Has your child ever chatted with Napoleon or Harry Potter? This is now possible with character.ai. The service allows users to create and use chat bots. These bots are trained with the help of artificial intelligence and can authentically imitate well-known personalities or fictional characters in live chats. What sounds harmless at first, however, can also harbor risks.
Chat bots use technology based on artificial intelligence (AI). They are programmed so that they can imitate a conversation with a real person. By chatting with users, the bots are constantly learning. The special thing about charakter.ai is that users can create such chat bots themselves and customize their personality. Users can make their bots publicly accessible so that everyone in the community can chat with them. The basic language of the website, the app and the chat bots is currently English. Many bots also understand other languages and can even communicate in German.
The appeal lies first of all in chatting with the bots already created and shared by the community. On the homepage, children and young people will find a whole host of popular chat bots that they can talk to immediately. Most of them are based on well-known people such as celebrities, politicians, historical figures or fictional characters from books, films or anime. This gives children and young people the impression of coming into direct contact with their heroes and role models. Chatbots are also used for practical purposes. For language learning, users can chat with a bot in a foreign language. If you want to write a story, you can create fictional characters as a bot and develop a story together.
In addition to the many opportunities offered bycharacter.ai, there are also risks for children and young people that you as parents should be aware of.
On the one hand, the answers of the chat bots are generated by the AI technology and are neither categorized nor checked for factual accuracy. This can be particularly problematic with chat bots that imitate real people. It must always be clear to users that this is not real information about the people being imitated.
On the other hand, it is possible to train the chat bots to engage in problematic behavior such as sexting or spreading radical political messages. As it is not possible to see exactly how a bot was trained, users should be particularly vigilant here. character.ai does try to use filters to prevent problematic content from being generated. However, there are numerous easily accessible instructions on the Internet on how to bypass these filters.
Character.ai itself has specified an age restriction of 16 years. However, this is only checked by entering the date of birth when registering and can therefore be easily bypassed. There are also warnings within the chat function that you should not take the chat bot’s answers seriously, as the answers may not correspond to reality.
Character.aiis approved by the provider from the age of 16. Weigh up whether you trust your child to use the service responsibly. If you allow your child to use character.ai, stay in touch with your child about the conversations they have with chat bots and be vigilant. Explain to your child how AI-supported technologies work and the opportunities and risks involved:
Explore together with your child the possibilities offered by character.ai to prepare your child optimally for dealing with AI-based chat tools. You might even create a chat bot yourself and share it with the community.
From binge-watching to gaming – the popular streaming service Netflix has been offering an additional service alongside films and series since the end of 2021. Netflix games give Netflix customers access to specially developed or licensed games for mobile devices. These can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or in the Google Play Store as separate game apps.
With Netflix games, the well-known streaming provider is trying to offer its customers even more content for their subscription in addition to films and series. To this end, Netflix has acquired a games company in order to be able to develop games itself. To date, Netflix has already developed more than 50 games and plans to further increase the range over time.
For Netflix customers, the service has the great advantage that it is included in the subscription. This means that there are no additional costs when playing Netflix games. There is also no advertising or in-app purchases in the games. This is also independent of the chosen subscription model. Netflix games are available even with the cheapest Netflix subscription. The offer is not a separate “Netflix games app”, but access to various apps via a Netflix account. If you want to download one of the game apps, you have to log in with your Netflix account and have a valid subscription.
Netflix Games has a wide range of different genres of games, from action and adventure to puzzle, role-playing and strategy games. There are currently 14 categories of games. Games based on well-known series such as Stranger Things are certainly of particular interest to children and young people. Netflix is constantly working on improving the attractiveness of its offering. Recently, the classic games GTA III, GTA Vice City and GTA San Andreas have been added to the range. There are also many games that are suitable for children and younger teenagers, such as puzzles and soccer games.
Since Netflix wants to offer different genres of games, not all of which are suitable for children and young people, Netflix games are not available for Netflix children’s profiles. Parents must download individual game apps to their children’s smartphone or tablet via their adult account. All Netflix games are age-rated in the Google Play Store or App Store so that parents can make an informed decision about which games they allow their child to play.
Netflix games has a large collection of different games from various genres. Some of these games may therefore contain depictions of violence or sexual content and are not suitable for children.
