Seventh-grade students at the Johann-Peter-Eckermann-Realschule in Winsen confronted the pressures of online appearance and digital bullying during a specialized prevention workshop held for International Day of the Girl Child, local reporting shows.
A Workshop Focused on Filtered Reality
Organized in collaboration with the city of Winsen, the “#auchohnefilterschön” program brought students to the city library and the “2Late” youth café to examine shifting beauty standards, social media algorithms, and the emotional toll of curated digital identities. Facilitators designed the sessions to help teenagers critically evaluate manipulated imagery and the constant pursuit of online validation.
Schools Provide Media Literacy to Combat Online Harassment
Beyond unrealistic aesthetic benchmarks, the curriculum directly addressed body shaming, hostile comments, and digital aggression. Organizers pointed to the 2024 nationwide study “Lauter Hass – leiser Rückzug” (“Louder Hate – Quieter Retreat”), which found that 30 percent of surveyed young women have experienced online harassment. This data showed that schools must provide early media literacy education.
Student Insights and Creative Strategies
Clara von the Heydt, media educator at the Winsen city library, and Svenja Riebau, the city’s equal opportunities officer, led the coordination and praised the students for their active engagement. During the morning sessions, participants worked in groups to draft posters bearing positive counter-messages, which will remain displayed across the four seventh-grade classrooms. The teenagers also received practical information regarding professional counseling and support services.
Reflections from the Classroom
Thirteen-year-old student Sophia Ficht summarized the core takeaway of the workshops for her peers. “We don’t have to look like the girls on Instagram,” Ficht said, according to local reports. “Everyone is beautiful in their own way.”
Future Plans in Winsen
The collaboration between municipal authorities and the Eckermann-Realschule forms part of local efforts tied to the United Nations-backed International Day of the Girl Child. Organizers plan to repeat the project in October 2027 and are currently exploring parallel preventative programming aimed at male youth through the municipal youth department.
Keep reading
