The internet has amazing potential for educating children and helping them grow. The hazards seem equally terrifying. From predators on social media to algorithm-driven addiction loops, children’s digital lives are defined by a tension between boundless opportunity and immense risk. None of the suggested policy proposals seem to be able to truly tackle the problem.

So we have a modest proposal on how to square this circle: create entirely new and separate internets for each age bracket.

Under this system, every internet-capable device would be tied at the hardware level to a specific age-appropriate internet. There would be a separate internet for children aged 5-9, 9-12, 12-15, and 15-18, each offering content, apps, and experiences tailored to the cognitive and emotional development of those age groups. Access would be verified through facial recognition, ensuring that only the intended users could access their designated internet. Adults—parents, educators, tech support—who need access would require explicit permission, and their actions would be logged and made available to law enforcement as a condition of entry. Furthermore, each internet would impose restrictions on addictive elements of app design, ensuring that children are not subjected to dopamine-driven content manipulation.

A Better Digital Environment for Every Age

A tiered internet ensures that children are only exposed to content appropriate for their age and maturity level. Right now, the default assumption is that the internet is open to everyone, with only limited guardrails for minors. This is backward. We should treat digital access like we treat movie ratings or driver’s licenses: tailored to age and maturity. A 6-year-old should not be able to stumble across social media platforms designed to ensnare adult users in infinite scroll loops. A 12-year-old should not be exposed to internet pornography. A 16-year-old should have an experience that helps prepare them for adulthood without drowning them in the worst excesses of the internet.

Beyond content moderation, an age-tiered internet would also combat the most pernicious threat to children’s well-being: addiction by design. Today’s internet giants have built their business models around maximizing engagement through behavioral manipulation. The result is children who are glued to their screens, bombarded with algorithmically optimized content that exploits their developing brains’ vulnerabilities. A tiered internet could impose strict limits on app design: no infinite scrolling for younger users, no exploitative push notifications, no dopamine-driven game mechanics that mimic gambling addiction. By designing each age-tiered internet with child development in mind, we can ensure that technology serves children, rather than the other way around.

Who can forget the example of TikTok, whose Chinese version shows children only educational and patriotic content, while TikTok shows our children mind-melting slop?

A Boon for Startups and Innovation

Beyond safety, an age-tiered internet would create enormous opportunities for innovation. Right now, startups that want to build content and apps for kids face overwhelming hurdles: compliance costs, content moderation challenges, and the constant risk of predatory behavior slipping through the cracks. With a greenfield internet designed specifically for children, these hurdles would be drastically reduced. Startups could create education-focused, age-appropriate apps without having to compete with the overwhelming content flood of the mainstream internet.

Similarly, this model would provide a major opportunity for hardware startups. Internet devices for children should be designed differently than those for adults—rather than using LCD screens designed for infinite engagement, they should rely on e-paper displays, which are gentler on the eyes and discourage compulsive use. By pairing e-paper technology with curated content ecosystems, we could create devices that serve children’s needs without addicting them to endless scrolling and notifications.

Reducing Bullying in Teen-Focused Digital Spaces

One of the biggest problems plaguing teenagers online today is cyberbullying. The anonymity and algorithm-driven nature of mainstream social media have fostered an environment where harassment is rampant, and platforms struggle to intervene effectively. A tiered internet for teenagers could be designed from the ground up to reduce bullying through strict identity verification, built-in moderation tools, and proactive content filtering.

For example, AI-driven moderation could detect and limit toxic behavior before it spreads, while customizable privacy settings could prevent unwanted contact from peers. Teen-specific social platforms could require real names or verified pseudonyms, reducing the ability of bad actors to hide behind anonymous accounts. More importantly, such platforms could prioritize fostering positive interactions rather than engagement-maximizing conflict. Features like delayed messaging (to reduce impulsive reactions), structured debate forums, and mandatory “cool-down” periods for heated discussions could help create a healthier online culture for teenagers.

By designing teen-focused digital spaces with built-in protections against harassment and social toxicity, we can ensure that young people engage in online interactions that are constructive rather than damaging.

Learning from Past Failures

The current system has already failed children in multiple ways. We have seen scandal after scandal where so-called “child-friendly” digital environments turned out to be rife with exploitation. Social networks designed for kids have been infiltrated by predators. YouTube’s recommendation algorithm has served inappropriate and addictive content to children. These failures are not one-offs; they are inevitable consequences of an internet designed for adults but accessed by children. A tiered internet would eliminate these risks by ensuring that every online environment for minors is built from the ground up with safety in mind.

Addressing the Counterarguments

Critics will undoubtedly raise objections. The first and most obvious is feasibility. How do we ensure compliance from tech companies? How do we verify identity reliably? But these challenges are logistical, not fundamental. The technology exists. All that is needed is a law.

Another objection is the question of privacy. Facial recognition and logged adult access may raise concerns about government overreach. But we are talking about internet for children. Children on the internet do not have privacy rights, and parents and law enforcement have an obvious interest in being able to track their behavior online. Meanwhile, adults accessing a child appropriate internet would have to explicitly consent to activity logging, which would sidestep legal questions.

The Future of Digital Childhood

We already regulate the physical environments in which children grow up. We require safe playgrounds, age-appropriate education, and protections against harmful substances. Yet in the digital realm, we have abandoned this responsibility. The result is an internet where children are exposed to a toxic mix of hyper-addictive apps, exploitative advertising, and predatory behavior.

It doesn’t have to be this way. A tiered internet would allow children to experience the benefits of digital technology without being subjected to its worst excesses. It would give parents the reassurance they need and hold adults accountable for their interactions with minors online. It would create an internet that actually serves children’s needs, rather than exploiting them for profit.