How do media affect children?

Media have a strong influence on your child and their development. Numerous studies have shown that these influences extend across areas from thinking and concentration abilities to social skills. Digital media present both opportunities and risks that should be considered when deciding on the intensity and type of use.

Almost all parents have to deal with this topic sooner or later – because our little ones show an early immense enthusiasm for the colorful virtual wonderland on the screens that surround them every day.

What fascinates children about smartphones, apps & co.?

Digital media have a particularly strong pull on children, because they open up new, fantastic and seemingly boundless worlds! The virtual world can, through social networks, bring people in different places, even on different continents, into contact with each other; it enables the access to images and information from around the world and to all areas of life.

PC games and TV series create imaginative spaces and heroic figures that correspond exactly to the child's world of imagination. The media thus not only offer a great deal of entertainment value, but can also be places of learning – whether through identification with a series hero, researching information or exchanging ideas about shared interests in social networks.

How does media use affect behavior & child development?

The users of digital medien are getting younger and younger. Many children between six and eleven already own their own devices such as smartphones, TVs or game consoles. Almost half of all six-year-olds stream videos or music online and know how to share them with others. And nearly every eight-year-old knows about Facebook and WhatsApp; many even already use the messenger.

We adults also use digital media daily. With this development, family life has of course changed as well – the media consumption affects social interaction, leisure activities, daily routine and rhythm, and can also impact your child's psychosocial and cognitive abilities.

Media consumption in children: These are the pros and cons

In the discussion about children's media use the question has long since ceased to be whether children should use digital media – they are already omnipresent and indispensable in their world! The question is rather what a healthy approach to smartphones, tablets and co. can look like. To be able to support your child in this respect, it is first important to consider the advantages and disadvantages of children's media consumption consciously.

Digital media fascinate young and old! TV shows, YouTube videos, music streams, PC games & co. open up a colorful variety of virtual spaces as well as products of cultural and artistic value up to banal entertainment. Especially for children they are primarily items of enjoyment and leisure activities.

However, one should not fail to recognize the learning value that the media can offer your little one. At the cognitive level, the Internet in particular offers some opportunities. It is not only an infinite encyclopedia with the help of which your child continually expand can, it also helps with the organization of knowledge.

Your child learns early on to research information, to distinguish the relevant from the irrelevant, to link thoughts together and finally to form their own picture of the world. It is also encouraged to pursue its own interests and questions. This kind of independent exploration and formation of opinions is a key competence in everyone's life.

Although in connection with media consumption it is often – and rightly so – said that there is a risk of social isolation is spoken of, social skills can also be promoted. Global networking, for example, makes it possible to get to know foreign cultures; forums and social networks enable the exchange about common interests.

The blessing of digital media quickly becomes a curse as soon as the intensity of use reaches an excess or harmful content is consumed. For example, children who watch TV or play computer games for more than four hours a day already show a clear negative impact on concentration abilities and social competence. In particular, for toddlers under three years old, early media consumption can lead to developmental delays. In the long term, excessive television and computer consumption has negative effects on school performance, especially in math and reading.

On the social level, on the one hand there is the danger of social seclusion and of "living alongside each other" – adults are also called upon to repeatedly reflect on their media behavior – on the other hand, the phenomenon of cyberbullying has increased sharply in recent times.

Besides, there are of course dangers that arise from the digital media themselves, access to non-child-friendly content. Misuse of data and photos etc. that your child unknowingly shares online, as well as scams through supposedly free apps, ringtones and videos are some of them. It is important to warn your little one about these dangers early enough.

Media addiction: How to spot signs in time

An unregulated media consumption can, especially in adolescence, lead to full-blown media addiction. Children or teenagers then hardly find joy in anything other than the PC, smartphone or television. Meetings with friends, sports clubs or other leisure activities gradually recede into the background until they are almost entirely displaced by media consumption.

This development soon goes along with negative impacts on the mental and physical health of the children as well as on their psychosocial and cognitive abilities. Almost always it leads to intrafamilial conflicts and school problems.

It is not easy to distinguish between 'a little too much' media consumption and an actual media addiction – the transition is often gradual. Therefore you should from the start set clear limits for media consumption of your child and recognize early warning signs of media addiction.

If there are serious signs of media addiction, you should quickly seek contact with your child and address the topic, but proceed sensitively and build trust. If necessary, it can be helpful to seek professional psychological support.

Typical signs of media addiction

• Your child's media consumption leaves little room for other activities.

• Your child increasingly loses interest in alternative activities, including those it used to enjoy. Joy is only felt when using the PC, phone, television, etc.

• Abstaining from or restricting the use of digital devices is hard for your child to bear.

• A withdrawal from the family and circle of friends can be observed.

• School performance declines and school conflicts increase.

• There are also increasing conflicts within the family.

• Your child seems unusually often overtired, irritable, unfocused or nervous.

• Digital media are used as an escape from everyday life or as a mood lifter.

Shaping digital everyday life for children – our tips for media use

Media education has increasingly found its way into schools to help children develop independent, healthy and constructive media use. But as parents you should also accompany your child on this path – through shared exchange about media content, through education and sometimes also through clear rules and boundaries. You should always remember that you are the strongest role model have.

What you model to your child regarding the use of digital devices, they will emulate. Explaining the meaning and purpose of certain rules for media consumption, discussing needs on both sides and pointing out dangers as well as learning potentials are essential in acquiring media literacy. It is a joint learning process in which you maintain an overview of your media habits of your child and your child, in turn, gains insight into the meaningfulness of your advice and guidance.

