Mr Kesselbach, what is Jugendblick.ch all about?
The platform is a guide for parents on how to better protect young people on social media. It started as a school-leaving project and is now a project close to our hearts. Maxim Boric and I are both 19 and use Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat or TikTok every day. We know what children are exposed to on these platforms. And we ask ourselves: Are parents aware of this too? The older we got, the more we began to reflect on what we were being confronted with there.
There are many things that have shocked or concerned us. Things that parents know nothing about because they grew up in a different era. We want parents to understand what their children are experiencing online and to be able to talk to them about it. We believe that conversations are more effective than bans, and that informed parents are the best guides for their children.
What do you offer parents?
You shouldn't have to spend hours researching what matters when it comes to your children's use of social media . Jugendblick brings together all the information parents need on this topic. Not through dry academic studies, but in a practical and easy-to-understand way. We explain how these platforms work, where the opportunities and risks lie, and summarise the key points briefly. And there are tips and guidance on how parents can protect their children more effectively on each platform.
Children and young people are confronted with sexualised content on a daily basis without even realising it. This shapes their thinking, their behaviour and their self-image.
Why is the issue of hypersexualisation the focus here?
Nothing attracts more attention than sexual content, particularly on social media. Algorithms prioritise content that generates a lot of attention. Sexualised content therefore gets more clicks, is shown more frequently as a result, and then receives even more clicks. Influencers and companies exploit this.
As a result, sexually explicit content is now as commonplace as cooking videos. Children and young people are exposed to it every day without even realising it. This shapes their thinking, their behaviour and their self-image. They develop distorted ideas about the body, sexuality and relationships, and comparing themselves to such ideals creates pressure, insecurity and a negative body image.
For further information, please visit jugendblick.ch
