But does social media do more good than harm? Tech CEOs are being grilled in the USA this week as part of a Senate hearing about the protection of children from online sexual abuse.
Accused: ‘Your product is killing people’
Tech wreck: Senator Lindsay Graham of South Carolina accused Mark Zuckerberg of having blood on his hands. Glossary
Oregon - A state on the north-west coast of the USA. It is one of the most geographically diverse states, with volcanoes, huge lakes, vast forests and deserts.
Exploitation - Treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their hard work.
CEO - The Chief Executive Officer is the highest ranking person in a company. They are responsible for making decisions about the company's future.
Predatory - Something that preys on others.
Congress - The legislative branch of the American government, where elected representatives vote on which laws should be passed. Congress is made up of two chambers: the Senate, which contains two members from each of the 50 states, and the House of Representatives, which has representatives from 435 smaller districts.
Censorship - Preventing or stopping speech, writing or communication that is considered harmful or "inconvenient".
Algorithm - Any set of rules followed by a computer. In the context of social media, “the algorithm” refers to the intelligent AI that learns the interests of the user and presents them with posts that it thinks will interest them.
Literacy - The ability to read and write.
Surpassing - Going beyond.
Compulsive - Something you are unable to stop doing.
Privacy - Being able to keep details about your life to yourself without everyone else knowing.