The only way out I can see is to segrigate the kids from accessing content. Personally, I think we should just block anyone from under 18 from the internet, but, that would require parents actually take responsibility and good luck with that.
Actually, we could do this on a device level instead of an internet level.
There are already things like bark phones (I think the brand is called), which allows monitoring of everything by the parent, contacts can't be added without the parent approving it, apps can't be installed without the parent approving it, browsers can't be installed, etc.
It's not only much more extensive than parental controls on typical phones, but the controls are the default.
Yes there are tablets people buy for their kids, but it doesn't go far enough and parental controls are sometimes obtuse and confusing and it still allows things like kids youtube which is full of slop.
I'd personally love to see an actual PC (with keyboard and monitor and all so it isn't portable), with these settings defaulted.
Browsers can't be installed. No internet access unless it's granted for specific uses (like one website that the parent approves specifically), applications are kid friendly only (no games or applications with interaction with mixed groups like roblox, unless it's on a private server with approved contacts like Minecraft, nothing with paid content, install with parental approval only, etc), keylogger that alerts the parent if anything concerning is typed, no webcam can be installed.
If you had kid friendly machines ready out of the box like this I think it would go a long way. Often kids use their parents phone or computer if they don't have their own and that means open access. If the answer is "no, use your own" and theirs is locked down there would be no need for IDs or anything like that.
The big thing would be making these locked down options easy to set up, most options already set up out of the box, and easy to understand like the kid phones.
Once the bark phones came out (and similar options) I've seen bigger and bigger social pressure from moms not to let your kid have a regular phone, especially not a smartphone because they're "unsafe", "full of predators", "more trouble than they're worth" but they still want their kid to have a way to contact them if there's an emergency away from home.
I think similar might happen with computers. "You let your kid on your computer? There's no way I would do that! There's so many predators online. My kid used the Pluto computer for his school.".
Rate me optimistic but I think consumer friendly kid safe options plus societal pressure/shaming and education could go a hell of a long way toward this problem.
A lot of parents are already realizing social media isn't safe for kids, even normies.
