#OnlineAmLimit. How can digital balance be achieved in everyday family life?
Defined rules, device settings and time limits for digital media can prevent stress and avoid arguments. Together with Natascha Ochsenknecht, the EU initiative klicksafe provides helpful everyday tips for the conscious use of digital media.
Exciting YouTube tutorials, funny memes and chats with friends - the internet offers parents as well as children and young people great opportunities to pass the time and have fun. However, caution is advised to ensure that a pastime does not become a time-waster! Digital platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube use clever strategies to keep us using them.
Together with a mother who is very close to the topic, the EU initiative klicksafe shows us the risks and stress factors involved and how we can stay in control: Natascha Ochsenknecht.
In this article you will learn:
1. fun and stress factors of digital media
There are various reasons why we use digital media. On the one hand, there are digital programs, apps and tools that make our everyday lives easier. We use them to navigate from A to B, find out what has happened during the day or chat with colleagues, family and friends.
On the other hand, digital media can be a fun way to pass the time and a welcome distraction from everyday stress: binge-watching series and movies on Netflix, uploading a vacation photo to Instagram (and enjoying the nice comments from your loved ones) and quickly playing a round of Candy Crush while you have to pass the time in the doctor's waiting room.
But what happens if I overdo it and my life suddenly takes place more online than offline? Or family members prefer to look at their smartphones instead of actively participating in conversations. Then the digital distraction from everyday stress quickly mutates into a stress factor itself.
2 Influencing through nudges: what is it?
Excessive usage behavior is encouraged by so-called "nudges" - small digital nudges designed to encourage us to spend more time online than planned. These include
e.g. notifications of unread chat messages or the endless loop function for videos on YouTube or Instagram. The result? We are glued to our screens. This often leads to arguments within the family, sensory overload for parents and children and, in extreme cases, headaches, burning eyes and sleep problems. To prevent this from happening in the first place, klicksafe provides helpful tips for digital balance in everyday family life.
3. more balance, less stress: how does that work?
Reaching for a smartphone is often an automatic response rather than a necessity. The good news is that we can learn to maintain a digital balance by using media more consciously.
Parents in particular have an important role model function here. This is because the first experiences children have with digital media are learned within the family - often by imitating the behavior of mom or dad. Setting a good example is therefore the first step towards balanced media use in the family.
We have a few tips for this:
- Switch off nudges manually: Push notifications can be deactivated.
- Set smartphone-free times: for example, when eating dinner together or before going to bed.
- Regulate media use: Common family rules can be easily agreed using the online tool www.mediennutzungsvertrag.de.
- Open up conversations: Ask specifically what fascinates the child about the digital space. For example, is there an internet idol or a funny trend at the moment?
- Sharing: trying out a digital game together or practicing a TikTok dance promotes a relationship of trust.
- Set up devices safely: There is also content online that can be disturbing or dangerous for children. Parents should activate parental control filters before giving their child a smartphone.
- Show understanding: A child who feels misunderstood and is perhaps even afraid of being reprimanded or punished will develop inhibitions about confiding in you in an emergency.
- Use time limits: Limits for the use of apps can be set in the device settings of smartphones.
4. go deeper: Where can I find more information?
Do you want to ensure more digital balance in everyday family life, but don't really know how to broach the subject with your family? We have set up a section on our website with the most important information about digital wellbeing and digital dependency: www.klicksafe.de/onlineamlimit
Here you can also find statements from our ambassador Natascha Ochsenknecht, who is campaigning with klicksafe for more digital balance in everyday family life.
You can watch the klicksafe video series on #OnlineAmLimit with the whole family as an introduction to the topic. If you want to take a more playful approach to the topic, take a quiz or the ReSeT test on your own cell phone use. We have something suitable for everyone to delve deeper into the subject.
5th klicksafe web seminar: Register now!
What fascinates parents and their children about the digital space and how do we keep our usage time and that of our children under control? And where can we get help when screen time gets so out of hand that it repeatedly leads to arguments?
On September 13, 2023, klicksafe will get to the bottom of these questions in a free web seminar for parents and other interested parties. Together with Suchthilfe Aachen, we will provide important tips for more digital balance in the family and show what to do in an emergency. klicksafe web seminar
