The Kids issue of MIT Technology Review arrived this week, a collection of stories exploring how the next generation handles an increasingly digital world. The newsletter frames the current moment as a turning point: once, limiting children’s access to screens was a niche concern, but now it has become a dominant trend. Schools in the United States are replacing iPads with traditional books, and countries globally are moving to ban children from social media. Even teenagers, often labeled as digital natives, are turning away from the latest gadgets in favor of vintage technology like the Sony Walkman.
Industry insiders distance themselves from screens. People working in big tech are often among the most protective of their children. Many tech leaders restrict their kids’ access to smartphones and social media platforms, and some do not even allow their children to have phones. This protective behavior extends to public figures, such as Mark Zuckerberg, who does not post his children’s faces on Facebook or Instagram. Despite these efforts to shield young people, technology is woven into daily life, making it difficult to completely separate children from the digital tools that define the modern era.
The Kids issue features reporting from the magazine Anyway, which targets teenagers and tweens, alongside the editors of MIT Technology Review. The stories examine the specific ways children interact with artificial intelligence, the support systems helping them through what is described as a “polycrisis,” and the emotional impact of losing a robot companion. Other topics include why children often outlearn AI, the effectiveness of monitoring apps, and how schools can teach smarter AI usage. The edition also includes fiction from Jenny Williams, an author and AI ethicist, to explore how technology is reshaping the concept of childhood.
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While the magazine focuses on the challenges facing young people, former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates is expressing concern about the broader implications of artificial intelligence. Gates recently stated that he has crossed several danger thresholds regarding AI capabilities. He highlighted the lack of progress in implementing guardrails to control these systems, noting that the technology has advanced faster than safety measures. In an interview, he listed areas where he believes the risks have already materialized, including bio-capabilities, cyber-capabilities, and the potential for economic disruption.
For the children growing up in this environment, the challenge is not to retreat entirely but to learn how to function within a reality they did not build. The articles in the Kids issue aim to provide a framework for helping young people survive and thrive in a world where technology is inescapable.
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