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Children and The Media: Valuable Tips For Getting Started at a Young Age

Children come into contact with digital media earlier and earlier in their everyday lives. As a parent, it is important to encourage responsible parenting.

The digital age: the transformation of the media

The changing times mean that children come into contact with media at an earlier age. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that the family environment usually uses media such as smartphones, tablets or television on a daily basis, but also to the child’s curiosity: children love to observe and try out new things. In addition, the often simple use of the devices by swiping, typing or zooming makes it possible for children to quickly take a liking to them.

So today children grow up “surrounded by technology”; they have usually been in contact with digital media from an early age. The possibilities of modern media are also often used in educational institutions, for example to pass on information material and to use alternative learning methods. In the course of their development, the media world does not appear to be “foreign” to the children, but rather they take it for granted and are enthusiastic about it. This is where it is important to intervene as the child’s authority figure and caregiver: the child should maintain a healthy skepticism about media content and be aware of the dangers.

Characteristics of unhealthy media use

Children’s affinity for digital devices such as computers, smartphones or televisions is often very high. They offer a wide range of sounds, images and videos, which is very popular with children and stimulates the stimuli. The extent to which children are attracted to the media content and how intensely the material affects them varies from child to child: While some children can hardly be influenced, others appear more aggressive, overexcited or listless. This already shows that media not only offer advantages, but can also have disadvantages.

In its 2020 media addiction prevention offensive, the DAK examined the effects and changes in media use and was able to identify six signs of unhealthy media use in the course of the study. These include:

contact behavior. The child or young person avoids family, friends or other social encounters. Social life is severely neglected, so that conversations are seldom or only superficial. The virtual space is considered the only desired contact.
times of use. Internet use is intensifying and the usual leisure activities and contact with reality are shortened accordingly. The reason for this can also be the variety of digital media offers: First watch a film on TV, then play a computer game and keep checking your smartphone.
daily structure. The healthy and regular sleeping rhythm is disturbed. A game is often played or a series watched late into the night, so that the day ends much too late. Fatigue, absence or sluggishness as well as reduced performance can be identified.
Affect. If the child or young person has no access to the Internet, depressive, aggressive or angry reactions appear.
Carelessness. The lack of sleep associated with the previous changes, the isolation from social contacts and reality often means that children and young people can no longer fulfill their tasks and obligations. Even hobbies are neglected or given up entirely.
Self reflection. Affected children and young people often find it difficult to realistically assess their own internet use. They get lost in the media and often don’t even know how much time actually elapses.

Tips for regulated media consumption

Children and young people depend on the help of adults when it comes to healthy media consumption. It is important that you help your child to use digital media consciously. An important point is a regulated usage time, which is based on the age of the children.

Klicksafe, an initiative of the European Union, recommends a usage time of about one hour a day for children from 10 to 13 years old, for 14 to 17 year olds the decision should be made depending on the family and personal situation. Klicksafe also lists the idea of ​​”media vouchers”: The “allowed time” could be transferred to vouchers that the child can freely allocate. These coupons can also be set to a specific device. In this way, the child also learns to deal responsibly with time.

It is advisable to agree on a fixed weekly quota for media use instead of fixed times of the day. This is how screen times are set, but the division is left to the child himself. It can be helpful to set an alarm clock so that the time is really observed and the child gets a feeling for its consumption. Show your child other ways to keep themselves busy: It is often a “reflex” to turn on the television when boredom sets in. For example, you could encourage your child to play an analog game, run around outside, do crafts, draw, or read. To prevent addictive behavior, it can also make sense to take “media-free times”. This means that smartphones, tablets or the television remain switched off during a family outing or at the dining table, for example. It can also be a good idea to avoid media for an hour or two before bed. The important thing is to be a role model. If you use your smartphone continuously, it will also be more difficult for the child to stick to agreed times. So you too should reflect on your media behavior and try to be a good role model for your child.

