What are YouTube Shorts?
Inspired by TikTok for sharing short video clips, YouTube has introduced Shorts. This is what parents should know about the new feature on YouTube.
Kategori: Kids and media
Norwegian Directorate of Health about children’s screen time
Many people contact "Barnevakten" about the screen time of the children. Now there have been recommendations from the Norwegian Directorate of Health.
Movie tip: Invite a Ukrainian family to movie night
Do you have a Ukrainian family in the neighborhood in Norway? How about inviting a movie night for the kids or maybe the whole family? Netflix has now incorporated Ukrainian text and speech on some titles, allowing you to watch films with Norwegian or English text and Ukrainian speech, for example. Read our film tips here!
Parents warned against the mobile app Sendit
In several parts of Norway, the messaging app Sendit has become popular also among younger children. The app links up with Snapchat and can send messages anonymously, which has led to bullying.
Educational apps and games for children
Here we have collected a number of apps and games that children can use to learn something. Topics are mathematics, nature, problem-solving, empathy, music, construction, sensible use of the internet, and the like.
How to talk to children about scary news
On social media and the internet, children and young people see news of war, accidents, and disasters that can be perceived as frightening. Here's how to talk to your kids about the topic.
Which people do Norwegian children and young people follow online?
Children and young people follow influencers, game experts, fashion icons, and humorists or entertainers. We will show you a list of people your children might be affected by.
Police online patrol in Norway
The Norway police's online patrols can be found on several of the major social media sites. You can ask them questions or tip-off any criminal offence. Here we have listed links where one can find the online police.
Privacy and the right to privacy for children
Here we have collected articles about children's right to privacy and private life.
Do children have their own digital rights?
A greater part of Europe has obtained better digital rights in recent years, for example through the GDPR. Children are specially mentioned in the rules. However, in schools, parents are kept at arm's length digital distance.
1 in 10 adolescents has received criminal hate speech online
Snapchat and TikTok are the social media where teenagers most often receive hate speech, according to a new survey from the Norwegian Media Authority (Medietilsynet).
What happened when we logged on to Instagram as a 13-year-old
We wanted to test how well-facilitated Instagram for teenagers is. It didn't take long for us to be flooded with links, advertising, and body-fixated content.
How to remove songs with coarse lyrics on Spotify
Every third popular song on Spotify contains ‘explicit’ lyrics. It is possible to turn on a child filter that prevents playing such songs.
How to reduce real-life violence on social media
Useful settings in apps like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube can reduce the risk of children being exposed to real-life violence.
A checklist when your child starts using social media
Use this checklist when children are going out on social media. As they get older, teach them to be conscious and take responsibility for privacy on their own.
How to reduce scary news features in your kids’ apps
Horrifying real-life scenes may appear in your child’s social media apps. Both the press and most people share traumatic living images and videos from news events. Here are some tips to help reduce the risk.
Games and apps that foster empathy and understanding
Get tips for games and apps that generate compassion and increase awareness on important topics. In these apps, you can learn about the life of a sixteen-year-old refugee or take care of an adopted child's physical and mental health.
Children may watch terrifying news and propaganda from the war in Ukraine
TIPS AND ADVICE FOR PARENTS: With Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it may be good to have an age-appropriate conversation with your children about war news. Gruesome videos and propaganda may appear on children's phones.
New EU rules on digital rights
According to the new EU legislative proposal (Digital Service Act - DSA) adopted in the EU Parliament in January 2022, direct marketing by targeting children is not allowed. It gives both adults and children more digital rights.
In Norway: Municipalities and schools lag on privacy
The association Kins works with data security in Norwegian municipalities. Recently, the association submitted comments to the Privacy Commission. The EU is also tightening its grip to provide citizens, especially children, more digital rights. What will digital school solutions be like in a few years?
What can parents decide in the digital school system?
The digital teaching system of the schools has a lot of good things, but at the same time, there are some features that not all parents think are perfectly ok. As a parent i Norway, you cannot object to the core services in the school solution. But you can say no to other school apps if they collect personal information.
More hate online than in the schoolyard?
The temperature can get quite high on social media sometimes, and young people have different ways of dealing with ugly comments. We've had a conversation with three eighth-graders.
Police can confiscate children’s phones
In Norway, the minimum age for a charge against criminal offense is 15 years. Nevertheless, police can take away the phones of younger children if they are used to store or share nude photos of someone under 18.
Should children be encouraged to stand up against hate speech?
Many children and young people witness or experience prejudiced language online. What should the children do if they find themselves in such a situation?
What is hate speech and when are such statements illegal?
Children and young people may be exposed to or even contribute to spreading hate speech online. Where is the limit and what does the Norwegian law say?
Teach your children how to take screen evidence online
Here we will show you how to take a picture or video of the screen on mobiles, computers, and game consoles. Gather evidence of cyberbullying, malicious content, or crime. The screenshots can be sent to the police, school, or app developer depending on the case.
