Social networking has had an increasingly huge impact on society. Technology has opened the door to a vast amount of information and the ability to transmit it to virtually anyone, anytime, anywhere. People are constantly checking their email, updating their Facebook status, sending tweets on Twitter, instant messages, and text messages. The debate on whether the use of social networks is a negative or positive aspect is continuous. In the case of Steven Pinker, his essay “Mind over Mass Media” argues that media technologies have a positive effect on mental development. In contrast, Sherry Turkle's essay “Connectivity and Its Discontents” states that technology has a negative effect on interpersonal relationships. Although Pinker makes many excellent points about how technology is improving intelligence and Turkle provides great ideas about how technology is harmful to relationships, neither Pinker nor Turkle provide the best answer to this question due to their lack of credibility and inclusion of logical errors. We should instead, while aware of the risks and dangers of social networks, use the Internet to its full potential. In his essay “Mind over Mass Media,” Steven Pinker proposes that media technologies are beneficial to mental development. According to Pinker, the rise of new forms of social media has been linked to reduced crime. He supports this claim by stating that “the emergence of video games in the 1990s coincided with the great decline in American crime” (3) and that “the decades of television, transistor radios, and rock videos were…decades in which IQ scores continually increased” (3). It also mentions that new technologies have made more resources available and, in turn,...... middle of paper ......ile Steven Pinker believes that social networking is improving society and Sherry Turkle believes that it is harmful to individuals, the real answer lies somewhere between the two positions. “It is well known that the web is a valuable resource for research and learning,” said Sue Scheff in her article “Social Networking Sites Can Limit Interpersonal Skills and Physical Activity,” “…[but] it can also be a very dangerous place” (1). While the Internet is useful for gaining knowledge and connecting with others, it will always have disadvantages as well because it can be addictive and an easy source for predators and bullies who can prey on those who are vulnerable. Ultimately, “it is in our collective interest to ensure that the Internet lives up to its potential as a revolutionary means of connection” (Pariser 11), while being aware of the risks and practicing self-restraint..