If you give your child access to Netflix games, pay attention to the age ratings and only give your child access to games that are suitable for their age and level of development. Please note that Netflix games can only be used with an active Netflix account and subscription. Make sure that your child does not get access to your Netflix account via this detour and do not give your child the access data for your regular Netflix account to play Netflix games. This is because it could access streaming content that is not age-appropriate.
When dealing with mobile games, it is generally important to discuss rules on media use within the family. Make binding agreements with your child about gaming, smartphone use and screen time. Use technical precautionary measures to set the playing time and title according to age.
Apps, remote-controlled cars, vending machines – our world is increasingly shaped by digital technologies, much of which is programmed. Coding is becoming an increasingly important component of media skills in order to deal confidently with media and IT systems. Age-appropriate apps and programs introduce children to programming in a playful way with interactive games, animations and small coding projects. Let your child get started and conquer the world of ones and zeros at their own pace!
Scratch is an image-oriented, visual programming language and an online platform. There is also an app version that can be used offline. The program was developed by the MIT Media Lab especially for children and young people aged 8 to 16 and is designed and moderated by the Scratch Foundation. Scratch enables step-by-step, playful learning of programming. Young programmers can use building blocks to create motion sequences, interactive stories, small games and animations. Scratch is also increasingly being used as a learning medium in schools.
The great thing about Scratch is that your child can let their imagination run wild with characters, sound effects and backgrounds. The ability to create animations and games is extremely engaging and gives your child the opportunity to create their own worlds. Scratch also offers an online community where your child can share coding projects and be inspired by others.
More info: https://scratch.mit.edu/
ScratchJr is a programming language for younger children aged 5 to 7 and enables them to create their own interactive stories and games. In the program, children join graphic program blocks together to move figures and make them jump, dance and sing. The characters can be customized in the paint editor and your own voices and sounds can be added. If you like, you can insert photos of yourself and use the program blocks to bring your own characters to life. ScratchJr was inspired by the popular Scratch programming language and impresses younger children with its ease of use and child-friendly design.
More info: https://scratchjr.org
This website is aimed at children from the age of 8 and teaches programming basics in a playful way, inspired by“Die Sendung mit der Maus“. The popular TV character from the show arouses interest in coding and accompanies the children through the program. The web application uses Scratch as a basis, but does not allow you to publish your own project. Programming with the mouse focuses on entertaining games and activities to impart knowledge in an appealing way. The platform offers structured instructions that guide children step by step through the world of programming. Successfully solving tasks boosts children’s self-confidence and is fun. The website promotes creative learning and makes programming accessible to children.
More info: https://programmieren.wdrmaus.de/
Ronja’s Robot introduces children to the exciting world of programming and robotics – in an entertaining way! The app for iOS and Android was developed by the Kinder Forschen foundation and is suitable for children aged 6 to 12. The app consists of two clever games in which Ronja’s robot named Roberta is the superhero of the code!
In the game “Roberta rast”, children playfully explore programming concepts and steer the little robot through the digital garden. In “Speak like Roberta”, children learn the computer language (binary code consisting of 1 and 0) and talk to Roberta.
More info: https://www.meine-forscherwelt.de/spiel/ronjas-roboter
Does your child enjoy the app? For older children, the graphical programming language OPEN Roberta offers an even more in-depth way to enter the world of programming. Creative thinking is encouraged and your child can come up with their own solutions to tricky challenges. Who would have thought that programming could be so creative? Your child can earn badges and rewards in the game and create coding projects together with other children in teamwork.
More info: https://www.meine-forscherwelt.de/fuer-erwachsene/tipps-zur-lernbegleitung/ronjas-roboter
Coding is fun, but your child can also quickly lose track of time. Establish media time rules together with your child. Programming is learned entirely on screen and usually alone. Make sure that your child maintains social contacts and spends time outdoors to compensate. Occasionally your child may become frustrated when they encounter challenges. Program together with your child, encourage and support them – and learn something new yourself. There are now also school and leisure activities where children can learn these programs. With the search engine for children fragFINN you can find offers in your area.
Many families no longer rely on linear television, i.e. watching what’s on. Instead, people use their smart TVs or tablets to access streaming services – whenever they have the time and the inclination to watch TV.
The offer for children and young people is virtually unlimited and available at any time with streaming services and media libraries. Children watch movies and series partly on their own. This makes it all the more important to set the services so that they can only access child-friendly and age-appropriate content.
Keep track of how much your child watches. Binge-watching can also occur among children and young people if they are not accompanied in their media use.
