Young people who grow up with devices like smartphones, PCs and tablets all around them are known as digital natives. They come into contact with these devices when they are still very small children, but what do they know about security? After all, the Internet can be a dangerous place for children just as it can for adults, where they may be exposed to malware, cyber bullying or phishing e-mails.

Recommendations for how children should use the Internet

The question of how to encourage children to exercise caution when using digital media is a difficult one for parents and teachers. Just like in the real world, there is not one hard and fast rule on how to protect oneself. Regular communication is the best way of preventing any damage: talk about what your child is experiencing online or perhaps play an online game together once in a while. It is also a good idea to agree on a couple of ground rules when it comes to using the Internet, such as those suggested here:

• Don't believe everything you read online. When using chat programs, e-mails and social media in particular, your child should always bear in mind that people can hide their real identities behind fake profiles. What's more, not all the content found online is necessarily true. Encourage your child to develop a healthy degree of scepticism.
• Speak to us if anything seems strange to you. An odd e-mail, an unusual request, a notification that you have won a prize: even adults are not always sure how they should react to everything they come across online. So if they have any hint of a bad feeling about anything, your child should come to you straightaway. You can look at anything dubious together and talk about what to do next.
• Do not divulge any of your data. Most people would feel uncomfortable about giving out their address and mobile phone number to anyone on the street just like that. It is no different on the Internet. But once in a while you really do have to provide your data — when setting up an e-mail account, for example. Agree that you will always provide such details together, so you can be sure it really is necessary.

Further recommendations

Here are some other points you can cover when talking to your child about how they should behave online and the risks of using the Internet:
• Never tell anyone your passwords. It doesn't matter whether it's to your best friend, in answer to an e-mail request or in a chat program: never disclose your passwords to anyone. Together, come up with a strategy for how your child can create secure passwords that they can easily remember. Also make sure they use a different password for every account.
• Be careful when downloading files from the Internet. When downloading files, there is a risk of malicious programs such as viruses or worms being downloaded too. Costs can sometimes be incurred as well. Programs and apps should therefore only ever be downloaded under the supervision of a parent or another adult. You can also implement a general block on downloads by enabling various filters and setting up different user accounts, so only an adult with administrator rights can download anything.
• Exercise caution when using public WLAN networks. Your child may come across public WLAN networks in shopping centres, cafés or youth centres. But such networks are not without risk: your child's data could be intercepted or malware could infiltrate their device, for example. You should therefore talk to your child in advance about which WLAN networks you trust — because they comply with certain security standards — and how they can recognise them.
• Never respond to any messages from a stranger. Spam e-mails and messages from fraudsters are getting more and more sophisticated. In some instances of what is known as social engineering, human characteristics such as a willingness to help others, trust, fear or respect for authority are even exploited to manipulate people in a very clever way.
• Never open any files sent in e-mails or messaging apps — especially if you do not know who has sent them. Malware may be concealed in the attachments and will then download onto your child's computer, tablet or smartphone once they are opened.
• Really think about what photos you upload. Photos can be copied in an instant and it is virtually impossible to control them. You should therefore work out a rule with your child about when and which photos they can upload. It is also important to talk about how they should never put photos of their friends online without their consent or send them via messaging apps.

Tips for further reading:

• The 2018/2019 issue of the recommended brochure 'Gutes Aufwachsen mit Medien - Digitales Kinderzimmer' ('Growing up Well with Media — The Digital Child's Bedroom'), published by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, is available now. You can also find this information on the website www.surfen-ohne-risiko.net.
• 'Klicks-Momente — So unterstützen Sie Ihr Kind in der Medienkompetenz' ('Click — How to Help Your Child Become Media Savvy') is a brochure published by the police. You can download it from the Internet free of charge.
• Leaflets: Chatten: Ja, aber richtig! (Chats Done Right!) and Soziale Netzwerke (Social Networks) cover the topic of chat programs and are published by the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre.