Better Internet for Kids

Smartphones - and now artificial intelligence (AI) - are shaping childhood, presenting both opportunities and risks. With public debate having focused overwhelmingly on risk, governments have responded with “one-size-fits-all” access rules, bans, and other control mechanisms. 

These restrictions might be intuitively appealing as protective approaches, but they are unlikely to be effective (1–3) and come with serious complications. They also overlook opportunities: Prohibitions rarely address how digital environments can be designed to support resilience, creativity, and safe exploration (2, 4–6). Evidence from psychology, education, and computer science shows why restrictions fall short, how they can backfire, and which interventions - combining design with enabling policies - can support development (2, 6). 

Drawing on findings from the yearlong Frontiers in Digital Child Safety (FDCS) expert group, which we co-chaired, this article identifies four promising and complementary design approaches: fostering trust, enabling help-seeking and reporting, providing on-device supports, and strengthening education and user-interface design.