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Scenes glorifying violence, pornographic content or even deepfakes – there are images and videos that are simply unsuitable for children. And there are others that should at least be critically reflected upon within an appropriate framework. If children and young people are confronted with unsuitable content too early, this can have a negative impact on their development. On this page, we explain the context and show what you as parents can do to help prevent this.
How to support your child online
Texts, images and videos are unsuitable for children and young people if they have a negative influence on them and their development. Some content is simply unsuitable for the health and safety of children. Other content, however, can be properly understood by children and young people if they have age-appropriate explanations.
Fake news is false information spread in the media and on the internet with manipulative intent. The sender deliberately seeks to deceive the recipient. This makes it so difficult to recognise fake news as such.
The human brain usually only learns what a lie is at the age of 5. This is another reason why it is important to accompany children as they take their first steps in using the media. And to help them learn to recognise that false information and manipulation also exist on the internet, according to Dr Edda Humprecht from the Institute for Communication Science and Media Research at the University of Zurich.
61% of young people said they had encountered fake news in the last month.
JIM Study 2024(opens in new tab)
Artificial intelligence can not only generate images and videos from scratch, but also alter parts of an image or video to make them look deceptively real. This has made it easier to spread fake news.
To recognise such manipulated image material, perception must be trained: consciously look at deepfakes with your child. Together, develop a feeling for and arguments as to why this is a deepfake.
More on this topic can be found in the enter chapter ‘Fake News and Deepfakes’.
Children and young people are coming into contact with pornographic content at an increasingly early age through their own smartphones. Some simply view the content, while others share or send suggestive images of themselves. What is acceptable and what is going too far? As a general rule, children who are well-informed and sexually self-determined are better protected against abuse. What can I do as a parent to help prevent this?
And what is the legal situation? According to Chantal Billaud, Managing Director of Swiss Crime Prevention, children often distribute violent videos or pornographic content online. She emphasises: ‘Young people need to know that if they are caught doing this, they can be prosecuted.’ More on this in the video.(opens in new tab)
25% of young people report experiences with unwanted exposure to pornographic content.
JIM Study 2024(opens in new tab)
There is also content on the internet where false senders hide behind text or images. In cybergrooming, for example, cybercriminals pretend to be close to children or young people by giving them compliments and feigning understanding. They try to gain their trust in this way. Some want to obtain intimate images that they can use against the children. Others want to get close to the children for paedophilic reasons.
To prevent children and young people from falling for such advances, they need to be aware of the issue and know how to respond. What do parents need to know about cybergrooming and sextortion?
3% of young people have experienced sextortion through blackmail with erotic media at least once.
According to the latest JAMES Study 2024, boys consume approximately twice as many violent videos as girls. Viewing and sending violent images can be seen as a test of courage among peers in order to create a sense of belonging.
It is important that young people know that sending such content is a criminal offence in Switzerland. More information on this topic can be found here.
6% of young people watch violent videos every day or several times a week.
What is online advertising? What is its purpose? And where can it be found on the internet or in digital media? Children first need to learn how to recognise advertising and respond to it appropriately. Pre-school and primary school children in particular still find it difficult to distinguish between advertising and editorial content.
SCHAU HIN! provides parents with tips and explains why it is important to raise awareness of advertising(opens in new tab).
Many young people today use social networks to find out about world events. However, the fake news and extreme political content that is often available in large quantities can make it difficult for individuals to form their own opinions. In January 2025, Klicksafe, in collaboration with Jugendschutz.net, published teaching materials with the aim of ‘empowering young people against right-wing extremist influences on the internet.’(opens in new tab)
With regard to racism, Miriam Nadimi Amin, trainer and coach for anti-discrimination education and diversity and conflict management, sees the following problem: ‘The impact of subtle forms of racism is often underestimated.’ This includes unconscious statements, ill-considered use of language or images with racist stereotypes. Digital media ensure that such statements can spread quickly, according to Miriam Nadimi Amin in an interview with SCHAU HIN!(opens in new tab) Here, too, child-friendly education is needed so that children and young people can respond appropriately to racist content.
54% of young people report negative experiences with extreme political views.
If children and young people consume content that is unsuitable for them, this can have negative effects on them and their development. The extent of these effects depends on the specific situation and on the age and character of those affected.
Psychologist Stephanie Karrer explains the effects of inappropriate content on children and young people.
A flawless complexion thanks to editing functions and filters, as well as other unrealistic beauty ideals, influence self-perception. Regular exposure to this ‘perfect’ content on social networks can lead to unhealthy expectations of one's own body. This not only leads to a distorted self-image, but in extreme cases can even result in eating disorders.
