How popular do you think social media is? As Joe said: “If social media companies were countries, Facebook, with over 1.1 billion users, would be the most populous, just ahead of China!” (Joe Carter, 2013, para 1). Nowadays, social networks have become the main method of communication, giving the opportunity to connect with friends around the corner and around the world. It seems that social media has changed the world for the better. However, with the growing number of social network users of all ages, research has noted the negative effects of these networks on the community with the increase in serious mental health problems with social isolation being the main one, so it is quite fair to say that social media has had a dramatic impact on our society causing moral and social problems. Some people might argue that social media erases boundaries. Supporters of social networks believe that social media facilitates open communication that leads to improved information and provides opportunities for various cultures and communities to connect. However, this point has merit on the surface and may be acceptable to some extent. It is true that social media allows for long-distance communication. However, interaction in cyberspace is different from communication in real life, while social networks foster open communication, but also open the possibility for hackers to launch spam and cause privacy issues. The main risks for tweens and teens online today are risks to each other, risks of misusing technology, lack of privacy, sharing too much information, or posting false information about themselves or others—these types of behavior puts their privacy at risk (O' Keeffe, Clarke-Pearson, 2011, paragraph 5). Additionally, with more time spent on social media and… middle of paper, users can be greatly helped if they understand the underlying issues and have strategies to address them, whether they take place online or offline. , or, increasingly, both” (O'Keeffe, Clarke-Pearson, 2011, Para8). List of references:* O'Keeffe, Clarke-Pearson. (March 28, 2011). The impact of social media on children, adolescents and families. Retrieved April 25, 2014, from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/127/4/800.* Graham. (April 16, 2014). Psychologist: Social media causes a "distancing phenomenon" to occur. Retrieved April 25, 2014, from http://washington.cbslocal.com/2014/04/16/psychologist-social-media-causing-a-distancing-phenomena-to-take-place/.* Carter. (July 17, 2013). 9 things you should know about social media. Retrieved May 6, 2014, from http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2013/07/17/9-things-you-should-know-about-social-media/.