German Family Minister Karin Prien (CDU) has spoken out against a simple social media ban in an interview with the magazine Eltern. “We live in a digital society. Children and young people should not be excluded from it,” the CDU politician said. She emphasized the responsibility of platform operators, for example regarding age verification, and called for stronger protection of vulnerable groups.
Prien appealed to parents to be role models and set clear rules for smartphone use. “Just the rule that smartphones have no place in children’s bedrooms at night can make an enormous difference,” the minister said. She recommends that children of primary school age should not own their own smartphone.
Today, Prien will receive the recommendations for action from the Expert Commission on Child and Youth Protection in the Digital World. The panel, chaired by former Bundestag member Nadine Schön (CDU) and Leibniz Institute director Olaf Köller, has developed recommendations with 18 experts from media, educational research, and medicine. These go beyond a possible social media ban and also include media literacy and participation. The proposals will be presented together with the minister at midday.
Source: www.zeit.de
