Better Internet for Kids

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept; it is a central part of the everyday digital lives of children and young people. From AI-driven chatbots and search engines to hyper-realistic deepfakes, technology is reshaping how the younger generation learns, communicates, and perceives reality. For Safer Internet Day 2026, held under the motto "AI and me. In an artificial relationship," the FSM is offering an extensive program to empower students, parents, and educators.

Together with our partners at the German Safer Internet Centre, the WAKE UP! initiative, and our projects Elternguide.online and weitklick, we empower users to navigate the opportunities and challenges of an AI-driven world.

For Parents and Families: Navigating the New Normal

• February 9 | Digital Parents' Evening: As part of the WAKE UP! initiative, we kick off the week with an orientation session. We address the big questions: How do social media, gaming, and AI-chatbots affect family life? We focus on understanding and safety - - from grooming protection to data privacy - rather than just bans.
• February 11 | Virtual Parents' Evening (Elternguide.online): This session dives deeper into Generative AI. We explore popular tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, discussing how they can be helpful "helpers" while warning against risks like non-age-appropriate content or the replacement of real-life social interactions with chatbots.

For Students: Critical Thinking in the Age of AI

• February 10 | SID Project Day: Organized within the framework of the WAKE UP! initiative, this major hybrid event (held in Hamburg and via livestream) is titled "When AI joins the conversation – Between help, deception, and responsibility." We invite school classes (Grade 9 and up) to explore the thin line between inspiration and deception. The focus is on recognizing digital manipulation, understanding the impact of AI on mental health, and maintaining autonomy in a digital world.

For Educators: Teaching Media Literacy 2.0

We are offering a series of specialized webinars to help teachers bring AI literacy into the classroom:

• February 10 | Basics of AI (weitklick webinar): A compact introduction to machine learning and why young people are drawn to AI tools.
• February 10 | AI and Disinformation (weitklick webinar): A deep dive into how AI facilitates the creation of fake news and practical exercises to strengthen students' critical reflection.
• February 12 | Presentation of "KI and me": We officially launch our new teaching material, developed by klicksafe in cooperation with the FSM. In six low-threshold projects, teachers are shown how to help students form their own opinions on the ethics and regulation of AI.

Expert Dialogue: Smart Helpers or False Friends?

• February 25 | German Safer Internet Centre Webinar: To wrap up the SID month, the FSM joins partners (eco, jugendschutz.net, klicksafe, and Nummer gegen Kummer) for a high-level webinar. We will analyze the latest legal challenges and psychological developments regarding the "artificial relationships" young people form with AI, providing concrete action plans for professionals and institutions.

Through these activities, the FSM continues its mission to ensure that the internet remains a space of opportunity, where critical thinking and human responsibility keep pace with technological progress. 

Together with its member companies and associations, the FSM is doing important work to strengthen youth media protection and keep in check online media content that is illegal or harmful to young people or impairs their development.

The FSM engages in extensive educational work and promoting media literacy for children and adults. With partners, we have developed an internet guide for parents to support media education within families as well as a platform for teaching materials called "Media goes to School", school materials and toolkits regarding digital and social media for teachers, as well as a blended learning teacher training programme on misinformation online called "weitklick".

Furthermore, the FSM operates a hotline that any user can call on to report online content that is criminal or harmful to young persons. It is member of INHOPE, the International Association of Internet Hotlines, for combating illegal content on the internet, particularly depictions of child abuse. The FSM hotline is also a partner of the EU funded German Safer Internet Centers together with the awareness center klicksafe, the helpline “Nummer gegen Kummer” and the hotlines of eco and jugendschutz.net.