«Prevention can only succeed if everyone pulls together.»

Villa Schöpflin in Lörrach (Germany) has been a centre for addiction and prevention work for over 20 years. As an institution of the Schöpflin Foundation, it has been developing and implementing programmes to empower children, young people and their families since 2001. It is involved in various social areas.

Now, with scientific expertise, Villa Schöpflin has developed an app for children aged ten and above and young people. It is designed to enable them to use their smartphones more consciously and defuse conflicts within the family. The name of this long-awaited app is «freii». Prevention specialist Daniel Ott is the project manager of «freii» and deputy director of Villa Schöpflin.

Mr Ott, how did the idea for the «freii» prevention app come about?

The same questions kept coming up in our consultations: When is it too much? Which games are okay? What can I do if I feel powerless? We realised that there needed to be a service specifically for this target group. Until then, our prevention programmes had used haptic materials. We quickly decided on a software-based solution because digital content is easier to update.

People often talk about «mobile phone addiction» when someone uses their phone too much. Does it really exist?

We work with the term «internet usage disorders». It covers various forms of usage such as gaming, social media, streaming, shopping and pornography, and is helpful because it makes a clear distinction. Not every young person who plays excessively for a few weeks is necessarily addicted. Especially when a popular game is released, such as the new FC 26, formerly Fifa, a temporary hype is normal. Our aim is to distinguish between risky use and an actual disorder. However, the diagnosis is made by therapists and doctors. We do not make diagnoses ourselves.

freii offers inspiration for families in which communication does not always run smoothly.

Can you describe the function of «freii»?

«freii is a digital prevention service for children, young people, parents, school classes and teachers. It comprises three areas. Firstly, the app with the 21-day programme. The focus here is on self-tests that provide users with personal and confidential feedback that cannot be viewed by third parties. Secondly, there are workshops for school classes. These have a common start and a common conclusion. Their content is explored in depth by qualified specialists. Thirdly, we offer a YouTube channel and social media services with easily accessible information for parents and young people. These can be used completely independently of participation. This promotes knowledge building, reflection, communication impulses and everyday activities.

The app also includes challenges. What are they all about?

All but two of the challenges can be completed without a smartphone. In one challenge, for example, the family has to answer questions together spontaneously. Or sit down at a table to plan a joint activity. «freii» offers inspiration for families where communication does not always run smoothly. Another task is to find local opportunities where young people can get active or involved, such as youth centres or sports clubs. The average daily usage time for the app is three to five minutes, which is very manageable. However, there is no monitoring of whether the challenges are completed or not. We see this offering more as a toolbox.

Who are the guides who play a central role in video messages?

We deliberately chose not to use influencers, but instead selected four young people who have their feet firmly on the ground, are studying or are employed by a local authority. They come across as very authentic in the videos and are constantly recording new videos in which they answer questions from the community. For parents, we work with German doctor and TV presenter Eckart von Hirschhausen.

How do users arrive at their results?

On the last day, you will receive a questionnaire with a before-and-after comparison, a family reflection and reflection videos from the guides, which are regularly re-shot.

The app achieved significant improvements in families with increased communication problems.

What is the success rate of «freii»?

A study funded by the German Ministry of Health confirmed that our app has a very good success rate. After using it, 44 per cent of schoolchildren felt motivated to change their leisure habits. In addition, young people were subsequently able to name significantly more leisure activities. 55 per cent felt more confident about talking to their friends about problematic use. Media literacy also increased: before our app, only 4.4 per cent were familiar with the term «dark patterns», but after the programme, this figure rose to over 81 per cent. «Fomo» and other media psychology terms were also much better understood.

And in the family? After all, media use harbours great potential for conflict, especially there.

Here, too, we found that after using the app, 66 per cent of the young people surveyed developed a better understanding of family rules. In families with increased communication problems, «freii» was able to achieve significant improvements. Nevertheless, I would like to emphasise that «freii» is not a therapy programme, but serves as a preventive measure. We believe that prevention within the family can only be successful if children and parents are addressed equally and pull together. The more they talk to each other and the better the balance between leisure time and media, the more effective it is – because the goal is to prevent children from slipping into risky or unhealthy use in the first place.

Is the app also available in Switzerland?

Yes, the app version has been available in app stores since December. The web app was introduced earlier, after scientific confirmation that our core objectives had been achieved. We are now working on enabling the use of «freii» in schools in Switzerland – including the qualification of specialists. The issue of linguistic acceptance is also being taken into account.

What about data protection?

Data protection is very important in a school setting. You only need to enter a username and password. We do not collect email addresses or telephone numbers.