Fake news and images and videos manipulated using AI can also confuse children and young people. In some cases, this makes it difficult for them to distinguish between what is true and what is false.
Violent scenes such as images of war or even a test of courage that glorifies violence can trigger anxiety in children and young people. This is because they feel helpless or overwhelmed.
Children and young people need to know a place or a person they can turn to with their worries. If they are left alone with their fears, this can cause sleep problems or psychosomatic problems.
Children and young people are greatly influenced by their environment as they grow up: they copy what they see and hear, and learn in this way. It is therefore not surprising that even extreme political opinions are accepted uncritically, especially at a young age. This has a decisive influence on the moral values of children and young people.
Violent videos can tempt children and young people to act unethically, recklessly or perhaps even self-destructively. Or in critical situations, they may react spontaneously with violence because it is perceived as ‘normal’.
There is content on the internet or in digital media that leads to platforms where cybercriminals or paedophiles are active. Such content may appear harmless at first glance, but can subsequently lead to emotional manipulation or blackmail. Children and young people are lured with compliments and understanding in order to gain access to sensitive information. This information is then used to trap or blackmail the children and young people.
More on this topic: Cybergrooming & sextortion: A guide for parents
In this case, the question is more about ‘how much’ rather than the type of inappropriate content. When children and young people consume addictive content, they may spend excessive amounts of time online. This leaves them with no time to meet up with friends in person. In extreme cases, children and young people may become socially isolated as a result.
It is evident that social media can have both positive and negative effects on the health and well-being of young people. […] That is why teaching media literacy is so important. […] It is clear that we need to take immediate and sustained action to help young people reverse the potentially harmful use of social media, which has been shown to lead to depression, bullying, anxiety and poor school performance.
Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge
WHO Regional Director for Europe
There are many points of contact where children and young people can come into contact with content that is unsuitable for them, even if they do not have their own smartphone or family computer.
When searching online, there are many ways in which you can come across unwanted or inappropriate content. Typos or advertising banners with inappropriate content are examples of this. Of course, it is also possible that children and young people explicitly search for content that is unsuitable for them. After all, forbidden things have a certain appeal.
Children and young people can also come into contact with content that is unsuitable for them on other channels. For example, when they zap into an unsuitable programme while watching television or when videos that are not age-appropriate are listed on platforms. When friends forward videos with violent or pornographic content via WhatsApp or other chat apps. Or even online games and dares in the school playground, at friends' houses or when out and about can contain violent scenes.
And what about social networks?
Systematic content verification no longer exists at X. Elon Musk is committed to freedom of speech and places the responsibility for moderation in the hands of users. Content verification at X is therefore community-driven: users can report content. This randomly selects other users to review this content for violations of the guidelines.
According to Mark Zuckerberg, the third-party fact-checking programme will be discontinued in 2025. It will be replaced by a system similar to X that relies on community participation to review content. Freedom of speech will be increased as part of these changes. This is to enable controversial discussions, as Zuckerberg emphasises. However, measures will continue to be in place for illegal and serious violations.
YouTube relies on a hybrid system of artificial intelligence and human moderators: AI identifies content that potentially violates the guidelines. Human moderators then confirm or refute these suspicions. The platform takes a proactive approach to violence and misinformation.
(As of January 2025)
Children and young people must learn to assess for themselves whether content is suitable for them or not. However, parents and guardians can support their children in this and protect them from unsuitable content until the children are able to do so themselves.
If you, as parents, accompany your child on this path, remain attentive. Pay attention to changes in your child's behaviour. Have open conversations. Encourage your child to ask for help when they need it. And create an atmosphere of trust so that your child feels comfortable turning to you in a critical situation.
When explaining to your child why they are not allowed to watch a certain video, use age-appropriate language. Your child should be able to understand what you are saying. Try to put yourself in your child's shoes. Perhaps it is not necessary to go into such detail with younger children? Or perhaps a symbolic story would be a better way to get your message across? If your child is older, answer all their questions in as much detail as they want.
SCHAU HIN! offers tips: How do I explain this to my child?(opens in new tab)
It has been proven that children and young people who have been educated about risks such as sexting, cybergrooming and sextortion are better protected. It is therefore worthwhile educating your child in an age-appropriate manner as soon as they start using the internet independently. Use age-appropriate language and, in the case of younger children, symbolic descriptions if necessary.
Especially in younger years, it is advisable to introduce the digital media used in everyday life together: do not send your child on this journey alone, but undertake it as a team. This way, your child will be more likely to turn to you if they encounter a difficult situation. Try out child-friendly search engines or apps together. And also discuss the dangers.
