What should your children know about the Internet before they start surfing?

Using the Internet is a matter of course. Children grow up seeing you, as parents, surfing the web, booking holidays, reading or starting the music app with lullabies. The little ones quickly use the devices of their parents themselves and at the latest in elementary school many children get their first smartphone and/or their own tablet and start using these devices on their own.

Whether for use for school or leisure time, it is recommended to accompany children and adolescents from the very beginning and to teach them the possibilities and age-appropriate use. According to the children’s age, it is important to raise their awareness of their own data and the functioning of the Internet. Talk to your children about which links are clicked, and have a talk if something does not work. Discuss how your children should react in case of unwanted page behavior, such as popups, unwanted new windows or tabs. Practice dealing with cookie banners so that your child does not always click on “accept everything”.

On the web you will find good advice pages for parents and children. On the pages of the Internet ABC you will find answers to questions you probably have already asked yourself or your children have asked you. Here you will also find the so-called driver’s license for the Internet. With the surfing license from the Internet ABC, your children can learn how to move safely on the Internet. Through various topics, your children can intuitively test their knowledge about the web and learn about it. You can even pick up and print the Internet driver’s license. Just give it a try and make the test together.
Does your child have many questions and looks for answers on the Internet?

Does your child often surf the Internet in order to find answers to all the numerous questions?

It is also sometimes a relief for you in everyday life when you can refer to the Internet. And there we are on the subject of search engines. Here, the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI) recommends the use of age-appropriate search engines, such as www.fragfinn.de, www.blindekuh.de and www.helleskoepfchen.de (note: they contain advertisements).

Child-friendly explanation of data protection

You should raise your children’s awareness as early as possible about why protecting their own data is so important. The BfDI provides two Pixi books free of charge. The “Data Foxes” [“Daten-Füchse”] experience the story “This is private!” and the Pixi -knowledge explains “What is data protection?”, both of which can be found at www.bfdi.bund.de/pixi. The BfDI has also published six videos, www.bfdi.bund.de/teens, explaining data protection for children. A learning module in the Internet ABC “Privacy — this remains private” introduces children to the topic in a playful way.

As so often in everyday life with children, in the end you simply ask yourself to which extent you want to be a role model for your children. You too should protect your personal data and leave as few data traces on the Internet as possible. Use search engines such as www.startpage.de or www.fireball.de.