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Let’s Talk About TikTok: Students and experts debate the opportunities and risks of social media

10th October, 2024

With ‘Let’s talk About’, the Berlin Cosmopolitan School has launched a new discussion format that offers students the opportunity to debate the burning issues of our time with experts. To kick off the format, the focus was on TikTok – a platform that not only shapes the everyday lives of many young people, but also raises social questions about digital responsibility.
On the podium, pupils Annea, Alef, Kayleigh and Aloulabi discussed with renowned guests: Lina Arnold and Marie-Josephine Ludewig from the social media agency Joli, Eva Resch, psychologist from crispycoaching, and Esther-Marie Merz, communications expert and journalist. Pupils from Years 7 to 11 followed the event with great interest and actively participated in the debate.

Eva Resch vividly explained how brain research has shown that using social media too early increases the risk of suffering from addictions later in life. ‘The impact on brain structures is significant,’ she explained, emphasising that students should be careful and thoughtful with their social media use. This statement led to a lively exchange among the students and guests about the long-term consequences of digital media.
Lina Arnold from Joli appealed to the young people to not just passively consume social media, but to actively shape it: ‘It’s about using the platform as a tool to contribute your own creative ideas.’ She thus called on the students to see TikTok as a platform for self-development and participation, instead of simply being bombarded by the flood of content.

Finally, Esther-Marie Merz called for social media to always be scrutinised critically. In particular, she warned that once information is shared online, it often cannot be deleted. ‘We need to be aware that digital traces can remain forever,’ she emphasised, encouraging students to think carefully about what content they post online.
This exciting panel discussion provided students with a variety of perspectives on the opportunities and challenges of TikTok and social media in general. The event encouraged them to critically reflect on their own media use while utilising the potential of digital platforms to get actively and creatively involved.

About the Berlin Cosmopolitan School, Preschool and Kindergarten

The Berlin Cosmopolitan School is changing the traditional way schools and kindergartens work with different approaches to learning in the areas of nature and environmental protection, sports, new work, culture, dance, music and art and much more. The aim of the independent school, preschool and kindergarten is to bring all students along according to their abilities.

“When school motivates, everyone learns more” is the conviction of the Berlin Cosmopolitan School. Regular outdoor learning, sports activities and competitions, digital projects such as robotics, internships from grade 6, music-making from kindergarten age, dance clubs, bilingual education and much more help the children to discover and develop their own preferences and abilities.

Important concerns of the Berlin Cosmopolitan School, Kindergarten and Preschool are social justice, equal opportunities in education and a balanced community. The school regularly awards scholarships to students and accepts refugees. Through its established network and internationally trained staff, the educational institution has the opportunity to explore new educational paths for every age group.

The Berlin Cosmopolitan School was founded in 2003 as a non-profit organisation by Yvonne Wende. In 2004, the first bilingual (English-German) kindergarten and preschool opened for Berlin-Mitte with 18 children. Shortly after, the primary school started and most recently, in 2009, the accredited bilingual Gymnasium of Berlin Cosmopolitan School 01P22. Since then, the number of students has steadily increased. Approximately 1,000 students from all over the world are now being taught on the Rückerstraße and Invalidenstraße campuses. The kindergarten has grown to a number of more than 300 children between the ages of 1 and 6.

In 2013, Berlin Cosmopolitan School was accredited as an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, first for primary school and also for the Gymnasium. The IB Learner Profile is about developing children and young people into lifelong learners. The school and kindergarten use primary experiences to design lessons.