You cannot prevent children and young people from being confronted with inappropriate content sooner or later. However, you can influence the strategies your child has at their disposal in this situation.
For example, what can your child do when meeting with friends if violent videos are being watched? How can your child react if a TikTok dare is challenged? Make it clear to your child how important it is to listen to their gut feeling and say no at the crucial moment.
Work with your child to find a mutually agreeable solution regarding how long and for what purposes digital media may be used. A joint media usage agreement(opens in new tab) can specify mobile phone-free times and places as well as acceptable channels. Rules regarding behaviour in chats or social networks can also be laid down here.
Since children and young people learn by watching others, set a good example. Specifically, this means not watching content that is unsuitable for children and young people in front of your child. For example, wait until your child has fallen asleep before watching adult films.
Set an example when it comes to screen time. Put your smartphone away at the times and places specified in the media usage agreement(opens in new tab) to set a good example for your child.
Be mindful when handling digital content and never publish pictures of your child on the internet or social media without asking them first. Remember: every person has the right to their own image(opens in new tab). Protect your child's personal identity and privacy. And set a good example here too.
Schools can play a crucial role in prevention by ensuring network security and installing a firewall on school premises. Schools can also integrate media education into their lessons and intervene when they see pupils being exposed to inappropriate content. Like parents, teachers can strive to create a culture of trust and a point of contact where pupils feel comfortable and can report any problems.
In addition to media education, there are technical tools that can help you as parents with prevention. In many cases, you can use the settings in your browser and devices to determine which content may be displayed, for how long, or whether it may be displayed at all.
The following technical aids are available:
Parental controls are integrated software that blocks certain content on the internet. You can usually also set a maximum access time for apps.
But beware: although the software blocks most inappropriate content, it is highly unlikely that it will be able to catch everything. For children of primary school age, however, integrated parental controls are a good tool for protecting them from unwanted content.
Setting up screen time on the iPhone
Setting up Family Link on an Android phone
There are search engines that have been developed specifically for children. They offer children their own surfing space where they can learn how to use the internet. Only websites that are suitable for children can be accessed in child-safe search engines.
fragFINN is suitable for children aged 6 to 12. The content available on fragFINN is based on a positive list. This is a list of interesting and harmless content for children. It currently consists of around 14,000 verified websites from approximately 4,000 online offerings. This list is continuously updated.
Helles Köpfchen is suitable for children and young people aged 8 to 16. According to its own information, this search engine is the largest German-language search engine for children and one of the best-known children's websites in Germany. It is divided into the categories ‘Knowledge’, “Encyclopaedia” and ‘Games & Fun’. The site has been in existence since 2004 and is visited by around 1 million users every month.
Klexikon is, in a way, Wikipedia for children. Not only does the search engine resemble its big sister visually, Klexikon is also similar to the free encyclopaedia in terms of how it is used. Navigation is on the left, while the article takes up most of the page. Many words are linked to further explanations or topic pages. Children can search for the information they want using the search field, the alphabet or a subject area.
Social networks and platforms such as YouTube and Snapchat now also offer family-friendly features.
YouTube offers two features: ‘Parental controls for children’ and ‘Parental controls for teenagers’. With a jointly managed account, you can choose which access rights your child should have on YouTube. It is also possible to filter out unwanted content and manage your child's screen time. Another option, which is not yet available in Switzerland, is YouTube Kids.
YouTube and YouTube Kids options for your child(opens in new tab)
Netflix also offers several parental control options. For example, parents can create a child profile for their children. This profile only shows content that is suitable for children according to the specified age rating. Parents also have the option of manually blocking certain titles.
How to configure parental controls for Netflix(opens in new tab)
In Snapchat's Family Centre, you can see which friends your child is communicating with. You can set content controls or block certain content. You can report any concerns directly to Snapchat's Trust & Safety team within the app. The team is available 24/7.
These are the tools and resources for parents(opens in new tab)
TikTok's accompanied mode allows you to configure settings in your child's profile regarding content and data protection. This could be a set screen time, for example, or you can also deactivate the “Discover” section.
Find out more in the TikTok guide for parents and guardians.(opens in new tab)
Another way to protect your child from inappropriate content is to use the parental controls on your router. With the Swisscom Internet Box, you can block individual devices or set individual surfing times for each device.
Find out how to do this in the video.
Digital child protection with blue Security
Child protection on the Internet box
We have compiled further information and content on the topic of ‘Inappropriate content for children and young people’ here.