Youth protection measures are intended to prevent children and young people from having experiences that are inappropriate for their age. These are, for example, content that may frighten or disturb them, or unwanted contact by strangers. Streaming services must use certain settings to ensure that their services are safe for children and young people to use.
Each streaming service has its own parental control settings, which are adjusted from time to time. Therefore, we can only reflect a current status (December 2022) of the most popular services in each case.
Regularly inform yourself about current functions and parental control settings of “your” streaming provider. Many have their own information portals for parents.
You can find the parental controls in Prime Video either in your Amazon account via the browser (Gear: Settings) or in the app under “My Area”. Here you can set up a PIN, after entering which secured content can still be viewed. In addition, purchase restrictions and playback restrictions can be activated with the parental control. Parents can create their own children’s area on Amazon with the additional paid subscription Amazon Kids+. Read more about how to set up Amazon parental controls here.
Disney+ also allows children’s profiles to be created with a child-friendly user interface. In these, only content with age ratings from FSK 0 up to and including FSK 6 is displayed. However, it is not possible to specify preferences for certain age ratings of content. A PIN can be used to prevent the creation of new profiles. Read more on the Disney+ help page.
ARD and ZDF have implemented youth protection in two ways: Films, series and programs that are not suitable for children and young people under the age of 16 or 18 can only be watched without registration from 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. (until 6 a.m.). There is also a children’s section that displays only content suitable for children. As soon as this is left, there is a hint. Those who set up an account to use the media libraries can also make additional individual settings, such as additional age ratings, setting a code, and creating a personalized media library. More about this on the help pages of ARD and ZDF.
With Netflix Kids environment, you can create one or more kids profiles for Netflix. This parental control allows you to set age ratings for a profile, block individual titles, set up a PIN, and enable or disable autoplay. With a child profile, no changes can be made to the own or a
other profile can be made. The Netflix Kids environment does not only apply to movies and series, it can also be used to restrict access Netflix games. You can get step-by-step instructions on how to set up parental controls on the corresponding Netflix help page.
Technical parental control settings are particularly useful when children know about them. Talk to your child about possible dangers and the goal of the settings. You should regularly consider whether settings can be adjusted – together with your child.
Despite a parental control, your child needs companionship in their media use. Be approachable when questions or fears arise. And watch your child when they watch videos. Choose content together in advance – then you can let your child watch an episode alone. When you set media rules together, you support the promotion of media literacy.
You can read more about the setting options and detailed instructions in the klicksafe guide.
Radiant skin and shiny hair, perfect nails and stunning make-up – the world of beauty influencers is all about beauty. There is cream and powder, plucking and brushing. And did a lot of shopping.
If you’re wondering what can be designed, cared for and “improved” on such a body, you’ve come to the right place. Beauty influencers know their way around the aisles of a drugstore better than they know their own back pocket. They know what protects against sunburn and what helps afterwards. They know what’s trending this year when it comes to eyebrows and which braid is currently in vogue. You know the difference between foundation and primer. And they are happy to explain it to us.
On the profiles of the beauty declarants, the body becomes a large canvas – and nothing is left to chance. The topics range from basic body care and dealing with minor and major “problems” to elaborate make-up and hair tutorials or dealing with cosmetic surgery.
Since 2012, Dagmar Kazakov alias Dagi Bee has been active on social media channels since 2012 and reaches her YouTube -channel reaches almost 4 million viewers. The Düsseldorf native publishes a mix of fun videos, vlogs and beauty and make-up tutorials. Her videos always give the impression that she is passing on tips to her best friend, seemingly taking her followers right into her private life, inviting them to accompany her on her “pregnancy journey” or taking video tours of her home, which is very approachable and appealing, especially for younger viewers. Dagi Bee not only sells cosmetic products but also oat milk.
The profile is a little more specific xskincare . Biology student Leon takes an in-depth look at the subject of skin care. Around 2019, Leon says he was looking for products to treat his acne – and because no one could help him, he quickly became an expert himself. Almost 1 million people now follow him and learn from him what to do for large pores, reddened skin or fall weather. Leon particularly likes to test products and “expose” less good offers while promoting his own product line.
There is plenty of color in the face at Paula Wolf . Since 2018, the “make-up artist” has been posting videos on social media in which she elaborately designs her face – sometimes with “normal” make-up, but sometimes she also transforms herself into the Grinch, a Disney character or an animal in front of the camera. 6.5 million followers watch her on YouTube alone – and are of course always offered her extensive range of products.
