Symbol image: Charles / Pixabay
RLP – By the time they reach the 5th grade at the latest, most children have their own smartphone in their hands. Unlimited distraction from game apps, messengers and social media, but also disturbing content and cyberbullying – all of this is part of everyday life in schools today.
This makes it all the more important to accompany children confidently in their media use and to strengthen their media competence. According to the latest KIM Study 2022 However, every second child between the ages of six and 13 surfs alone, while two-thirds of parents do not use parental controls or security settings.
“It is a matter of course for schools and parents to talk to new schoolchildren about road safety and practice the route to school. At the same time, however, we often let children go online alone and unprotected,” explains Deborah Woldemichael, head of the EU initiative klicksafe.
Through messengers, online games or social media – children and young people can be confronted with sexualized or violent content everywhere. Many popular games or social media services also use manipulative designs that encourage excessive use or pressure to buy and exploit the inexperience of young people. “We must not only make children safe on the road, but also safe in the media!” says Woldemichael.
This year, klicksafe is once again providing parents and educational professionals with new guide formats and handouts that will strengthen the media literacy of everyone involved.
For primary and secondary schools, klicksafe is publishing these new materials for the new school year:
Primary school
- The new leaflet “Media-safe in school“ offers parents of primary school children practical tips and advice on how to make their children’s media consumption age-appropriate and safe. Frequently asked questions from parents are answered in a concise manner. The leaflet is also available in Turkish, Arabic and Russian.
Secondary schools
- In the new manual “Cybergrooming – sexual violence on the Internet” For schools and extracurricular youth work, educational professionals receive comprehensive information on cybergrooming and sexual violence. Young people should be enabled to recognize cybergrooming, formulate their own boundaries and defend themselves against digital sexual violence.
- Newly developed in cooperation with the Rhineland-Palatinate Consumer Advice Center, the learning card game “Are you sure?”The consumer protection game contains questions on the topics of online shopping, cybercrime, apps and games and social media.
In addition to these new materials, the klicksafe compilation “Media literate in all grades” in the appendix to this press release.
All klicksafe materials will be available from August 26, 2024 at the latest at
What if school time was as valuable as vacation time? What if children missed school on weekends? What if teachers and…
