The following is excerpted from an online article posted by SheKnows
If you’ve ever watched your teen go from laughing on the couch to storming into their room because of something that happened “in the group chat,” you already know how fast teen friendships can flip. What parents often don’t realize is just how much of today’s friend drama unfolds in digital spaces — sometimes before kids even see each other in person. And because so much happens silently on screens, we often only see the emotional fallout. But there’s a bigger story happening inside those group chats, private stories, and DM threads — one that affects not just our teens, but sometimes us too.
Group chats aren’t just side conversations anymore — they’re the default way teens stay connected. According to the Pew Research Center, 95% of U.S. teens have access to a smartphone, and 97% use the internet daily, with many describing messaging apps as their central social hub. These chats are where friends make plans, share memes, hype each other up, vent, flirt, joke, debate, apologize, overthink, misunderstand, and spiral — sometimes all in one afternoon.
Because messages move fast, one moment can quickly snowball into a “thing.” According to Common Sense Media, today’s teens are “constantly connected,” and digital communication has “created a culture of perpetual availability,” which can heighten social pressure. That constant connection means drama doesn’t simmer — it spreads.
Source: SheKnows
https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/1234946299/teen-group-chat-gossip-loops-drama/