Screen time: children from 6-12 years

When surfing the Internet, children should only use age-appropriate and safe services . Children need your help and support when exploring the Internet. Set up childproof devices and supervise children closely. Clear media usage rules and regular discussions about online experiences are necessary to protect children from unsuitable or harmful content.

Screen usage varies depending on the children's stage of development, age and interests. The following guidelines help to ensure balanced use:

• 6 to 9 years: a maximum of 30 to 45 minutes per day. Screen time should not necessarily be daily and should always include age-appropriate content and adult supervision.
• 9 to 12 years: Maximum 45 to 60 minutes per day. Content should continue to be discussed together. Parental control settings are important if the child is online unaccompanied. A weekly time account can help to enable flexible media use. A media usage contract and media vouchers can help to set clear rules and illustrate media time.

Parents should keep an eye on overall media use and regularly check how screen time is integrated into everyday life.

1. Support your child and remember your role model function 
   Children need to learn how to use the internet properly. They need your full support in this. Talk to your child about the opportunities and dangers of the Internet as openly and honestly as possible and with a positive attitude. Much of what your child learns will come from observing and imitating your media behavior. Reflect regularly on your own use of media. 
2. Find a suitable location for Internet access 
   In order to better accompany children, Internet-enabled devices should be in their vicinity and not in the children's rooms. 
3. Use filter settings and parental control programs 
   Set up your child's own user account (restricted according to age). Use filter programs and other technical parental control settings as a supplement to educational guidance. Regularly install security updates for the operating system and protect the computer against digital malware with a firewall and virus protection. You can find step-by-step instructions at www.medien-kindersicher.de.
4. Agree clear rules 
   Draw up a media usage agreement appropriate to the age of the child. For example, you can agree that children will not post any personal data online and will not use certain functions, such as downloads or competitions, on their own. Surfing times can also be specified in the contract. The agreement can also be printed out and posted in a clearly visible place. Agree clear and proportionate consequences if rules are deliberately and repeatedly not adhered to. 
5. Switch to a children's search engine 
   Choose the children's search engine fragfinn.de or your child's favorite website as the homepage. With a children's search engine such as FragFinn, children learn how to search and research on the Internet without coming into contact with problematic search results. In addition to news and games, it offers topics and information specially tailored to children.
   
   By the end of primary school, most children will be competent enough to navigate the internet more freely. Therefore, get your child used to the possibility of surfing with favorites or bookmarks on their own user account. Accompany older children if they want to try out general search engines as well as children's search engines. Help children to recognize how much truth and credibility there is behind an online offer. 
6. Find safe communication spaces together 
   Children can also find peers with the same interests online. Look for these chats and communities together. 
   Social networks and messengers such as TikTok, Instagram and WhatsApp are not suitable for primary school children! They bring children into contact online with people they don't know or confront them with problematic content such as pornography, violence and dangerous challenges.
   Moderated chats and special online communities for children such as seitenstark.de and internet-abc.de, on the other hand, offer safety. They are moderated to prevent discriminatory and offensive posts as well as sexual harassment.
7. Talk about data protection, advertising and the like. 
   A conscious and critical approach to the internet also means that children should understand how the internet works and be able to recognize advertising as such. Also educate children about data protection and copyright. The Internet ABC has learning modules that children can use to playfully learn how to handle personal data and online advertising.
8. Look for suitable offers for children 
   Limit the number of websites your child is allowed to visit. It is important that your child uses age-appropriate and educationally valuable content. In the browser, you can add selected websites to your favorites or bookmarks. On the tablet, you should customize the home screen. Collect more interesting links together with your child. This will increase the selection and your child will learn how to use online content step by step. 
9. Stay up to date 
   Children and young people often know better than adults what is possible on the internet. But: They often don't know the dangers or legal regulations! Subscribe to our free newsletter to be informed about new offers and articles at klicksafe every month. Or use our news articles in your RSS feed. You can also find klicksafe on WhatsApp, Instagram or Facebook.