At what age are devices appropriate for children?

Experts largely agree in their recommendations for healthy media consumption. It is recommended to completely avoid digital media under three years of age. The younger the child, the more susceptible they are to the influences of television. Heavy television consumption between two and four years old can lead to serious delays in brain and behavioral development.

From age five healthy and moderate media use is considered largely unproblematic. Of course, it's not only about duration and intensity of use, but also the content consumed. Even with short duration, non-child-appropriate content can cause harm. With increasing age – with appropriate guidance and media education – competence in dealing with digital media also increases. Nevertheless, you should keep insight into your child's media behavior here as well.

Media for children

When children dive into the world of media, those media should be designed to meet children's conditions and needs. With our diverse media offerings we help your little one explore this unique new world. Headphones and radios in cheerful colors and many music CDs & DVDs enable exciting listening experiences, tiptoi® books invite interactive reading fun and child-friendly tablets are ideal for the first step into the digital world. In addition, you will find many other multimedia products that your little one will enjoy!

Child-friendly tablets

The path into the world of virtual media must be carried out sensitively and step by step. Tablets designed especially for children facilitate the introduction to digital media. Filters check websites for their suitability for children, additionally you as parents can set which sites are accessible to your child and which are not. Your child will expect plenty of play & fun and via the connect function you can even experience this together!

Tonies®

Tonies® are wonderfully melodic little figurines.

Media use in children: How much time is appropriate?

Experts largely agree on the duration of use for digital media as well: As age increases, media use may rise, but there should still be clear limits for adolescents.

Children up to five years old should spend at most half an hour a day in front of the screen, children up to nine years about an hour.weekly usage time of about 9 hours is recommended. Teens should ideally divide this time among themselves – this strengthens responsible handling of digital media.

All digital media are included here in the usage calculation, including the phone and TV. However, you should consider what your child is using the medium for. For example, if they want to research information on the internet for a presentation, an extra hour can, in good conscience, be added to the actual quota.

Tip: Discuss usage times

It is important that your child understands why you agree on certain rules or limits regarding their media consumption. If they understand the rationale behind your decisions, that is also a first step on the path to personal responsibility and awareness of possible risks of media use.

So discuss the rules together with your child and convey to them that you want to, as far as possible, trust them to comply without constantly having to play the controller. Also important is setting digital time-outs – for example during shared meals, when the family wants to give each other undivided attention. The time-out of course also applies to the adults!

Develop media literacy in children

The most important building block in promoting your child's media literacy is the communication. Accompany your child's media use from the beginning, also through shared media experiences – for example, watch your child's favorite series with them and talk about it together. Sharing about media experiences is essential – you keep insight into the digital worlds in which your child moves and your child gets a platform and a listener for the newly gained and sometimes very exciting impressions.

Also educating about possible dangers is important, especially regarding the use of the Internet. Here a single click may be enough for your child to have possibly shared private information or photos of themselves that can be misused by other users. Sensitively point out these and other dangers to your child.

Of course you can also make use of technological protective functions use. For example, there are parental controls for certain websites or streaming content that is not child-appropriate.

Also show your child the learning potential of digital media! Of course, there is nothing against them spending their time preferably with their favorite series or a PC game – pure fun is allowed after a stressful school day! But point out to them the variety of exciting learning opportunities such as: child search engines, learning apps for various school subjects or topics, interactive picture books – digital media are full of possibilities that promote different competencies of your child!

A significant topic in many ways is also social interaction via digital media, whether via social networks, messengers or forums. It's not only about dangers like cyberbullying or contacts with unwanted persons – more generally, it must be made clear that digital communication does not replace social interaction in real life. Increasing enthusiasm for communication in chat should not go hand in hand with withdrawal from the real circle of friends or retreat from shared activities.

Parent-child contract for first-time phone users

Your child carries the phone with them constantly – you therefore cannot always keep an eye on how your child uses the device. Especially with the first phone, your little one is still very inexperienced in dealing with digital media, not yet sensitive to possible dangers and little trained in self-regulation and personal responsibility.

That's why there are special parent-child contracts for first-time phone users. The phone contracts are handled by the parents, who can control how much data is available to your child, which applications and apps they can use and so on.

Away from digital media: Exciting books & audiobooks

Anyone who, instead of the smartphone or tablet screen, once again feels paper under their fingers will be surprised how nice such a good old reading evening on the sofa can be. Especially in the autumn and winter months, you can make yourselves really cozy on the sofa with your little one and look at a picture book together or read aloud to each other. Audiobooks can also provide a wonderfully exciting and varied listening experience – books are and remain wonderful carriers of stories.

Beautiful children's books

Browse our selection – there you will find exciting books on all topics that a child's heart desires. Fans of non-fiction and knowledge books will enjoy it just as much as story lovers; books on the theme of Christmas should not be missing either! tiptoi® books on a wide range of topics from fairy tales to farms to world travel also invite interactive reading fun for young and old.

Audiobooks

Audiobooks are a great alternative to the classic book and take you on exciting, fantastic journeys. The sound experience produces wonderful inner images before the mind's eye and stimulates children's imagination. Whether fairy-tale and exciting stories, great musical experiences or fantasy journeys – here everyone likes to sit back in the armchair and listen eagerly.