Very classically presented Maxim Giacomo presents make-up tutorials on his profiles: the Berliner recreates the looks of stars, explains how to draw the perfect eyebrow and tests the drugstore to find the perfect eyeshadow. Again, of course, never without warmly recommending their own products.
For children and young people in particular, there is a lot in it: On the way to adulthood, not only the body changes, but also the view of it. Young people are often in search of their own identity, also in terms of their appearance. They are more aware of beauty ideals from the media and their peer group and are looking for their own way when it comes to body care and design. How can changing skin be cared for? How do I achieve a certain look? What do I find beautiful, what not? These questions inevitably arise – and beauty influencers offer answers.
Children and young people not only receive instructions, explanations and offers on the way to their own body and self-image, but the appropriate shopping list is also provided.
When the range of tubes and jars in the bathroom suddenly explodes and a fixed place has to be set up next to the mirror for the tutorial running on the smartphone, this can sometimes seem a little disconcerting for parents. Depending on your own passion for body care, the often very colorful and sometimes somewhat shrill videos may not always be appealing to adults.
In principle, however, understanding is the order of the day: your child is looking for guidance and support as they grow up, and they will find it on channels like these. Show an interest and take a look at your child’s favorite beauty role models together. You might even learn a thing or two about skin and hair care!
At the same time, however, a certain skepticism is appropriate here. Beauty influencers strongly convey the message that beauty is the most important topic – especially for girls and young women, this can create unrealistic beauty ideals that are neither attainable nor conducive to a healthy self-image. Talk to your child about how photos and recommendations from influencers are created. Promote your child’s media skills by explaining to them how they can view such offers critically and use them consciously. Help your child to distance themselves from unrealistic ideals – and to choose the valuable tips for themselves.
In addition, much of the content on the profiles is aimed at promoting products – be it because an advertising partnership with a cosmetics company is in the background or because it is the company’s own product line. Discuss with your child that these products are not necessarily really good, but are primarily intended to secure the influencer’s income.
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.
A short training session in the morning to get the day off to a good start, then the perfect breakfast for maximum energy throughout the day before heading off to the gym. Fitness influencers live for sport and are happy to share their training plans and eating habits with their followers. This article is part of our series “Influencers in portrait”.
Sport is healthy, fun and gives us a beautiful, well-toned body. This is the life motto of fitness influencers. Their everyday lives and social media profiles revolve around little other than muscles, fitness and body shapes. They have a lot in store for their fitness-enthusiastic fans: they show their training routines and their favorite activities, explain how to achieve the desired sporting or aesthetic goals and, incidentally, recommend training equipment, clothing or certain food and nutritional supplements. Always included: the message that the perfect training and nutrition plan naturally also leads to a lot of joie de vivre.
One of the best-known German fitness influencers is certainly Sophia Thiel . She has been inviting her followers to watch her train since 2014. In 2019, she briefly withdrew from the public eye because the pressure to perform in the industry led to mental health problems. Since then, she has been committed to “Mental Health & Fitness” and tries to present sport and nutrition in a healthy way and without absurd goals and ideals.
“Super happy to be your online training buddy” announces Pamela Reif on her YouTube -channel. The German athlete has been publishing workout plans since 2013, reaching around 9 million people, to whom she also regularly recommends products from her own beauty brands.
The Austrian Sascha Huber wants to show people his way out of the crisis and inspire them. A total of 1.68 million people regularly watch his training sessions. Both fitness professionals and those who don’t like exercise learn new things from him. He is also very interested in healthy eating.
From Miami posts Chris Heria his fitness tips for the whole world: Almost 5 million followers* watch the young man on his YouTube -channel as he lifts weights, burns fat and counts calories. He also runs a “Fitness Academy” and sells training clothing and equipment.
Fitness influencers have followers in (almost) all age groups. Many very young people also emulate their sporting idols. They get tips on how to integrate exercise into their everyday lives, follow training plans and change their diet.
The goals vary: some want to be fit and be able to keep up with others. Some people value their health and want to take optimum care of their body and keep it active. And some emulate a certain body ideal.
Of course, digital role models come in handy here: not only do they like to show off their seemingly perfect bodies, but they also appear to be successful and completely satisfied overall – making them ideal idols for children and young people.
But even if sport is generally a great hobby, you also need to be careful with fitness influencers. And for several reasons.
