[Media Abstinence is the Onset of Media Literacy]

In the Corona Pandemic, the use of digital media in schools and kindergartens is presented as having no alternative.The developmental conditions of children are changing rapidly. However, the developmental steps and tasks remain the same. Young children in particular need diverse and comprehensive sensory experiences and supportive and protective relationships. Early consumption of digital screen media has a negative impact on child development and is reflected, for example, in language development delays, attention problems, lack of exercise, obesity and less time for free play. Early digitization in schools does not lead to better learning outcomes. Distractions and concentration difficulties increase, while handwritten material is better remembered. Learning always takes place in interpersonal relationships, especially for younger children. Fake and truth are close to each other and a solid basic education and the understanding and evaluation of contexts are a prerequisite for a meaningful and purposeful use of search engines. What is our goal as a society? Is it the functioning, well-adapted user? Today's technology is not tomorrow's.We need to prepare children for a constantly changing world. Or is the goal a free, creative and responsible human being who shapes change humanely and responsibly for future generations as well? Are there prerequisites for self-determined use of digital technology?Media competence begins withmedia abstinence. Young children need good relationships, diverse sensory experiences, bodily movement and enthusiasm for life. In secondary school, this is followed by meaningful media education. In addition to teaching programming skills, it is important to make young people aware of how to deal with privacy and cyberbullying, how to recognize reliable sources, how to distinguish fake from truth, and how to understand the businessmodels ofmany internet companies. "If you are not paying anything, you are not the customer, but the product sold". It remains important that people need people.