Hate Speech: It is more difficult for immigrant children to stay away
In this internet era, when the world has turned into a global village, hate speech has found its stronghold more than ever. What has happened in a far corner of a country is easily reached to the whole world, and everybody, even who does not have a stake in that event, wants to give their opinion, often without a clear understanding of it.
How to deal with children’s screen time?
Some parents worry about both the number of hours and what their children might miss when they pass a lot of time on the screen. Here you will get some good advice and considerations from psychologist Jeanette Sjaaeng.
How to report bullying and hate speech in games
Do your children experience harassment, hatred, and bullying in the game chat? This is how you report the posts in some of the most popular games.
How to restrict children’s access to pornography
Learn how to set up filters against pornography on your child's mobile, tablet, and PC.
Everything parents should know about YouTube
YouTube has a tremendous influence among children and adolescents, both positively and negatively. Here we’ll show how parents can reduce the risk of their children being exposed to harmful content and unwanted advertising.
10 movies and TV shows your kids shouldn’t watch on Netflix
Netflix is a fantastic source of entertainment and positive content for the whole family, but there is also a lot that is not suitable at all for kids. Here we give an insight into some titles with bloodshed, severed body parts, zombies, uninhibited drug abuse, and worse.
Children and adolescents see adverts for plastic surgery, alcohol, and gambling
Surveys show that many children and young people are exposed to deliberate advertising through social media.
Movie tips: Learn more about Norwegian history
Tips for good and educational films for children and adolescents. Whether at school or home, this collection of movies can both entertain and increase insight into Norwegian history.
Norwegian rules for sharing private photos and videos
NORWEGIAN LAW: You must obtain consent before sharing photos and videos of others. But there are exceptions.
What does the Convention on the Rights of the Child say on Children and Media?
Children have the right to privacy, information, and protection from harmful media. These rights must be weighed against each other in each case.
A list of fact-checkers from around the world
Do you live in Norway but are originally from another country? Do your children read news from your home country? We here have a list of fact-checkers from different countries in the world.
Give your children self-defence lesson against the algorithms
Digital actors collect information about all of us and use those to control what each individual gets to see online like videos, friend suggestions, and search results in apps and browsers. Tell the children that they are leaving traces that in turn affect what they are served.
Tiktok and Instagram are used to spread Anti-Semitism and conspiracy theories
Social media is used to spread conspiracy theories related to anti-Semitism, and it also applies to apps that are popular with children, such as TikTok.
What is a metaverse?
A Metaverse is a digital meeting place that is perceived more realistically with the use of holograms, VR glasses, and avatars. This is the internet of the future, and something is already here.
Norway is going to copy EU digital rules
DSA: Recently, the European Parliament adopted new digital rights for EU citizens. The new legislative proposal gives special protection to children. Digital service providers must make several changes to their services in order to comply with the law. The rules will be copied into Norwegian laws.
Norwegian children are very happy with their life
Despite more than a year of pandemic and restrictions, the ‘Ungdata Junior’ survey from October 2021 paints a positive picture of children and adolescents’ conditions of upbringing. The majority of children report having good lives, a good self-image, satisfaction in school, and good relationships with friends and parents. Leisure time is characterized by sports and active screen use.
List of online game stores – tips and advice before you buy
The Norwegian organisation "Barnevakten" has compiled an overview of the most common online game stores. Get some good advice before you open your wallet.
Norway: 8 out of 10 students now have their own school devices
According to the Faculty of Education in Oslo, more than eight out of ten primary school students now have a personal tablet or computer provided by the school.
Barnevakten gave the minister guidelines for children’s use of the internet
The new Norwegian Minister for Children and Family Affairs Kjersti Toppe is responsible for the Government's efforts to keep children safe online. On Monday she visited the head office of Barnevakten in Bergen to listen to Barnevakten's experiences. She also got the idea of some clear field of challenges.
How bad a conscience should I really feel?
Let's be honest. Being a parent is no joke. It is one thing to manage the task just fine when everyday life rolls and goes with its routines. But when it comes to an all-consuming pandemic that puts everything to the test, it doesn't make the job any easier.
Norwegian movies for children and teenagers
Are you not from Norway and interested in Norwegian movie culture? Here is a list of some of the best Norwegian films from the last 15 years. Turn on subtitles, so maybe you will learn a little Norwegian as well.
Norwegian movies for Christmas
Are you new in Norway and wonder if there are Norwegian Christmas films? Then you have come to the right place. Read on.
Customize Xbox One for kids
Set limits on playtime, chat, in-game purchases, and select age limits for content download. How to set up your Xbox One console for kids.
How to set up tablets and mobiles for children
Customize your child's mobile phone and tablet (Android/Google). Set limits on time spent, purchases, age restrictions on apps, communications, and website visits.
