Guide
How do you childproof the Internet?
by Aurel Stevens
Is the smartphone harming your child?
1.11.2018
Translation: machine translated
Would you prefer it if your daughter had never heard of YouTube? Media that we didn't grow up with ourselves unsettle parents more than others. What you need to know about your child's use of digital media.
In the past, when there were no smartphones and YouTube, parents didn't have to worry about media harming their children. Or did they? "Parents have always worried when it comes to children and media," says media educator Eveline Hipeli. The fears that once plagued mothers of book-devouring sons are therefore still familiar to mothers today: What if my child isolates himself too much? What if he learns about things that are not meant for his age? What if their imagination gets lost?
The only thing is, it's no longer about books. While the fears remain the same, the medium that triggers them has changed time and time again. First it was the book, then the radio, later the television and finally the computer, internet and smartphone. All this does not mean that parents should not support their children in their use of digital media. This support is important and right. The fact that many parents prefer their daughter to listen to radio plays instead of shooting bad-tempered birds through the air on her tablet does not mean that radio plays are good and games are bad. "How we evaluate a medium has a lot to do with our own childhood experiences," says Hipeli, who teaches at the Zurich University of Teacher Education.
Smartphones, addiction and stereotypes
A recent study on the importance of digital media for 4 to 7-year-olds shows that children still prefer to play the way they have always played. They draw and do arts and crafts, chase footballs around the park with friends, splash around in the non-swimming pool and spend time with dolls and toy dinosaurs. Of course, they also find the whole range of media fascinating: they like listening to music and stories, watching picture books and animated films and playing games. So when they sit down in front of the screen, it's usually not out of boredom, as some adults fear, but out of desire and curiosity.
Researchers at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW have investigated what worries parents most about digital media: it is often the fear that children could see something online that could upset or frighten them. YouTube in particular unsettles mums and dads because children are offered an unlimited number of videos there. Some parents are also annoyed by the rigid role models conveyed in some animated films. However, Eveline Hipeli does not think it makes sense to ban such films. "Children should be allowed to watch films or play games that parents don't consider to be particularly educational," says the communication scientist. However, the content should be age-appropriate and fathers and mothers should also seek dialogue with their children: It's okay to point out to your daughter that the princess could defeat the dragon herself instead of waiting for the prince to appear.
Parents also fear that tablets and smartphones could become an addiction. Many mums and dads find that children often find it difficult to break away from Angry Birds or Bob the Builder. The more often they sit in front of a screen, the more often they seem to crave it. This is also linked to the concern that children become lonely, have too little exercise or their creativity dries up. When it comes to addiction, however, the question "Why does my child play?" is more important than "How long does my child play?", say experts. Is gaming fun for the child and does it challenge their dexterity and concentration? Or are they playing because they are bored or, especially in the case of older children, because they are sad and trying to distract themselves? Do they spend their free time doing very different activities or are they increasingly just sitting at the computer?
Every family has its rules
Most families in Switzerland have rules for their children's media consumption. This is also shown by the ZHAW study. Digital devices such as smartphones and laptops are not normally easily accessible. Children have to ask if they can use them. In most cases, they are also only allowed to use them at certain times and for a set period of time. This could be half an hour during the week after homework has been completed, but also a whole Disney film on a Sunday afternoon. Experts are reluctant to give general guidelines. How much screen time is too much depends on various factors: Is there a balance between digital activities and other leisure pursuits? How does the child react to the content? Are other things being neglected? Is there a dialogue within the family about what the children are watching on the screen?
General bans have the opposite effect
Banning television and the internet altogether, on the other hand, is not a good idea - experts agree on this. Firstly, at some point, children will simply turn to their friends and parents will have no control over what they watch. Secondly, precisely because many games and video channels are made in such a way that your child could keep playing and watching forever, they need to practise using them. They should learn to put a game down even if there are thirty-six more levels to complete. They should know that not everything is true just because it's on TV.
Eveline Hipeli clearly believes that schools also have a duty here. Hipeli believes that the topic could be introduced in kindergarten using simple means. A self-recorded video, for example, clearly shows children: "It does indeed look as if the felt owl has eaten the bread roll on the desk. But we know that we always took a bite when the camera wasn't rolling." It's a first, critical look behind the scenes of the media world. And it can't come soon enough.
Header image: As long as everything else is not neglected, the smartphone can be an educationally valuable medium.
A passionate journalist and mother of two sons who moved from Zurich to Lisbon with her husband in 2014. Does her writing in cafés and appreciates that life has been treating her well in general. <br><a href="http://uemityoker.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">uemityoker.wordpress.com</a>
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