Ask Lemmygrad

I've thought about this before, and i think while limits are a good idea, most peoples approach to this would be a disaster.

Using the internet is a skill. One that most of us alive today have naturally developed over time. Kids need to be able to do this too. Otherwise once they become adults they will be very confused, and susceptible to scams. Much like how elderly people who didn't use it as kids are now.

For that reason i think its necessary to have an internet that is just for kids. I'm not talking about like the typical youtube kids sort of thing. I mean like an entire separate net. Similar to the one everyone else uses, but with guardrails in place. Give them all a little currency of digital points they can use to buy things like cosmetics for their profiles, or even real things. Maybe stores could offer little treats, or toys to them for the points. Then let them have ways to scam each other, and ways to earn the points by doing things like watching educational content, or doing good in school.

Moderate it heavily for content. But not for how they act towards each other. It would allow them to experience being scammed and losing their hard earned points in a controlled environment without it being real money once they're an adult. Things like bullying, while they should be monitored, i would allow to an extent. It's going to happen on the real internet, and people need to get used to ignoring it. I would even argue professional adult educators should have fake profiles in this kid net where they play bad actors. They comment things like "This is stupid" under posts, they try to scam them, stuff like that. Then we foster a culture among the actual kids where they are good at spotting these scams, it could be taught in school then used in practice against the fake accounts, and dealing with bullying. Teach them when someone comments a mean thing you respond by refuting it, and complementing the person it was directed at.

I think this mainly comes down to one thing. Kids are not gonna stay kids. People these days tend to act like they will. Like sheltering them from everything is the answer. People learn through experience, and if you shelter people through their childhood they lose out on opportunities to learn things naturally like this. Then they become adults who are naive, and vulnerable.

So we simulate the real internet in a controlled environment. Foster a culture on this fake internet that is positive, and robust against bad actors. Then let it slowly bleed over into the real internet as these kids get older. I'd probably allow them on the real internet once they turn 15 or 16, and allow them to stay on the kid net until 18. So there would be a transitional period.

As for enforcing it the most i would do if a kid somehow like jailbroke their device and got on the main internet is some sort of school punishment. Extra work or something. Maybe involving computers since they have shown an interest in that by doing it. As for adults who get on the kid net unauthorized I'd treat it as a serious criminal offense. Depending on what they were doing anything from massive fines, to prison time.