When is the right time to let kids use social media and the internet?

The longer I've been an internet user, the more I feel like I'm missing out on something (FOMO) every second I'm offline. The tech world changes so fast.

My first experience with a computer was around the age of 8 – I used Microsoft Paint to sketch houses because we didn’t have internet at home. I got online for the first time at 11, and by 12 or 13, I had already joined social media.

Looking back, I sometimes think I could have used that time more productively, like learning a new language or picking up programming instead of just playing computer games.

The younger generations (born after 2000) are given smartphones as toddlers (in some cases literally).

Is there an ideal age and "restrictions" when a child should be introduced to the online world?

Personally, I think that these topics and practical experience should happen at the earliest possible age.

First show the pitfalls and give a condition for use – use the Internet for something useful, e.g. to learn something, or to create something.

I can’t just complain about the online sphere. The earlier I started, the more I benefited from the advantages. I learned to make videos, edit photos, improved my English and that ultimately earns me money.