Had – “Our children, often as young as primary school, see sexual abuse, outrageous violence, murders, executions and racist attacks. And that in the class chat, on her cell phone. Many parents completely ignore the danger.”
The woman reporting this knows her stuff. Silke Müller (42) is a teacher and head of a high school in Hatten (Lower Saxony). For years she has been warning of the dangers to her children from Tiktok and Snapchat, and now she has written a stirring book: “We are losing our children”. What horrifies her: “Even fifth graders see porn, war crimes or animal cruelty on their smartphones.”
She has witnessed children whose nude photos suddenly appeared on the internet and girls who chatted with perverts in class.
“I’m observing an increasing brutalization of how people treat each other,” says Müller. “The moral inhibition threshold keeps falling.” In her book, the teacher also describes a phenomenon called cyber-grooming.
A 14-year-old was filmed by her boyfriend on a video call engaged in erotic acts. The next day he published the video on the Internet
Children are increasingly becoming victims of cybercrime. Silke Müller: “Older people pretend to be young people on social networks, sneak up on the children’s trust and finally persuade them to send naked photos of themselves.” Later, the threat of publishing these photos could follow – if the child does not take any more send photos.
What does the teacher want to achieve with her book? She says: “It is clear to parents that they would not let strangers into the children’s room. But with regard to online games, in which attacks by strangers can also take place via chat functions, there is hardly any awareness of the danger.”
Brutal video from Rastatt Girls knock girls down
It is important for parents to know what their children are doing online. “You should also be on the portals yourself and log into the social media channels.” At her school, Silke Müller organizes media evenings for parents. Videos and text messages that are currently in circulation are presented. “Every time we see the shocked faces of the parents. They had no idea of the extent,” says the teacher.
Four eighth graders showed me a video that was being sent around on the bus that morning. It showed a man tied up being castrated with a scalpel while he was fully conscious
According to the teacher, the ideal age for your first mobile phone is 16. “Illusory,” she says herself. “Anyone who doesn’t have a smartphone at the age of twelve is out and socially isolated.”
But only later can you reflect on and classify what you have seen. “And not be a victim of abuse or bullying.”