Christmas vacationA reflective holiday season with and without media

The Christmas holidays are approaching and media consumption traditionally increases during these times. Shared media experiences such as a movie night can be a great way to enrich family life. However, it can also lead to arguments and frustration if individual family members appear to be absorbed in their smartphones and hardly pay any attention to their surroundings. Especially if parents want to give devices or digital games as Christmas presents, they should set firm rules. We give tips on how families can avoid arguments about media use.

A reflective holiday season with and without media

Set firm rules for the whole family

Binding rules are an important part of good media education. It is important that all those involved are involved in defining the rules for media use. This is because rules that have been negotiated together are more likely to be accepted by everyone. In addition, rules on media use should also apply to the adults in the household. Don't worry: parents don't have to make do with 30 minutes of screen time in the home office because they have young children. Of course, there can be different rules for different people. However, children rightly feel it is unfair if their use of media is judged differently to that of adults. For example, a rule such as "We don't look at our smartphones when we eat together" can easily apply to everyone, regardless of age.

Offer good and age-appropriate content

There is excellent content for all age groups in all areas of the media. The difficulty is often finding this content. Many information portals on the Internet have specialized in precisely this. Below you will find some of them. In families with older and younger children, parents and guardians must try to find a happy medium. Discuss with the older children that they sometimes have to be considerate of their younger siblings. Just as younger children have to accept that some media content is not yet suitable for their age.

Enjoying media time together

If possible, use the holidays to enjoy digital media together as a family or to learn more about your children's media use. This could be a movie night at home or have your children introduce you to their favorite influencers. Are you not into gaming? Then now might be the chance to play a game with your children. Media time together can be a lot of fun and you can also learn how your child deals with media. If children know that their parents take an honest interest in their media use, they will be more open to approaching them if they have any problems.

Supporting children in their search for alternatives

Does it bother you that your children are always glued to their smartphones or consoles? Then offer attractive alternatives. Perhaps your child hasn't yet found good strategies to deal with boredom and is therefore constantly turning to digital media? In this case, you as parents can provide important support and offer suitable activities. Crafting, painting, visiting friends, playing outside and so on - there are lots of things that children enjoy and that don't involve a lot of effort. Of course, parents should only provide support where it is really necessary. Not every time a child says "I'm bored!", parents must immediately present a long list of entertainment options. On the contrary, it is important that children get creative themselves when they are bored and occupy themselves independently.

Start the new year with a digital detox

Push notifications, constant availability and a seemingly endless flood of content have become stress factors for many. Digital detox can help. This involves consciously giving up electronic devices or certain apps for a certain period of time. The aim of doing without is to help us better assess how much digital content is good for our lives. It is important that this is done voluntarily - a prescribed media abstinence is unlikely to be perceived positively by children. Digital detox is particularly suitable for people who already have their own devices and realize that using them can also lead to undesirable side effects. Digital Detox is therefore primarily aimed at young people and adults.

Further information from klicksafe

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Media Education
klicksafe topic area
Parental control programs