As with all influencers, it’s important to remember that athletes earn money with their profiles. The photos are not taken at random, but are elaborately designed. The digital presence is not an insight into everyday life, but rather a showroom on the subject – and there are usually expensive advertising contracts behind product recommendations.
In addition, fitness celebrities in particular often stand for exaggerated body ideals and a level of training that is neither desirable nor healthy in normal everyday life. And finally, not all digital celebrities are really experts in their field – so some tips are better than others.
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.
The smell of cookies, shopping stress, shining children’s eyes: the holidays are approaching and digital devices and games are on the wish lists of many children and young people. What should parents consider before and after giving a gift? Between the years and during the vacations, there is also time for shared family media experiences. How can this be designed in a safe, age-appropriate and even creative way? In this article, we give you an overview of offers from the Elternguide.online partner network.
The Christmas vacations can be long, especially when the weather outside doesn’t really invite you to play. You probably have devices such as smartphones, tablets, cameras or a laptop lying around at home. How about you and your child simply getting started, taking photos or filming yourselves, trying out new creative apps and organizing media time creatively? It’s great fun and your child will also learn something about media skills along the way.
On the website kinder.jff.de there are suggestions for simple media projects that children aged 6 and over can do on their own or from the age of 3 with support from you as parents at home. This is helped by child-friendly video instructions in which the implementation of the media projects is shown step by step. How about a photo memory with Christmas tree decorations or an audio story about New Year’s Eve traditions?
You are probably familiar with challenges from social media, e.g. dance challenges on TikTok. Children and young people love to take on challenges. Challenges don’t necessarily only have to take place on the Internet, you can also play them at home with your family! Why not try the Top Photo Challenge, the Clip Challenge or the Recreation Challenge? We have made a few suggestions in our parents’ guide article. You can find more Advent challenges on the website of the JFF project webhelm.de.
Your child will probably also enjoy watching videos. If you are still looking for suitable films, series or YouTube clips, take a look at FLIMMO.
In addition to age information and educational recommendations for all formats from TV, streaming and YouTube, you will find winter movie tips from the Grüffelokind to the Grinch and the Polar Express under the special “Advent tips“. A TV evening together can be a really nice family experience, especially when it’s as cold and dark outside as it is during the winter vacations.
Children have many questions and learn early on that their questions will be answered on the Internet. How is Christmas celebrated in other countries? What craft tips and baking recipes are there for Christmas? The children’s search engine fragFINN offers children access to 3500 verified websites, including more than 400 children’s sites. Primary school children can gain their first Internet experience here in a protected surfing room and learn how to use search engines and search results. In the fragFINN Advent calendar, children can open a little door every day, behind which there are links to other children’s sites with Christmas information.
You can find more playful learning pages in this parents’ guide article.
Parents must decide individually when their child is ready for their first smartphone, depending on their level of development and experience. After all, a smartphone theoretically opens up the whole world of the Internet to your child, with all its opportunities and risks. klicksafe offers extensive information for parents. Use the smartphone readiness checklist to see whether a smartphone is ready for the Christmas tree. Has the decision been positive? Then find out about technical setting options for Android and iOS and watch the instructions in the form of explanatory videos. All klicksafe information material can be found here.
Would you like to prepare your child for the first smartphone under the Christmas tree? Child-friendly information on the first smartphone is available in the children’s magazine Genial Digital from Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk. The fragFINN app gives your child a protected surfing space on their first smartphone and gives them access to quality, positive content.
Are you considering buying a smartwatch as an alternative? Then take a look at this topic from klicksafe. Please note: technical protective measures are no substitute for family discussions and media rules. Stay in contact with your child and accompany them as they take their first steps with a smartwatch or smartphone.
In addition to discussions and media rules, technical youth media protection is an important component of media education. Use the screen time and digital wellbeing settings on smartphones to set time limits for the entire device or for different apps and to filter content. The parental control program JusProg offers a precise filtering option for websites and safe default settings for mobile devices and laptops. Google Family Links and YouTube Kids offer the opportunity to make media experiences safer for your child in the world of the internet giant Google. Social media apps such as Instagram and TikTok also offer safety features and parental guidance options. Streaming with the family can be a fun activity during the vacations. Almost all streaming services have certified offers for the protection of minors. Use your own child profiles and the parental control function with the PIN. Detailed instructions for all devices are available on the website medien-kindersicher.de.
Which games should I give my child for Christmas? Are games okay for preschoolers? In the family section of the USK website, you will find all the information you need on the USK’s age ratings, the new additional information and how to deal with the topic of games in the family.
