How does the internet actually route data packets globally?

The internet sends data packets from one place to another like a letter being passed from hand to hand all over town.

Imagine you're playing a game where you have to send a message to your friend across the street, but instead of talking directly, you pass it through other kids who are also passing messages. Each kid only knows how to pass the message to the next kid who's closest to the final destination. That’s like how data packets move around the internet.

Every time a packet moves from one place to another, it goes through a router, which is like a traffic cop that decides where to send the message next. These routers all work together so the message gets closer and closer to its final destination, just like your friend across the street.

Sometimes the message takes a long way around if there's a lot of traffic, but the internet always finds the fastest route for each packet, just like how you might take a shortcut if you know it’s quicker.

When all the packets arrive at their destination, they’re put back together so the message is complete, just like when your friend reads the whole letter you sent!