playful and transparent.
Children closely observe how adults use media. Consciously put the smartphone away and share: “I’m taking a cell phone break now!” Commonrules such as “no cell phones at mealtimes” apply to everyone and are the most convincing.
Irritability or frustration when switching off is normal. Take feelings seriously: “What are you missing right now?” or “What is difficult without a screen?”. If conflicts persist or hobbies fade, take a closer look and get support (e.g. counseling).
Battlefield 6 is a first-person shooter in which players fight from a first-person perspective in large-scale online battles. Military weapons, vehicles and realistic war scenarios take center stage. The game is action-packed and violent – and is therefore aimed at older teenagers.
The game is the latest installment in the well-known Battlefield series and continues it with the latest technology and familiar gameplay. Like Call of Duty or Counter-Strike, it is one of the great first-person shooters. In the single-player campaign, players experience a war story in the year 2027 and fight as an elite unit against a private military organization.
In multiplayer mode, the focus is on large online team battles where tactical teamwork is important. Battlefield Portal also sees the return of a creative community tool that allows players to design and share their own game modes and experiences.
Battlefield 6 is aimed at players who like tactical shooters and team play. The game offers large maps, lots of action, vehicles and explosions – this is exciting and creates suspense. The mixture of combat, teamwork and planning is what makes the game so appealing and keeps many young people playing for a long time.
At the same time, the game is a social meeting place: young people play online with friends or meet new people. Playing as a team and pursuing common goals conveys a sense of community. Leaderboards, progress and rewards provide additional motivation: young people can constantly improve, master challenges and show their progress.
Battlefield 6 is played from a first-person perspective, players see the game world directly through the eyes of their character – including the weapon. War and violence are clearly the focus, which is why the game has been given a USK 18 rating due to its drastic depictions of violence. In single-player mode, violence is visibly staged as part of the war story; in multiplayer mode, it is primarily part of the game mechanics and tactics (e.g. battles, explosions, vehicle combat). Here, violence serves less of a narrative and more of a competition between teams. There is no ethical evaluation of war or violence in the game.
In-game purchases also play a major role in Battlefield 6. Advertisements for additional purchases or cosmetic content are often displayed to players, which can create pressure to spend real money.
Especially in multiplayer modes, in-game communication is essential in order to chat or talk to other players. This promotes successful cooperation – but can sometimes lead to communication risks such as cyberbullying, hate speech and cybergrooming.
The provider Electronic Arts (EA) sets out the following rules, among others, in its terms of use:
The detailed terms of use, privacy policy and terms and conditions for Battlefield 6 are available on the EA website.
As a parent, pay attention to the USK age rating from 18 years and talk to your child about why this rating is important. The game shows theaters of war and battles very realistically with visual effects such as blood, wounds, explosions and battles. The violence is explicitly visible, not abstracted or highly stylized – and this is a key reason for this age rating. Furthermore, war is at the heart of the entire game. Players control soldiers, use real weapons and find themselves in conflict situations in which characters are killed. Due to the high immersiveness (i.e. the strong feeling of being in the middle of the action), players are very intensively involved, which requires a certain level of maturity. Activate the parental control settings on your child’s devices. This will prevent your child from downloading the game unsupervised.
If your child is playing the game because they are already of age or you consider them to be sufficiently mature, accompany them:
Going to the movies for the first time is a big event for many children. Everything is new: the huge screen, the dark auditorium, lots of people and a movie that can’t simply be stopped. This is exciting for some children, but perhaps too much for others. With good preparation, going to the movies can still be a great experience.
Many children are ready for their first trip to the movies at around 5 or 6 years old. However, the age is less important than the maturity of your child. Can they sit still for a while? Can they cope well with tension? Are they not afraid of the dark or loud noises? Some children are not ready until later, and that’s perfectly fine.
In Germany, the Voluntary Self-Regulation of the Film Industry (FSK) assigns age ratings for movies. These indicate the age from which a movie is approved, but are not educational recommendations. A movie “from 6” can still be too exciting or too sad for sensitive children. You should therefore read the short content information and the respective brief explanations on the FSK website in advance and trust your instincts.