The USK mark indicates the age at which a game does not cause any developmental impairments. The additional information such as “fantasy violence” or “pressure to act” gives parents a good indication of whether a game is suitable for their own child. Educational assessments of games can be found at the NRW games guide. Descriptions of popular games such as Fortnite, Minecraft or Roblox are available on Elternguide.online.
Would you like to make your child happy with a game for Christmas? Find out about the distribution channels for games and technical precautionary measures. Various settings for the protection of minors can be made on consoles as well as in game stores and the games themselves. Play together with your child and ask them interesting questions about their favorite games.
The team at Elternguide.online wishes you and your family a wonderful Christmas season and lots of fun using media safely and creatively!
Digital games have become an integral part of the everyday lives of children and young people. In order to play these games, they often have to be purchased or, in the case of free games, at least downloaded. A now rather rare way to buy games is to go to a store and buy a physical data carrier there. This also eliminates the age check carried out by a sales clerk on site. In order to protect your child, we would like to give you an overview of where children and young people can buy games and where you as a parent can find information on setting options.
On the computer, the possibilities for obtaining games are almost unlimited. In the meantime, many publishers have created their own launcher (a program used to launch games) with their own store. A user account must be created there and it is often also possible to deposit a means of payment. A well-known game that is popular with children and runs via its own launcher is Minecraft . In addition to the “own” launchers, there are also large companies that specialize in the digital sale of computer games such as Steam Epic Games Store and GOG. You can find an overview of the technical measures for distribution platforms in the USK guide. The website medien-kindersicher also informs parents about technical protection settings for various devices, services and apps.
For consoles such as Xbox, Nintendo Switch or PlayStation it is often easier to see through how children and young people get hold of games. You can either buy them in the store or in the online store of the respective console. To do this, either payment information must be stored or POSA cards, which are subject to a charge, are used. In the console’s account settings, you can often create children’s accounts, set age restrictions for content or set the screen time. We explain some of the setting options in the article Endless play – technical settings.
Smartphone gaming in particular has become increasingly important for children and young people in recent years. This has a lot to do with the technical development of mobile devices: unlike a few years ago, cell phones are now powerful enough to play games on them. As cell phones are very common among children aged 9 and over, they are naturally also used for playing games. The games are distributed via the app stores and downloaded there. You cannot buy a data carrier in a store. The Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK ) has been awarding age ratings for online games and apps within the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC ) for many years. This makes it possible to block certain content. Make the necessary settings in the app stores and, if necessary, create a separate children’s account that you manage as an adult. You can find detailed information on this in the articles on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.
“With Pokémon Sleep, you can turn your sleep into entertainment!”. This is how the Pokémon Company advertises its new game – with success. The Google Play Store has recorded more than 5 million app downloads since its release in July 2023. The catch: the app accompanies children and young people to bed and collects sensitive health data in the process.
Pokémon Sleep is an app that embeds human sleep in a gaming experience. Players have to help Professor Neroli with sleep research on an adventure island and work together with the Pokémon Relaxo. The app records noises and movements during the night and uses the data collected to create a sleep log. The longer users sleep, the higher their score the next morning and the more new Pokémon appear around Relaxo. Sleep is divided into three types: Semi-sleep, light sleep or deep sleep. In the morning, Pokémon appear that sleep in a similar way. During the day, players can explore sleeping poses, feed the Pokémon and carry out other game activities. The aim is to record as much sleep as possible and thus collect many different Pokémon and poses. The app is also compatible with Pokémon GO Plus, which is the gadget for the game Pokémon GO.
Whether as playing cards, a TV series or a video game – many children and young people grow up with Pokémon and love the little monsters. Pokémon is aimed at young people’s passion for collecting. With Pokémon Sleep, players can get new Pokémons and take care of them without much effort. Getting information about sleep behavior appeals to young people’s love of discovery. Tasks from the friendly Professor Neroli and rewards such as bonus cookies make children and young people want to spend time in the game world with the Pokémons.
Consumer protection warns that Pokémon Sleep monitors the sleeping behavior of children and young people and that the game concept can encourage addictive behavior:
In this test, the data protection website mobilsicher.de proved that the app sends data to advertisers. The audio recordings are saved locally and deleted after 24 hours. However, users’ sleep profiles are stored on company servers. The Pokémon Company states that it does not sell sensitive data of minors for advertising purposes. It is not possible for minors to link their accounts with those of friends. The provider advises you to switch off the audio recording function to save data.