The type and function of the media are also age-dependent: Take a look! informed about which devices could be useful from what age. Babies react instinctively and mainly to light and sound effects: Independent use of media cannot and should not take place at this age. If a child exceeds the first year of life, it can usually differentiate between “image” and “reality”. The child is able to consciously turn to mobile media; however, the area of ​​experience for children under the age of three should be primarily in the real world. Children between the ages of three and four slowly develop an understanding of symbols and media. Tablets are a great opportunity for children of this age to express themselves creatively, to try out themselves and to perceive new characters in films or series. What is important is the shared use of the media and the regulated period of time. At the age of five to six, children use media as a source of knowledge, as a means of orientation, entertainment and as a toy. Here it is important that you help the child to deal with safe offers and support them if possible. The first “own smartphone”, which many children are pushing for, should only be purchased when the child is able to perceive the dangers of the Internet and knows how to protect itself. This is usually the case from around 12 years of age. Here, too, you should talk to the child about the rules, costs and apps and try out how to deal with the child responsibly.

Child-friendly media offerings

There are numerous media offers that are classified as “sustainable” by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. In these, children should learn how to use media responsibly; The advantage of the offers is that the parents act as “companions” in the digital world and can therefore offer assistance if questions or uncertainties arise with the child. A first tip is the children’s search engine “Blinde Kuh”. It is a search engine that provides news, hands-on offers, and tips for surfing and games especially for children.

Another recommended offer is the page Klick-Tipps.net. The site offers information on various topics, but also surveys or knowledge tests are offered. All content has been subjected to a pedagogical examination.

Children and young people often show a special interest in computer and console games. Which games are recommended from a pedagogical point of view are summarized in a brochure every year, which can be a useful guide.

You can find other pedagogically valuable and child-friendly sites at Seitenstark e.V. This is a network in which certified children’s sites work together to provide sustainable offers for children.

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Alcohol Consumption: This is Why Drinking is Particularly Dangerous in Old Age

The after-work beer, the digestive schnapps or a glass of wine – alcohol consumption is part of everyday life for many. But from what amount is it too much? And why are older people particularly at risk when it comes to alcohol?

Alcohol consumption among older people is often underestimated

Older people often have more experience drinking alcohol, which does not mean that they drink more sensibly. Drinking habits are all too often not questioned – not by oneself and not by those around them. However, especially in old age, excessive alcohol consumption is not to be taken lightly. As you age, your body’s response to alcohol differs from the pattern we’ve seen before. For example, the body cells can no longer store water as well as they used to. The body’s fluid balance decreases. As a result, the same amount of alcohol consumed now results in a higher blood alcohol concentration. In addition, the liver does not break down alcohol as well as it used to. Therefore, if you drink more than 0.3 liters of beer per day as a woman or more than 0.6 liters of beer as a man, you are already in a health risk area.

There are two groups of older people who consume alcohol at a risky level. The first and larger group consists of people who have had a drinking problem for years. The health risk is particularly high here. The second group includes people who started drinking alcohol to a risky degree quite late. The reasons for this can be very complex. Possible reasons for dangerous alcohol consumption in old age are often critical phases of life such as retirement, reduced social contacts, financial problems or the loss of a partner, according to the Federal Center for Health Education.

Certain drinking habits often creep in, such as the digestive schnapps, the after-work beer or the daily glass of wine. But sometimes it doesn’t stop there. Drinking large amounts of alcohol on a regular basis can be dangerous. This does not only apply to older people! However, older people often go unnoticed when they consume alcohol at a risky level. There are various reasons for this. For example, because the risky drinking behavior of relatives and other people around them is tacitly accepted or because consequential damage is wrongly attributed to old age.

The danger of alcohol in old age

In older people, even small amounts of alcoholic beverages can lead to undesirable effects. There are also possible drug interactions. Alcohol consumption can also further worsen health impairments such as osteoporosis, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, memory loss and mood instability, according to the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) on the occasion of the day of the elderly.

