Let's be honest: Google is the internet, and the internet is not designed for kids.

The app itself is a marvel of engineering—Lens is genuinely impressive, AI Mode can be useful, and the ability to answer any question instantly is powerful. But that power comes with zero guardrails. One curious search, one algorithmic suggestion in Discover, one AI hallucination, and your kid is exposed to content you'd never choose for them.

This isn't a kids' app. It's an adult tool that kids increasingly need to learn, but that learning should happen with training wheels: supervised sessions, clear rules, Family Link restrictions, and ongoing conversations about digital literacy and critical thinking.

If your kid has unrestricted Google access on their device, you're essentially handing them the keys to the entire internet—the educational, the entertaining, the disturbing, and the dangerous. That might be fine for a mature teen, but it's a hard no for younger kids without serious supervision.