Especially the first time, children can be overwhelmed by the impressions:
If your child gets restless or wants to leave the movie theater, this is completely normal. You are welcome to meet this need of your child.
Many cinemas offer special children’s or family screenings. Some even have special offers for the first movie experience. These screenings are usually earlier in the day, shorter, quieter, with dimmed lights and adapted advertising. Children are often allowed to move around or even say something. This takes the pressure off and makes it easier to get started.
Prepare your child: Explain how movies work, that it gets dark and that the movie cannot be paused. It is also important to send a clear message: we can leave at any time if it gets too much. If necessary, sit at the edge of the auditorium.
After the movie, talk about what your child liked and what might have been scary. This will help you to classify the experience and lay a good foundation for the next visit to the cinema.
The first visit to the movie theater doesn’t have to be perfect. The important thing is that your child feels taken seriously and well accompanied.
Can’t find an answer to your question? Ask your personal questions about your child’s media use directly and conveniently using the messenger service via WhatsApp or Threema. You can find more information here.
Build your own worlds from building blocks, slip into imaginative roles and complete exciting missions – the online gaming platform Robloxer is very popular with young people. Roblox combines elements of gaming, social media and creative design. As it contains both chat functions and problematic content and some people earn money with their games, an age rating of 16 and above has been in place since January 2025.
Roblox is an online gaming platform and game development system that allows users to create their own games and play the games of others. The two words Robots and Blocks together make up the name of the Roblox gaming platform. Here you can create and play virtual worlds in Lego style, which is particularly popular with young people. Roblox is a mixture of game world and social network and is reminiscent of Minecraft.
Roblox is available on many different devices and as an app. Playing with a virtual reality headset is also supported. This cross-platform availability ensures that players can easily play together on different devices.
After registering on roblox.com, players receive a pre-made game character (avatar) that they can customize as they wish. Standard clothing or other cosmetic features, such as a first hairstyle, are free of charge. Some extra accessories cost money in the form of their own currency Robux. Functions such as creating and playing games are available free of charge.
Many young people love the game because they can easily develop their own games. Registered users can use the “Roblox Studio” building tool to create their own games and share them with others. Simple structures as well as complex worlds of experience can be created. In the Roblox community, young people can let off steam creatively and communicate with each other.
Roblox is particularly popular with young game developers, as they can create and publish their own games there. If a game is played frequently by other users and money is invested, there is a chance that the developers – your child, for example – will also earn a share.
Even young people who don’t want to get into game development themselves are fascinated by the countless games on offer.
In January 2025, the Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body(USK) raised the age rating for Roblox from 12 to 16 years. There were several key reasons for this decision:
In addition, the platform allows users to communicate via text and voice chats. There are therefore risks such as cyberbullying, cybergrooming and hate speech. Furthermore, some games contain elements that are similar to gambling, such as the purchase of random virtual items(loot boxes).
In addition, the USK criticized the lack of effective precautionary measures on the part of platform operators, such as insufficiently secured children’s accounts and the lack of age labels in accordance with German standards. Due to these aspects, the USK age rating was adjusted to ensure the protection of minors and provide parents with better guidance.
In addition, Roblox is repeatedly accused of not sufficiently moderating both the content and communication between users and of not taking consistent enough action against violations of the community guidelines. For example, children and young people can come across discriminatory and extremist content in the games.
The provider Roblox Corporation emphasizes on its platform that it takes security and data protection very seriously. There is a reporting system for inappropriate chat messages and a chat filter. After registration, an account is automatically created in “data protection mode” for users under the age of 13. Younger players will then not have access to the social media functions, for example. Some games are also only released from a certain age. Moderators check whether uploaded image and video material meets the requirements for youth-friendly content. Inappropriate content is actively filtered and deleted.