Prof. Dr. Heidrun Thaiss, head of the BZgA: “Alcohol consumption harbors dangers at any age. In older people, they show a particular spectrum: alcohol consumption, for example, can increase the risk of falls and other accidents because balance and reaction time are impaired. These effects can occur in older people even with small amounts consumed. If alcohol is consumed in large quantities over a longer period of time, the risk of certain types of cancer increases. In addition, the gastrointestinal tract, the liver and specific brain functions are impaired. In older people, the breakdown of alcohol by the liver can also be delayed. Previously ‘well tolerated’ amounts can therefore have a stronger effect with increasing age. For these reasons, older people should consume alcohol with particular restraint.”

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Beer, Wine and Schnapps: Study Shows at What Age Alcohol is Particularly Harmful

People like to drink alcohol after work, at the weekend or in a relaxed atmosphere. The results of a study now show at what age beer, wine & Co. is particularly harmful to us.

Alcohol more or less harmful? Age matters

However, there are phases in life when you should urgently avoid alcohol consumption. A study has identified three phases in which beer, wine, schnapps and the like are particularly harmful. The British-Australian study was published in the medical journal British Medical Journal

Heavy alcohol consumption during pregnancy, for example, can cause enormous brain damage in infants. “Around 10 percent of pregnant women worldwide consume alcohol, with rates in European countries being significantly higher than the global average,” said Louise Mewton, who led the study.

Alcohol greatly reduces the brain volume of the newborn and can lead to cognitive impairment. This is also known as fetal alcohol syndrome.

Alcohol during pregnancy: How consumption affects the baby

But according to the study, even small amounts of alcohol are harmful: at a sensitive point in time, such as during the development of the brain in the embryo, even a few milliliters of alcohol are dangerous for the brain structure of the child.

The second highly sensitive phase is between the ages of 15 and 19. Heavy alcohol intoxication has serious consequences for adolescents. According to the study, about one in five young people would regularly consume 60 grams of pure alcohol. The result:
decreased brain volume
Deficits in cognitive performance
slower white matter development
According to the scientists, the delayed development of brain mass would result in an increased risk of traffic accidents and a higher affinity for suicidal thoughts.

Alcohol at retirement age: Even small amounts accelerate deterioration

The third critical phase of life concerns the older generations. According to the study, anyone who continues to drink alcohol regularly from the age of 65 upwards must expect a reduction in brain volume. Even moderate alcohol consumption would reduce the size of the brain. However, it is unclear whether this structural change in the brain also affects cognitive abilities. However, the authors of the study strongly believe that this is not the case.

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Nutrition From The Age of 50: Your Body Now Needs These Vitamins and Nutrients

A balanced diet is not only important with increasing age. You can find out here which vitamins the body urgently needs from the age of 50 and when food supplements can make sense.

This is how your body changes as you age

Some of the changes in your body as you age are quite obvious on the outside. Gray hair, less elastic skin, a tummy or a slightly less dynamic gait. Other changes are more internal. Muscle and bone mass decrease, tendons are no longer as supple. You may also notice that over time you can no longer see and hear as well and that it is increasingly difficult to remember things. All of these are perfectly normal symptoms of aging.

Of course, that doesn’t sound particularly nice. But even if your physical performance decreases with age, this does not automatically mean that it also reduces your quality of life. Especially since your biological age does not necessarily have to match your actual age. There are a number of things you can do to stay fit as you get older.

50 plus: Your body needs that now

According to the medical journal, every fourth person in old age is undersupplied with vitamin B12. This vitamin is particularly important for cell division, blood formation and nerve formation. Age-related changes in the gastrointestinal tract can make it difficult or even impossible to absorb this vitamin from food. Vitamin B12 is found in animal products such as meat, fish, seafood, eggs and dairy products. Even if this vitamin can be stored in the body, the body is dependent on a regular supply through food.

