Constantly looking at your smartphone

It’s hard to imagine our daily lives without smartphones: They help us pass the time, connect with others, and—thanks to useful apps—can be valuable tools in our daily lives. Children and teenagers, in particular, use their smartphones almost every day. However, to navigate the Internet and its diverse content and offerings safely, it is important to have strong media literacy skills. We’ve put together five questions and five answers that can help empower your children when it comes to using smartphones.

When is my child ready for their own smartphone?

Before children are given their own smartphone with Internet access, it is important that they have developed sufficient media literacy. This isn’t just about how to operate the devices. It is much more important for children to learn how to use media responsibly, how to critically evaluate content, and how to identify risks. Key factors that families can consider when making this decision include, among other things, how costs are handled, a basic awareness of data protection and privacy, and an understanding of agreements and rules. The checklist from the SCHAU HIN! initiative provides guidance for making decisions.

How can we use digital media in a way that promotes good health?

To ensure healthy media use within the family, it can be helpful to establish rules together and set limits on the amount of time spent using screen-based media. If you’re unsure how much screen time is appropriate for your child, feel free to check out the everyday tips from the Federal Center for Health Education.
However, regardless of the rules and agreements, it’s important to make sure that the agreements fit your family and your parenting style. Open communication about content, risks, and opportunities can help children become more independent and teach them how to use media safely. Supervise your children while they’re online and get creative together: For example, try searching for Craft templates, edit a photo, or—as the AOK recommends—try out a digital sports program designed for children.

With all these apps, how do I keep track of everything?

So that you can guide your child in using apps safely in an informed and knowledgeable way, you don’t have to research all the pros and cons yourself. On handysektor.de, you’ll find a wide variety of reviews of the most popular apps for smartphones and tablets. This allows you to quickly and easily learn about the apps’ features, security, and privacy.

How can I be a role model?

It is clear that one’s own conscious use of media is an important foundation for media education. Therefore, it may be helpful to start by examining your own media use: How often do you reach for your smartphone—even during a conversation or while watching a movie? How often are media used, and for what purposes? To what extent are we constantly bombarded by the radio?

If you’re not sure how much media you actually use, why not try the ReSeT self-assessment? the State Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia. You and your family can also test your media literacy online in a fun way, for example, About the Digital Check by the Society for Media Education and Communication Culture (Gesellschaft für Medienpädagogik und Kommunikationskultur e.V.)

What is a digital detox?

A “digital detox” refers to the conscious practice of setting aside time away from media—such as smartphones, laptops, and the like. Although it can be difficult to do without media, there are certainly good reasons to incorporate a digital detox into your daily routine: sleep becomes more restful, stress caused by interruptions and constant availability is reduced, and creativity is boosted. Media can take up a large part of our day, so it can sometimes be hard to do without it. Clear rules and agreements help limit media consumption. For example, try Always turn off devices completely when they’re not in use—because anything left in standby mode is quickly ready to use again. You can also agree to keep certain rooms—such as the bedrooms or the dining table—as well as entire days of the week, free of media. Children, in particular, find it easier to go without media if the alternative is interesting: Why not suggest a detox challenge to your family? At ins-netz-gehen.info, you’ll find a 7-day challenge and ideas for spending time together offline.

Making Smartphones, Apps, and More Secure

In addition to raising awareness about media, it can be helpful to set up the devices, apps, and services that children use regularly in a safe way. The ” Medien kindersicher ” portal offers technical protection solutions to parents and guardians.

On the Internet, children may be exposed to self-harm, political extremism, sexual violence, harassment, and cyberbullying. At Jugendschutz.net, you can report content and find tips, recommendations, and background information on online safety. In collaboration with the BMFSFJ, for example, The brochure “Online—But Stay Safe!” has been published.

Would you like to learn more about children’s media use, as well as the risks and opportunities on the Internet? Through the media courses for parents offered by the SCHAU HIN! initiative, the Digitale-Helden platform, and the klicksafe portal, you can access a wide variety of expert talks and webinars for free. You can also find podcasts and interviews with experts on Medien 360G, the MDR’s media portal.

Links to sources and additional information can be found in the text, on the SCHAU HIN! initiative website, at the Federal Center for Health Education, at the German Children’s Fund, and at the EU’s klicksafe Awareness Center.