Social mediaSocial media networks are the current phenomenon of our generation. According to Internet World Stats, “Basic usage of the Internet worldwide is 2.267 billion people using the Web” (http://www.internetworldstats.com/). This helps to understand how many people use online social networks. It is estimated that fifty-six percent of Americans have a profile on a social networking site (http://socialhabit.com/downloads/). For the small half of Americans who are unconnected and thinking, know that social media networks promise availability, connectivity, and networking. The availability of any social media network is abundant. These networks can be evaluated from any Internet/Wi-Fi connection, including smartphones. An estimated 751 million people access Facebook via mobile on over 7,000 devices (http://visual.ly/social-media-facts-2013). Facebook is one of several social networking services launched in 2004 and founded by Mark Zuckerberg with his roommates and fellow students at Harvard University (https://www.facebook.com). Instagram is another popular social network with currently over 100 million active users. Created in 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger initially for Apple devices, its availability now extends to all smartphone devices (http://instagram.com/about/us/#). Another estimate is that “4.2 billion people use mobile devices to access social media sites” (http://visual.ly/social-media-facts-2013). The availability of these types of social networks through mobile devices has amplified their popularity. Availability is convenient, ranging from your room to a bus stop, from a doctor's office waiting room to an office meeting. People everywhere ... middle of paper ...... because of the dangers of phishing and hacking. Online predators can now have access to profiles and photos to choose from. Fake profiles are often created to make fraudulent connections. Many measures have been put in place by these social networks to protect users with privacy settings. New updates never fail to ensure user privacy, but user has to engage and activate them. These risks are at the discretion and responsibility of the users. These social networks live up to their claims. For the responsible user, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The user can stay connected to the world at their discretion through accessibility. A responsible user can share publicly and create connectivity from the privacy of their home. Finally, the responsible user can participate in numerous social networking possibilities and join the world of social networks..