Basically, B vitamins support your carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism as well as the metabolism of the brain, muscles and nerves. They are also important for blood formation, your immune system and the fight against inflammation in the body. Therefore, a deficiency has several negative effects on your body and your well-being. Vitamin D is also one of the essential vitamins whose production in the body decreases with age. It is mainly formed under the influence of light. However, because mobility decreases with age and outdoor activities take place less frequently, undersupply can occur. Vitamin D intake in conjunction with calcium is recommended to prevent osteoporosis. Vitamin A is also known as the “eye vitamin” and is important for vision. Yellow and orange fruits and vegetables (e.g. broccoli) are good sources here.

Vitamin C fights the harmful free radicals in the body and helps protect the immune system. Although citrus fruits such as oranges or lemons are always named as the main suppliers, there are some vegetables that outperform them in terms of vitamin C. They also come predominantly from local cultivation, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and kale. In addition to vitamins, minerals such as magnesium, sodium, zinc and trace elements of iron, iodine and zinc are indispensable. For example, iron supports the oxygen transport in your body and takes over functions in the formation of hormones and important messenger substances. Iodine is an essential component of the thyroid hormones and promotes cell division and tissue growth. Zinc supports the healing of wounds and is also important for strengthening your immune system.

diet, water, exercise and sleep

With a balanced diet with mostly fresh ingredients, you can provide your body with all the important vitamins and nutrients. If you still drink 2-3 liters of water every day and treat yourself to some exercise every day, then you have already done a lot for your well-being. As a rule, it is therefore not necessary to help with food supplements. You should also give your body enough sleep, which it needs to regenerate.

Dietary supplements can help both people over the age of 50 and people with certain diseases, such as chronic inflammatory bowel disease, to meet the increased need while eating a less balanced diet. However, dietary supplements should not be taken carelessly, as undesirable side effects such as kidney damage can occur. Water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin C or B, are generally safer in the event of an overdose because they are easily excreted through the kidneys or urine. Nevertheless, too high a dose of vitamin B, for example, can lead to gastrointestinal disorders and dizzy spells. Fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D or E, on the other hand, accumulate in the body. If you take too much into the body via appropriate preparations, nausea, headaches or drowsiness and dizziness can be the result.

So before you want to consume vitamin preparations or dietary supplements, you should first discuss this with your family doctor. A blood count reveals very quickly whether there is a deficiency and if so, what it is. You should also keep in mind that many foods, such as fruit juices, breakfast cereals or certain yoghurts, are already fortified with vitamins.

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Home Remedies to Age Healthily and Live Longer

Grandma’s tried-and-tested home remedies for aging healthily and living longer. Many people equate happiness with long life. Of course, both together are ideal. Unfortunately, some factors cannot be influenced here, for example, genes or unfortunate circumstances.

However, your age is also in your hands. By living a healthy and active life, you can have a strong positive impact on your life expectancy. It is certainly common knowledge that smoking or drinking is bad for the body. In addition to a generally healthy life, you can also use various home remedies. Below are some tips and ideas to help you use them properly and live longer.

1) Herbs and spices age you

It can be so easy to add something good to your food every day. Many popular flavors contain a variety of positive ingredients. Some spices, such as vanilla, have antioxidants. These bind free radicals in the body and thus contribute to your health. Herbs are not only characterized by their taste. They are a true fountain of health with vitamins, minerals, and more. How about a fresh herb salad or some fresh parsley, basil, or chives on your dishes? This is the perfect way to take them. But whether fresh or dried, herbs and spices are guaranteed to contribute to health.

2) Longer life with garlic

Garlic is a true home remedy. You can use it when you have a cold or on a pesky pimple, but most of all, eat it. The tubers have a detoxifying and cleansing effect on the whole body. They also decalcify the blood vessels, which enormously reduces the risk of suffering a stroke. Garlic is at its best when consumed raw. But the cloves are also used in warm and cold dishes as a healthy flavor enhancer. So don’t just use garlic in Italian cuisine, but experiment with it to age vigorously.