Protect your child’s privacy online and avoid data-hungry apps such as Pokémon Sleep. Younger children in particular can be very absorbed by this game directly before and after sleep, but also during the day. Children are not yet able to assess the implications of sleep monitoring in connection with digital currency.
If your child is older and really wants to use the app, please note the following information:
There seems to be something for young and old on Disney+: from cartoon classics such as Snow White and Mickey Mouse to big blockbusters such as Star Wars and the most popular Disney films of recent years such as The Ice Queen. What parents should know about the offer.
The streaming portal offers a large selection of films and series, similar to Netflix, Amazon Prime and the like. In addition to successful movies from Walt Disney and Pixar in recent years, older Disney films are also available. In addition, there are exciting documentaries from National Geographic. Episodes of current Disney Channel series are also published on the platform at weekly intervals. This way, there is less danger of watching through an entire season without a break. There is also the option of downloading content (does not apply to the subscription model with advertising). With the Standard and Premium subscriptions, Disney+ can also be used on the go with any internet-enabled device. So far, the offer is not as large as on Netflix, for example. However, more and more films are being added.
Disney+ is clear and easy to use for children. The wide range of popular franchises such as Marvel and Star Wars offers both familiar and new adventures. Until February 2021, there were no films with an age rating above FSK 12 or certain scenes were cut out of individual films so that they are also suitable for younger children. In the “Star” category that was then added, adult content is now also available. Adults enjoy the favorite films of their own childhood.
Disney+ has additional parental control settings despite primarily adult content. However, films from the age of 12 can also be found in the offer. Especially smaller children can still be frightened by such films. It is therefore important to guide children in their film selection and viewing.
By creating a children’s profile (called Junior mode), films that are not approved for younger children are not displayed. There is no specific age rating. Disney+ decides what is displayed in Junior mode. This means that films and series with a rating of 0 are also missing from the children’s profile. In the children’s profile, you can, for example, prevent the next episode of a series from playing automatically and the user interface is simplified. Parental controls can be used to assign a PIN to individual profiles – e.g. the profile for adults or older children – so that younger children do not have access. Individual titles cannot be hidden.
If you want to set the age rating yourself, you can assign an age rating to a normal profile (without parental control, without junior mode): 0, 6, 12, 16 or 18 years. However, depending on the subscription model, advertising will run in such a profile.
Each profile, with the exception of the main profile, can also be subsequently converted into a children’s profile (junior mode).
Disney states that advertising content such as clips and trailers for content available on Disney+ or for other Disney products can be shown. Live content can also contain traditional commercial breaks and other advertising formats. There is no advertising in Junior mode. Incidentally, there are no in-app purchases with Disney+, which can lead to unwanted costs, especially for children and young people. And if tobacco products are shown in a movie, Disney draws attention to this with a warning at the beginning.
Account sharing, i.e. the use of an account by several people at the same time, is prohibited under the terms and conditions, but is possible. From 2024, Disney+ will take decisive action against this breach of the rules.
Since Disney+ is primarily aimed at children, they will quickly become accustomed to having access to their favorite series and movies at all times.
Especially accompany young children watching movies. Find out about specific movies and series in advance. Choose age-appropriate programs, for a younger child rather short episodes than long films. Also, schedule plenty of screen-free time for other activities such as walks in the fresh air or hobbies. Talk about set media times within the family.
“Just a little more, I’m almost done.”, “But if I do this now don’t do it, then it’s all gone!” – Are you familiar with statements like this from your game-loving child? It’s not just colorful game worlds and entertaining game mechanics that fascinate players. Some video games have opaque profit motives with which games companies want to make money. Or there are game mechanics that can tempt players to play for far too long. We will introduce you to the most important mechanisms in this regard and show you setting options for devices and platforms to support your child in conscious gaming.
How are gamers kept in the game? Developer studios have come up with various methods to achieve this:
With such mechanics, game developers reinforce the “FOMO” effect (which stands for “fear of missing out”) and bind younger and less experienced players in particular to the game.
The independent test committees of the USK assess the extent to which these mechanics are present in the game and how they influence the gaming experience. The age rating depends on the implementation and the technical safety settings in the game. If these mechanics have a significant influence on the age rating, they are indicated as additional information in the license plate. This includes additional information such as “Pressure to play a lot” or “Increased purchase incentives”.
