Attention parents: How to protect their children in the digital jungle!

Attention parents: How to protect their children in the digital jungle!

In Meckenheim-Merl there was an exciting information evening that introduced parents into the digital world of their children. The media educator Frank J. Bündgen, an expert in digital media, highlighted the challenges and opportunities that platforms such as TikTok and games like Fortnite. Under the motto "smartphone survival tips for parents", he gave valuable insights to strengthen the media literacy of the parents and to sensitize them to the digital living environment of their children.

On November 14th, the parents invited the parents to show them how they can support their children in dealing with social media. At the beginning he distributed questionnaires that met with little interest. "This is impossible in the analog world, but no problem in digital space," he noticed with a smile. The digital trainer explained that it was crucial that parents themselves have the necessary knowledge to effectively clarify their children. With many personal stories and examples from his life, he gave the parents practical tips on how to protect their privacy and at the same time enable their children to use digital media.

important tips for parents

A central topic was the screen time. Bands emphasized that this depends individually on the development of the child. He advised the parents to play with their children to get a better understanding of the content and influences that they are exposed. It is particularly important to switch off functions such as the chat room in games in order to protect the children from inappropriate news. Deactivating in-app purchases was also recommended to avoid unwanted expenses.

The evening was not only an opportunity to clarify the handling of digital media, but also a call to deal with personal data responsibly. Bündgen asked the parents to be “stingy with their data” and be careful when posting their children's pictures. A short digression into the world of artificial intelligence illustrated how important privacy is to protect in today's digital time. The information evening was initiated and supported by the city of Meckenheim to prepare parents for the digital future of their children.