3) A glass of wine in the evening can prolong your life

Wine is not just a luxury food. Due to its many positive properties, it can also be seen as a home remedy. Even the old philosophers knew about its effect. It prevents the formation of blood clots and contains bioactive ingredients that slow down cell aging. Furthermore, some types of wine are even provided with anti-cancer ingredients. Don’t forget, however, that this is still alcohol. Therefore: in moderation, not in bulk. Even a small glass in the evening is enough to bring about a positive effect. More is definitely not “more” here.

4) Ginger is packed with life-prolonging compounds

This tuber is essential, especially in Far Eastern cuisine. But especially as a tea, it is also becoming increasingly popular here. Its antibacterial effect is used to cure a cold, for example. Virusstatic properties, i.e. properties that reduce their proliferation, are also attributed to it. The tubers also contain vitamins and minerals and also contribute to healthy digestion. Besides taking it as a tea, you can also add ginger to other drinks. It also gives dishes a refreshing, slightly hot, spicy note when cooking.

5) Tea – a home remedy that has been used for generations

Grandma always said you should drink a lot of tea. In fact, the herbal decoction has a lot of great properties. You can choose from so many options: peppermint, sage, thyme, and fennel, just to name a few. And every tea has its own special positive effects. Several of these are then combined in herbal mixtures. But the sauce can do more. If you drink at least one liter of tea every day, this also has a cleansing and flushing effect. This is how tea contributes to a long and healthy life.

6) Foods with vitamin C for longevity

Many foods contain life-prolonging vitamins. In particular, however, you should eat fruit, such as citrus fruits or kiwis, to increase your vitamin C intake. Because it detoxifies, helps burn fat, regulates hormones, and improves the absorption of various necessary substances and minerals. The vitamin also has a positive effect on your blood vessels and tissue.

An example of a very vitamin C-rich food is lemons. And these contain even more positive ingredients. They boost the immune system, help to heal wounds, and protect the joints. So drink some lemon water every day and eat fruit regularly to do something good for your body. You also increase the likelihood of getting old.

7) A generally healthy life

For once, no home remedies here, but of course, your lifestyle influences how old you get. A balanced diet, sport and exercise, and fresh air can keep you healthy and greatly increase your life expectancy.

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Home Remedies and Tips for Removing Age Spots

Many natural home remedies and effective tips for removing and eliminating age spots. If you are also affected by age spots, you will receive helpful tips and home remedies for them here.

Because age spots do not only appear in old people, as the name suggests. Middle-aged people and pregnant women can also suffer from these unsightly spots. This pigment disorder often occurs later as a result of too much exposure to the sun. Hands and face in particular are often affected.

Get rid of age spots effectively

In general, it is advisable to protect yourself from the sun in old age. However, if the spots are already there, laser treatments only help in very few cases to make the age spots disappear. So that the body is not additionally burdened, pigment spots or age spots should at best only be treated with natural remedies.

1) Lemon juice is the classic for age spots

Getting rid of age spots with natural remedies is not possible. Nevertheless, they can be lightened with the help of lemon juice. This lightens the upper layer of skin, causing the spots to lose intensity. The effect is similar to a fruit acid peeling. To do this, apply the juice of fresh lemon to the affected area several times a day. Incidentally, the household remedy vinegar achieves a similar effect. For this purpose, the affected area of ​​the skin is dabbed with vinegar several times a day.

2) Natural treatment with lactic acid, garlic, and parsley juice

Lactic acid or buttermilk is also effective on pigment spots, age spots, and other skin spots. If this is dabbed onto the spots several times a day, the spots will become much lighter after a while.

The smell of fresh garlic is not quite as appealing, but it is very useful in treating age spots. Rub the affected area several times and the spots will soon be much lighter. You can achieve the same effect with the juice of fresh parsley. Here, too, the treatment must be carried out several times a day.

All of the above methods have the same effect as medicinal means. However, it takes a little longer for natural remedies to take effect.