Roblox introduced several new features in early 2026 to make communication safer for young players. One of these is age verification: users can confirm their age either with an ID or via a voluntary, AI-supported age assessment using a video selfie. Certain communication functions are only activated after this classification. Roblox divides accounts into age groups so that children and young people can interact with their peers as much as possible: Under 9, 9 – 12, 13 – 15, 16 – 17, 18 – 20 and over 21. Content, chats and functions are then assigned according to age. Many interaction options remain restricted in order to limit contact between adults and minors and reduce communication risks. The AI-supported age verification on Roblox is handled by the company Persona. Roblox states that user data is deleted after 30 days. Incorrect estimates can be corrected retrospectively via parental supervision or ID verification. Roblox provides information about age verification on its website.
For older teenagers, there is also the concept of “trusted connections“. This allows 13 to 17-year-olds to mark certain contacts as trustworthy. They can chat with these contacts with almost no restrictions. However, contacts across age boundaries – especially between young people and adults – are still subject to strict rules. Children under the age of 13 cannot create “trusted connections”. More information can be found on the Roblox website.
Roblox offers various safety features that allow you to keep a better eye on your child’s play, e.g. screen time, chats or purchases. Parental control has been expanded in 2026. Parents can now see,
Roblox can also issue warnings in the event of unusually high expenditure. These functions supplement the existing parental control settings and are intended to create more transparency. Parents can find out more about parental controls and parental controls on the Roblox website.
Please note that Roblox is now labeled USK 16. In principle, the state does not use age ratings to dictate what media content parents can allow their children to watch at home, but rather as a guide. Nevertheless, you should make sure that you only provide your child with games that are suitable and approved for their age. You can find out more about upgrading in this parent check-in article.
Would you like to make Roblox accessible to your child?
You can also find all the important steps for parental controls at Roblox on medien-kindersicher.de.
Which learning platform or app is right for my child? And do they even need it at preschool age? Many parents are faced with precisely these questions. Websites and apps with learning opportunities can help children discover, practise and revise. However, they are no substitute for learning together, playing or exercise. The decisive factor is how and for what they are used. We present five popular offers in Germany and classify what parents should look out for.
Most of the services presented can be used both in the browser and as an app. The range of functions differs in some cases.
Sofatutor offers learning content from pre-school age to upper school. For younger children, there is Sofatutor Kids with learning games, short videos and exercises on numbers, colors, letters, first arithmetic problems and factual topics. The content is clearly structured and based on educational plans. Parents can create child profiles and view learning progress.
ANTON is one of the most popular learning apps for preschool and school and is often recommended or used by schools. In addition to the widely used app, learning can also take place online in the browser. Children practice math, German, general knowledge or music in short, manageable units. ANTON is ad-free and designed without time pressure.
Antolin is a digital reading promotion program that is mainly used in schools. Children read books offline and then answer questions about the content to collect points. The focus is clearly on reading motivation.
Duolingo teaches foreign languages in a fun way with short exercises, repetitions and rewards. Even children can learn their first words and simple sentences. Both the website and the app are colorful and motivating, but rely on regular use.
Scoyo is aimed at children from around 4 to 12 years of age. The learning platform offers exercises and learning games on German, math and specialist topics, sorted by age and grade level. Parents can create profiles and track learning progress.
Not every learning app or platform is suitable for every child. Age recommendations can be a guide, but say little about whether an offer really suits your own child. The decisive factors are interests, stage of development and individual learning speed. Some children love structured tasks, others learn better through free experimentation, movement or conversation. If an activity causes frustration or your child quickly loses interest, it is not (yet) the right choice. And that’s perfectly fine.
At pre-school age, the focus is not on practicing, but on playful discovery. Children gain their first experiences with numbers, letters or language and learn primarily through curiosity and repetition. Digital learning opportunities can provide stimuli here, but they should be entertaining and not create too much pressure. Supervision is important: talk to your child about what they are seeing and trying out.
When children start school, their needs change. Content now needs to be repeated and consolidated more frequently. Learning platforms and apps can help with this, for example with arithmetic, reading or learning vocabulary. They are well suited as a supplement, but not as a substitute for explanations, homework or joint discussions.
Regardless of age, learning platforms or apps are no substitute for reading aloud, free play or exercise. Make sure there is variety and agree clear times and breaks. Don’t ask your child about points or levels, but about what they have understood or newly discovered. In this way, learning remains positive and digital learning opportunities become what they can be: meaningful support in everyday family life.
