According to Spiegel, the Education Action Council has presented a report that will be published Thursday in Munich. In it, the nine renowned education researchers reject blanket bans on social media for young people. Instead, they advocate a combination of better legal oversight of platforms, strengthened media literacy instruction, and educational offerings for parents.
“Children, young people, and adults must be prepared from an early age, in an age-appropriate manner, for the opportunities and risks of social media,” the report states. The key is “media integrity” — responsible action even when one must forgo perceived advantages. Politics must create clear age regulations for platforms, warns Dieter Lenzen against “blind activism.”
The council also calls for schools to be required to develop pedagogically sound usage concepts for social media. Teacher training must also be adapted. At the same time, parents must change their own behavior — for example, reducing their own phone use and sharing fewer photos of their children. Teachers should engage more with parents to curb excessive social media use.
Source: www.spiegel.de