3) Medicinal mushroom against age spots

Medicinal mushrooms, such as the well-known Reishi, can also be used to treat age spots. The Reishi mushroom in particular is considered an absolute anti-aging miracle. The skin’s repair processes are improved, which means that pigment spots become much lighter. In addition, the blood flow is stimulated, which means that the skin can be better supplied with nutrients and antioxidants.

4. Potato juice and castor oil

Age spots can also be lightened with castor oil and potato juice. Before treating with castor oil, the area must be cleaned. You can then dab them with a cotton swab full of castor oil. This treatment should be done once in the morning and once in the evening. Potato juice is also considered to be particularly effective. If this is applied to the skin twice a day, an improvement should be visible after just two weeks.

Why home remedies are better than chemicals

First and foremost, home remedies are of course preferable to chemistry or laser treatments, as they are much healthier. However, that is not the only reason. Among other things, home remedies are also much cheaper and a big advantage is that the home remedies mentioned above can be found in almost every household. With regular and continuous use, they are still as effective as unhealthy and sometimes harmful chemicals.

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“Paleo Diet”: That’s What The Stone Age Diet is all About

The “Paleo diet” only includes foods that our Stone Age ancestors ate. You can find out here what advantages and disadvantages it has and whether there is also a meatless version.

Paleo diet: Eat like in the Stone Age

Eating like in the Stone Age – according to this resolution followers of the Paleo diet eat. This is not a diet in the traditional sense. After all, you can eat as much as you want and you don’t have to count calories. Rather, the Paleo diet is a nutritional philosophy.

The representatives of this Stone Age diet adhere to the presumed diet of our ancestors – the hunters and gatherers. That is, they feed exclusively on foods that already existed in the Paleolithic period, such as:
fruit and vegetables
meat
Fish
eggs
nuts
Taboo, on the other hand, are foods that we have only been producing and consuming in large quantities since the invention of agriculture:
Grain
sugar
potatoes
Dairy products
legumes
and processed foods

Paleo diet to prevent lifestyle diseases

The basic idea behind this nutritional concept is that humans have spent far more time on this planet as hunters and gatherers than as sedentary farmers. His body therefore had more time to adapt to the diet of the time than to the modern diet.
Civilization diseases like
diabetes
high blood pressure
overweight
have arisen in our “settled time”. From this, proponents of the Paleo diet conclude that the Stone Age diet is more natural and tolerable.

Is the Paleo Diet Healthy?

There are few clinical studies examining the long-term effects of a Paleo diet. Existing studies show that the diet can have a positive effect on the body:

In a study of 70 overweight women, half followed the Paleo diet while the other half followed the Nordic Health Recommendations. Fat mass was reduced to a similar extent in both groups, but the percentage of triglycerides fell more in the Paleo group. A high proportion of triglycerides in the blood can promote arteriosclerosis.
In a study of patients with type II diabetes, the paleo diet also reduced the subjects’ fat mass and also improved their insulin metabolism.
In another study, in which only 20 subjects took part, the paleo diet reduced cholesterol levels.
The Paleo diet appears to have health benefits. However, one review notes that weight loss on the Paleo diet (like other diets) is probably primarily due to reduced calorie intake. The studies also do not show whether the Paleo diet also has positive effects in healthy people. In addition, despite isolated successes, there is no scientific evidence that the diet can alleviate conditions such as autoimmune diseases or allergies.

Is there a vegetarian form of the Paleo diet?

There is also a meatless version of the Paleo diet. Paleo vegetarians call themselves the vegetarian Stone Age eaters. And basically, both diets have something in common – they attach great importance to fresh fruit and vegetables.

However, a paleo-vegetarian diet eliminates meat in addition to grains, dairy, potatoes and legumes. It is therefore important to look for alternative sources of vegetable protein and to pay particular attention to the regular consumption of nuts, healthy vegetable fats and seeds.

It is advisable to consult a doctor or nutritionist beforehand and to carry out regular blood tests.

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