Mobile application designed to shield students from excessive cell phone usage.
In the heart of 2025, a significant step forward was taken in the fight against online addiction among children and adolescents. The Schöpflin Foundation, in collaboration with the Beisheim Foundation, rolled out the 'freii' app - a prevention tool designed specifically for students aged 11 to 15.
The nationwide study, conducted from February to July, involved nearly 3,000 participants at 39 schools. The results were promising, with the app showing a positive impact. A third of the study participants felt confident enough to approach friends who were too focused on their phones, and almost half felt motivated to spend less time on their smartphones after testing the app.
The 'freii' app is structured in a playful way, with tasks given over 21 consecutive days, both within and outside the app. It teaches children and adolescents to recognize what makes something addictive and what the first warning signs of risky media consumption are.
In addition to the school version of the app, there is a separate version that anyone can download. The Lörrach addiction prevention center 'Villa Schöpflin' has developed a companion program for media education for parents and teachers to accompany the freii app. This program includes explanatory videos by Eckart von Hirschhausen, a well-known television presenter and former doctor in children and adolescent psychiatry.
The Schöpflin Foundation aims to reach around 16,500 school classes with 400,000 students across Germany in the next three years with the freii app and accompanying student workshops. Teachers and other professionals can qualify at the addiction prevention center 'Villa Schöpflin' to implement the 'freii' program in schools. The center also offers workshops at schools to help with the implementation of the 'freii' program.
Organizations such as the University Medical Center Mainz, the Fachverband für Medienabhängigkeit e.V., and addiction experts were involved in the development of 'freii'. The app can be downloaded for free by students, and it also provides tips on how to spend free time offline without a smartphone.
The 'Villa Schöpflin' aims to continue its work in media education, reaching more families and schools with its programs and resources. The freii app, developed by the Lörrach Schöpflin Foundation, is a preventative measure in the ongoing battle against online addiction among children and adolescents.
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