Better Internet for Kids

What do kids love about AI apps?

Image and video editing apps that use AI are so popular with young users for several reasons: Firstly, they are usually very easy to use, so good results can be achieved quickly even without much prior knowledge. Thanks to numerous templates, effects and filters, you can give free rein to your creativity and create great pictures and videos with just a few clicks. At the same time, such apps usually also offer the option of sharing your work with others, and there is often a direct connection to social networks such as Instagram, TikTok or Snapchat.

Tips for parents and caregivers

Of course, the various apps differ in terms of their functions and options. In principle, however, there are a few things that you should be aware of with all tools and that parents and caregivers can use to contribute to safe use.

Encourage and let them try it out

Basically, it's a great thing when children are interested in and have fun experimenting with such tools, because learning how to edit images and videos is a very useful digital skill. If parents encourage their children to try things out creatively and allow them to use such apps, this not only strengthens the relationship of trust between them, but also the children's skills in many digital areas.

Accompany

Especially at the beginning, it makes sense to accompany your child when using the app and look at the settings options together. This can also give parents a little more security if they are not familiar with such apps themselves and find it difficult to assess the benefits and risks in advance.

Pay attention to the costs

Free apps are not always the best choice. The range of functions is often very limited, and many features may be associated with additional costs. Free apps often collect a lot of data or are financed by advertising, which can be unsuitable for children and young people or even tempt them to spend money. Parents should therefore look at the costs associated with an app (e.g. based on the description and reviews in the app store or the settings directly in the app) and consider paid apps (especially if it is foreseeable that the child will use the app a lot).

Make privacy settings

Parents should check what permissions the app requires (e.g. it is not necessary for such apps to access the child's location) and discuss with whom the child shares their pictures or videos (preferably only with friends or other people they know). It is important to discuss with the child why it is better not to post certain things publicly and to look at how the account can be set to private.

Talk about the content of the pictures

Which images does the child want to edit, who does it want to portray? If they want to show themselves in the pictures, it makes sense to talk about beauty ideals. If other people are shown, they should always question who they are showing and how, and whether this is okay for the people concerned. Parents can discuss these things again and again, because very few children and young people really know about the right to one's own image! 

Experience together

It is also always helpful to try out the apps together and to let your child show you from time to time what they already know and can do - because both benefit from this: parents get a good insight into how such tools work and where their child may still need guidance, the child is signalled interest and appreciation - an important basis for responsible and safe media use.

Find more information about the work of the Austrian Safer Internet Centre, including its awareness raising, helpline, hotline, and youth participation services, or find similar information for other Safer Internet Centres throughout Europe.