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1: Social media: the hidden dangers 2. Are Social Networking Sites Good for Our Society? 3. Procon.org It is obvious that social media is becoming part of the daily lives of teens and young adults. **That being said**, many users do not realize all of the harmful effects, some that can haunt them for the rest of their lives. For one, many college students rely on social media for the latest news and information, which causes the spreading of false and unreliable information. Social networking sites are the top news source for almost 30 percent of Americans. Out of those people, as well as the others around the world who have succumbed to social media’s grasp, 49 percent of people had heard false news on a social media website. An example of this is the aftermath of hurricane Sandy. After the storm, a man tweeted that the New York Stock Exchange was flooding and Manhattan would lose all of its power. The false information was spread all throughout social media, all the way to newscasters at CNN and the Weather Channel. Not only can social media affect humanity as a whole, but can change your personal life as well. Gangs use social media websites to attract members and make plans, which cause an increase in crime. Crime is also becoming big on social media due to the increased problem of cyber bullying. Almost 50 percent of students admit to being victims of online bullying, and over 30 percent report bullying others on a social media site. While some may believe that tweeting, or posting something harmful to others isn’t a big deal, it is seen as a chargeable crime. The victims of the cyber bullying are more likely to attempt suicide, starting from as young as middle school, all the way up to your adult life. Social media has become a giant invasion of privacy. There have been many instances where advertisements on websites like Facebook or twitter lead to hackers gaining all of your personal information. 68 percent of social media users publicly share their birthdays, 63 percent share where they went to high school, and 18 percent share their phone numbers. Not only can people gain any of your information, but they have the ability to retain any of the information that you have deleted; it never goes away. Social media may not seem that bad, but has the ability to change your life, in more of a negative way than positive.