Playing is a popular pastime for children and young people. To ensure that your child learns how to handle games well and responsibly, set rules together with your child and set clear boundaries. In consultation with your child, use the parental options and parental control settings on gaming platforms and devices, which can be used to limit the playing time, for example.
We have collected the most common platforms and their settings for you here:
App permissions can also be managed for both operating systems. For example, you can switch off push notifications for game apps so that your child does not automatically receive reminders to continue playing.
In addition, many games also have child safety features. For example, in the popular online shooter Fortnite. You can find detailed instructions on devices, apps and programs on the medien-kindersicher platform.
As a general rule, parental control settings cannot protect against all dangers and risks. Only use such settings in consultation with your child and adapt them to their age and stage of development. Talk to your child about the tricks of the game industry, such as login rewards, and encourage them to use games consciously.
They hang neatly sorted in the supermarket, usually near the checkout: credit cards. Whether for telephone providers, Netflix, Amazon, Google Play or Steam – the purpose of these small plastic cards is always the same: they are a form of digital payment. Credit cards are also used in computer games. But how does it actually work?
The credit cards work according to the POSA procedure. POSA stands for “Point-Of-Sale-Activation”. This means that the printed code is only activated after payment at the checkout. The code can then be exchanged for credit on the respective online platform. Because it is virtually impossible to trace the original purchaser of the prepaid card afterwards, this type of payment is relatively anonymous.
The games market offers a wide range of paid games for smartphones, tablets and game consoles. POSA cards with credit for individual games such as Fortnite, Minecraft or Roblox as well as credit cards for gaming platforms such as Steam are available for sale. Many additional contents are offered in free games to change the gaming experience. These include, for example:
Popular games and their additional content are a way for children and young people to compete with each other. Whoever has the coolest, super rare skin can brag about it. This sometimes leads to a lot of pressure to consume because your child doesn’t want to look bad in their circle of friends. Therefore, set up rules in the family and work them out together with your child. Discuss with your child how much money they spend on gaming. A good way may be for your child to buy the prepaid cards – and therefore their in-game purchases – as part of their pocket money. This will help your child learn to manage their own money and understand the value behind it. One advantage of POSA cards is that there are no hidden cost traps such as in-game purchases when gaming, but only the limited amount of prepaid credit can be spent.
For children, video games, whether on their cell phones or consoles, are part of their everyday lives. Take your child’s interest in gaming seriously, even if you can’t understand their enthusiasm for some of the games.
The age rating of the USK is printed on the front of POSA-Cards. Whether in the supermarket, at the petrol station or at the kiosk – the sale of POSA-Cards is tied to the permissible age of the purchaser. It becomes more difficult if your child buys POSA-Cards online or obtains them through friends. Pay attention to the age ratings of games and make it clear to your child that the USK age ratings for gaming are there for their own protection. After consulting with your child, make settings for technical youth media protection on game consoles, apps and games.
Is that a person – or a character from a computer game? NPC streamers imitate characters from games on camera and are paid by their fans to do so. This is sometimes an expensive pleasure for the users.
The term “NPC” may sound familiar to you: it is one of the top 10 youth words of 2023. NPCs originally stood for “Non Playable Characters”. They are marginal characters in computer games who are basically unimportant and therefore can hardly do anything. They often only have individual movements or reactions in their repertoire and thus appear absurdly robotic.
On TikTok it is precisely these rigid, short movements and utterances that become the attraction in so-called “NPC streams”. TikTokers initially sit motionless in front of the camera in the live stream. When viewers send them gifts in the form of colorful stickers, they react to them – again and again, always the same, with the same actions.
What may sound boring at first, enjoys great popularity on TikTok and co. Children and young people enjoy watching the live streams and observing the digital NPCs. It is the same effect that “living statues” in the pedestrian zone have on us: The funny situation of people behaving like statues or game pieces. Plus the brief moment of shock and fun when the coin falls into the hat and the character suddenly starts making strange movements. Some people reach into their pockets and pull out a few coins.
The problem with the digital version is that the stickers that are given away to TikTokers cost real money. Some more, some less. However, children and young people cannot buy the stickers individually, only in packs. These must be paid for by credit card or via the app store. Sometimes they are not even fully aware of these costs. A few funny pictures are quickly given away – and suddenly a lot of money is spent. Very successful streamers earn up to four-figure sums for an NPC appearance on TikTok.
It is therefore important for parents:
And once everything is clear and safe, you can simply enjoy a stream together with your child!
