Parents can exercise caution with youth-based social apps

FALLBROOK – Internet access is no longer limited to desktop or laptop computers. World Advertising Research Center, using data from mobile trade body GSMA, says almost three-quarters of internet users, or roughly 3.7 billion people, will access the internet exclusively via smartphones by 2025.

Young people are one of the largest demographics utilizing smartphones today. A Common Sense Media survey says just over half of children in the United States now own a smartphone by the age of 11. In addition, 84 percent of teenagers have their own phones. Most youth grew up with the internet, and they...