Chat, Messenger, etc. 

Communication is a basic need of children and young people in the Internet. They want to interact. And when they do so, the real and virtual worlds often merge. The conversation with friends from school will, for example, be continued and intensified in the evening on social networks or messenger applications. 

The current first choice is messenger apps. The best-known of these is WhatsApp, and has, up to a point, replaced the writing of sms messages. This is above all due to it being free. With this, direct messages can be sent to specific individuals or to groups.
In some cases, the service is used as a means of cyber bullying or to establish unwanted contact. Here, parents should above all speak openly with their children about contacts in messenger programs, and explain the possibilities for blocking and making complaints. 

Chatting is a simple and fast method of communication, and is very popular especially among children and young people. However, in chat rooms, some users exploit the anonymity of the Internet and violate the rules and accepted forms of social interaction in chats. In particular, children can be exposed to dangers that they and their parents are sometimes not even aware of. Younger children in particular (up to 12 years) should therefore use moderated chat platforms.

Social networks also support communication. Here, the possibilities are many: Direct messaging, pin boards, comments and “likes” are the most common. Parents should most importantly talk about the privacy settings in social networks and inform their children about the possible risks, as well as the possibilities for reporting and blocking on the respective platform.
Children under 13 years should use age-appropriate platforms with checked and moderated content and secure communication paths.