...social media apps and the dangers associated with them. Texting apps today have photos, emojis, reactions (i.e., likes, thumbs down), animations, group interactions (i.e., near-constant disruptions and interruptions), ability to delete messages, etc.

What we used to fear for our youth with Instagram and Snapchat are largely present in today's texting messages, and I'm shocked at the hundreds and hundreds of messages that ping through these group text chats in a single day.

In short, don't assume that having a phone without social media will protect your child from nearly all of the negative consequences of social media. If they're using today's texting apps, particularly in group threads, they're exposed to virtually all of the same negative effects.