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26 mai 2026 | Contrôle parental, Divers
June 1 is International Children’s Day! Digital literacy instead of social media bans
Many parents have to throw up their hands in capitulation when it comes to digital literacy and social media. They aren’t very tech savvy in many cases. More often than not, it’s the younger generation that knows the in’s and out’s of social media, computers, smartphones, and software. And you think that you can prevent these younger people from using something that even you don’t fully grasp or have a handle on? There are better ways than outright bans! Digital literary experts provide their ideas and tips on how to safely use social media, you can look up help on the internet and also work together with your children.
International Children’s Day –
June 1, 2026 (World Children’s Day in September!)
It didn’t take long after Australia had implemented a ban on social media for children under the age of 16 years that parents, politicians, and organizations elsewhere sought further-reaching restrictions in their respective countries. The media widely covered these calls for more legislation; however, the responses of the teens and younger children to the bans were often relegated to the margins of the news outlets.
Nevertheless, these younger people do have a voice and ideas on how to deal with the issue. They would like to see more digital literacy taught in their schools, for example, as an extracurricular offering or simply from their older peers in school who could act as mentors. Many are also calling for more legislation that targets online hate speech, pushes for quicker actions when it comes to cyberbullying or for more transparent algorithms. However, society is tasked with making this happen, and things take time. “There are tips for you and your children that can be implemented much more quickly!”, explains Erik Heyland, Head of Testing Labs at AV-TEST.
Messaging services and social media networks have their own age restrictions
You would be rather surprised if you were to carefully read through the terms and conditions of messaging service providers and social media platforms. The EU has set a minimum age of 16 years for the use of WhatsApp, Telegram, and Discord! Other countries and regions have an even lower minimum age requirement: 13 years. Other social media apps such as Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok require users to be at least 13 years old to use their services. YouTube has a minimum age of 16 years, except for YouTube Kids.
7 tips for safely using social media without the need for bans
Tip 1: It is a common mistake that even adults make: they use their real data, making them easy targets to track down. Children should absolutely use a made-up name when using social media platforms. Use a temporary or disposable email account when registering for social media apps. Often, there is one connected to your Android phone’s account. Apple’s iOS also provides this option. Last but not least, do not make social profiles public. Make sure that they are set to private; otherwise, everyone can view them and interact with the account.
Tip 2: Many children want to use their mobile device so they can play games and make in-app purchases. Many apps request a credit card at setup, and things can get expensive very quickly. Hackers will often make huge credit card purchases once they have gained illegal access to a child’s gaming account. To prevent this, use a prepaid card for the account. You can purchase a digital version of the card online or from a participating store.
Tip 3: If your child really wants to watch videos or content on social media and you’re not sure how to best prevent this, then just make use of the features directed at children. For example, they can use the YouTube Kids app, which automatically filters the content it presents. Or, in the case of Facebook, then they can use the Messenger Kids app offered by Meta. All contacts must be pre-approved by a parent, preventing direct interactions between the child and strangers.
Streaming services, such as Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime, also allow parents the option of setting up kids profiles. The main account can be easily protected by a PIN code.
Tip 4: You can have your child use security software available on Android, Windows, and MacOS. All devices offer a decent of level of basic protection, but many do not go beyond this level. Security apps for mobile Android devices that have been approved by experts offer excellent additional safeguards such as VPNs, scam detection for links, and protection against identity theft. You should only use the kids protection features on apps if your child is much younger than 12 years old. Older children don’t want to be monitored all the time and they’ll figure out a way to evade the apps.
What’s more, there are reliable protection packages for Windows computers or MacOS systems that offer many additional features. Keep in mind offers for unlimited VPN usage. Children and young people appreciate this feature. Many licenses for all-in-one or premium versions cover numerous devices, so in addition to your desktop computer, they can also be installed on smartphones and tablet computers.
Tip 5: Take advantage of the in-app features on Instagram or TikTok, for example, that are designed to limit or silence notifications at certain times. If the social media app does not offer this feature, you can set your Android or iOS device to “Do Not Disturb” or “Focus” mode and design your own break times. Then everyone can rest more easily.
Tip 6: Is it absolutely necessary that your child takes their smartphone into their room at night? Why not convince your child to leave their smartphone in the living room on a charger for the night? This way, you cut down the amount of time that they are accessible – and it limits the chances of a stranger reaching out to your child pretending to be one of their peers (think, cybergrooming).
Tip 7: If you show your children that you trust them, they will trust you. If you are too controlling or overbearing, they will quickly cut you out of the loop. And sometimes, it helps children, teenagers, and adults to “see” the real dangers. The AV-ATLAS, a free, publicly accessible platform by AV-TEST shows the real threats out there in real time. You do not have to be an expert to understand the figures. The AV-ATLAS website shows an overview of the last 14 days: the subject line of dangerous phishing e-mails or the fact that there is already a total of 1.5 billion malware, with hundreds of thousands of new threats appearing every day.