“For a developing teenage brain, it’s going to be training that brain for impulsive behavior,” Aaron Ping said. “Dopamine reward schedules, it has a really harmful effect on the developing mind.”

Aaron Ping feels that effect is what led Avery to seek out the hallucinogenic drug MDMA on Snapchat in late 2024, leading to his overdose death. He was 16.

Do digital social platforms create addictive conditions that lead to adverse psychological effects in kids (and everyone)? Yes, absolutely.

Is that what made this guy’s kid want to buy sketchy ecstasy online? I doubt it.