First steps towards media independence
Your child's independence increases in the second year of kindergarten. They will be able to go to the kindergarten on their own, play with friends unsupervised and learn to act independently and responsibly. The same is increasingly true when dealing with online media. Here, too, it is important to loosen the reins a little and let the child sit unsupervised on the mobile phone or PC. However, these phases should be approached with caution - just like the other steps towards independence.
Screen time should still be limited. Discuss with your child how much time this should be. At this age - between 6 and 9 years - the PC or mobile phone does not belong in the child's bedroom, but in the shared living area. However, they are allowed to play an age-appropriate game or browse a website without constant parental supervision. There are many websites for children of this age, which in my opinion are highly recommended. You can find some suggestions here:
www.swisscom.ch/magazin > Search for «Good sites»
In this context, it is important to protect your child from uncontrolled trips to the Internet. Set filter settings in the browser and use the parental control settings on the PC. You can easily find instructions on how to do this using the relevant keywords in a search engine. Do not underestimate children's urge to explore. For this reason, you should not release any pages that are riddled with adverts. The temptation to click on them is great.
In the second Chindsgi, you should talk to your child about the Internet as such - in an age-appropriate and understandable way, of course. What is advertising? What is content that is not made for children's eyes? What is data protection and why is it important for me? Why can't I take everything on the Internet at face value? Children are curious and often intuitively grasp the relevant connections. Don't scare them, but encourage them to use the new media consciously. Because sooner rather than later, children will have a mobile phone and a computer. They should be prepared for this.
On Medienstark you will find tips and interactive learning modules for the competent use of digital media in everyday family life. swisscom.ch/medienstark
